Thursday, February 7, 2013

41. Tip Drills



The woman shall know the correct tip appropriation for her drinks, dining, or treating a highly evolved gentleman to either of the two.

After wrapping up a great meal with a Prosecco, tiramisu, or coffee with Baileys, we know that great conversation will eventually conclude and the bill will be requested.  When we're rolling solo (or with a gentleman that we want to treat), boldly ask for the bill, and already have in your mind the correct percentage for the tip - and always leave a tip.  There's no bigger turn-off than lingering over the math calculations when the bill is presented - and it doesn't matter if you're a guy or gal.

My rule of thumb is that a tip should be the greater of $5 (which would cover a few beers) or 20% (a VERY quick calculation).

Say the bill is $20 at a favorite bar.  Leave a $5 tip for good measure - you'll probably come back!

For bigger bills, employ the 10% twice rule, and adjust accordingly.  Say you're at a fancy schmancy restaurant where your bill is $75- don't DARE pull out a tip card!  10% is $7.50.  Double that to 20%, which will bring you to a $15 tip.  The official woman will know how to do this math in her head.  If there is doubt, round up.

Do the math in your head and sign the check.  Boldly.  You're worth it.

Side note - If you're on a date where the gentleman treats, and the man asks you to calculate the tip, he probably wants you to acknowledge the cost of the meal.  In that case, tip twice as much.  The official man would never allow the bill to even come up in conversation with the official woman.  Plus, the official man knows the value of his own dollar.

This law comes courtesy of Renee (New York, NY).

Monday, February 4, 2013

40. Man Fasts



The woman shall, during periods of dating-life suffocation, interupt the season of romantic pursuits by engaging in a purpose-filled man-fast.

You'd think that after 16 years of practicing something, you'd be good at it right?  That's how long I, along with several highly regarded girlfriends, have been dating, and we haven't found the right stride in quite some time.

We've had some great relationships in our past, but dating in our 30's is very different from dating in our 20's, and sometimes this calls for an evaluation of what we want for our lives.  For the past year, I've buried myself in an extravaganza of failed attempts to make doomed relationships work, and I am sooooooooooo tired.  I feel like the dating life has beat me up - literally.  I've lost sleep, experienced ups and downs with my appetite, and observed lots of lows in the feel-good hormones section.

After my last encounter with a relationship renegade, my good girlfriends talked me into a month-long manfast.  For the next 24 days, I'll not pursue empty love, drool over secret cruches, or stalk former love interests on Facebook.  That's a waste of time. 

I've been engaged in the manfast for about a week now, and my energy has definitely shifted for the better.  Here are a few tips that I've jotted down to keep me (and my accountability partner) on track:

Rules of the manfast:
  1. We'll not advance commitments of time, energy, and space towards romantic possibilities.  We'll spend time if asked, but the suggestion cannot come from us.
  2. We'll not give any headspace to men.romance.sex.relationships.   If we catch ourselves daydreaming about a wedding, we'll do yoga.
  3. We'll not aggrandize genuine interest from highly evolved gentlemen.  Instead, we'll take it at face value and let the pace define itself. 
We'll let you know how the monthlong story goes.


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