We don’t really make New Year’s resolutions but driving home from Phoenix we talked about how we need to branch out and do some different things and start getting together with friends instead of just saying “let’s get together sometime.”
Last week I got an email from Houlihan’s announcing that a jazz group would be playing tonight and since we know the lead vocalist, we decided to make plans to go. We called our friends Cheryl and Dan and they were game so off we went.
For full disclosure, I should mention that we were also motivated by coupons that Tammy and Steve put in our Christmas stockings so we knew we were get free appetizers, desserts, or meals. You really didn’t think we were going someplace where we’d pay full price, did you?
Our wait for dinner was about an hour so we had a fun time listening to jazz and visiting with several other friends who had the same idea – must have been old farts night at the Doubletree.
We were rewarded with a free appetizer (“Shrooms) and a free dessert (Creme Brulee) but since our service was so slow (fault of the kitchen, not the server) and the food came out cold, it turned out we only paid for drinks. The manager was quite apologetic and insured we will return – the waitress got a generous tip (more than 20% of the bill had we paid it all) – and we left happy campers.
I’d say a free meal, great jazz and excellent company measures up to a wonderful paycheck for my hard work this week. And I don’t have to declare it as taxable income either!
