Greenbacks

Two odd things happened with money yesterday.

First, my friend Bonnie treated me to lunch at the Village Wharf, a local restaurant. (As an aside, the food there has greatly improved since the new owners took over.) We finished our meal. She dug a $20 bill out of her purse and was holding it out quite prominently in front of her. Our server walked by and asked "Are you ready for your check?" I almost said, "No, dear, she's waving that money around in the hope of getting a lap dance from you."

Then I was in an Office Depot to buy mailing labels. The purchase totaled $10.84. I handed the cashier a $20 bill and a $1 bill. She held them up in front of her and scrutinized them closely. I could see the confusion on her face. She said "The total is only $10.84. Do you want to just give me the $20 instead?" The man in line behind me snickered. I explained why I had given her the bills I had given her. She seemed mildly offended, but I don't know if it was at me or at the snickering man in line behind me.