Not about pennies, but when I was a kid one of my neighbors was a dentist and every year gave out toothbrushes and a brochure about the dangers of Halloween candy. I was like, "Sweet, toothbrush! Can I have the green one?"

I started throwing a fit once in a restaurant; I think I was four or five. My father promptly picked me up, took me outside, and explained to me (without any threat of physical punishment and without even raising his voice) that was not how we behaved in restaurants and that if I couldn't act like a human being, I…

I worked in a small pizza joint in a tourist town the summer after freshman year of college. Across the street was the bowling alley which was also know for "finer" dining (really). One evening, a couple came in with their kids (about 8 and 10 years old) and asked if the kids could be seated by the window, because…

One of my best moments started out as a disaster. We had a walkout on a bill of about $60. The other waitress and I were both really upset because we would have to pay it and it would be a large portion of our tips for the day. The other girl actually went and cried in the bathroom for a bit. We had these two sweet…

It's the weirdest thing: as the sight of all three of my grandparents has deteriorated to the point where I have to read the bill and figure out the tip, their tipping has increased substantially.

Last story was the best, although the dog-in-parka pocket story was cute as hell.

Funny, up there the code term for racist white folk is "American."

As the parent of a very active toddler, I totally understand service workers bargaining not to get our table.

Every Friday night, these two wonderful women come into the restaurant I work at at about 5pm and stay until 8:30 or so drinking and chatting and relaxing after a long work week. They always have kind words for my coworkers and me, and they are genuinely interested in seeing me pay for graduate school - so much so…

no. don't touch me.

i can't believe dudes want us to let them do things like lead the country and make decisions. they're way to mercurial for this, they must see it!

I know! He really just needs to calm down and stop being hysterical.