[Zeke]

Years ago when Grady Clay was visiting I was his main ride for 5 days all day long every day. One event was a meetup with Pelicans at restaurant near Pelican that had more than a dozen, maybe 15 or close. Wayne sat at the head of the table, perhaps a mistake. I don't know how the sitation arrose that Wayne paid the bill, but he did with the understanding that everyone pass down the table enough money to cover the bill.

Usually when this happens the person paying has plenty to pay and leave a tip. Wayne got shorted, that I know. I think the more involved the more inaccurate it can become. I'm not sure he mentioned it then and there, but it did come out soon enough that I was scanning the seating arrangement and going over in my mind how the cash flowed towards the head of the table. I had my suspicions of who feigned adding to the pile as it progressed.

When in a group like this it is difficult for each person to count up their own bill. Easy to forget the second bar beverage ordered, maybe a side. The the cost of the main course is what you tend to remember. With tip and taxes it's probably wise to add 50% to the price of the meal as your part. At best, it's a lot of rounding off in everyone's mind. Some are generous because they know. Those that try and hit their share on the nose probably come up short.

Had we tried to have separate bills, including additional beverages and perhaps a desert or two, it would have been very difficult for the server. Damn near impossible unless they tacked your bill on the back of your seat and added to as the evening wore on. As it is, the servers seldom anymore bring the food to the table w/o asking where this dish goes and who had that one. Or they use runners to get all the food on the table in a timely manner.

AFA sounding on the server, owner or not, that was likely boorish. WRT to not tipping the owner, that may be the case at a barber shop and other places where an owner is also the front man acting alone. When it comes to a business where tips are shared with the backend workers, how is an owner supposed to pull out tips for busing, cooking and washing? That's stupid. Tip the server even if it's God.

We had another restaurant get together a couple days later for lunch. Again Wayne was there. I think he arranged this one while I had put together the dinner. Much smaller group and IIRC, it came out fine. Probably separate checks. Someone always bought Grady's share.

And the more I think about this Grady trip, we had dinner out every night. I remember one place where it was Grady, myself and my wife only. Another night we ended up in Pasadena and one by one everyone left leaving the two of us. We had been there to see Grady's grandfather's stately home. Grady was ill and under treatment. He was not supposed to drink any alcohol. He managed to keep his consumption to a minimum but that night in Pasadena I think he might have gotten to a 4th glass of wine over a long 2 hours at least. The guy had great stories.

And there I sat, drinking coffee.