Welcome, fellow OWFLers, to my first official post! And so it begins. Please be gentle.
So, yesterday my boss and my boss's boss took me out to lunch. In part, it was because my boss's boss was worried about what I was going to say when they told me that my boss is going to be working from home three days a week until she has her child in three months; however, it was mostly because my boss's boss likes going out to lunch.
Now, I don't object to being taken out to lunch, although it's kind of beat when all of those lunches for OTHER people wind up cutting in to my profit-sharing check. That tends to be more of an issue when you wind up going somewhere nice. Like Morton's, The Steakhouse. Which we did. Yesterday.
As I sat there yesterday, it put me in to a minor moral quandary. I really wasn't all that hungry, but how often do I eat - lunch or otherwise - at Morton's, much less on someone else's dime, even less on the company's dime? Do I order the $27 Stacked New York Strip Steak (with blue cheese and tomatoes)? Or, do I settle in for a more reasonable $16 Warm Steak Salad?
When your boss is picking up your lunch check, do you go with reasonable? Or, do you go all the way?
Wait a minute. The fog I created last night is lifting here for a moment, and I seem to recall having that discussion here in the recent past. Damn it! I was all excited about this last night, and now I'm botching my maiden voyage!
So, how about this? In addition to my menu anxiety yesterday, I was having the type of day when I could have fucked up a beer at lunch (as opposed to fucking up about a dozen later in the day). So, in the same situation - work lunch with higher-ups - what signs do you read to order an adult beverage? Where's your green light? Where's your red light?
And, of course, WFL?
36 comments:
I think you should use some restraint when ordering on someone else's dime. I think it is pretty tacky to just start ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, and even worse if you are not really hungry. Same thing goes with dates. I am not one of those stupid girls who will order just a tiny salad on a date, but I also try to be fairly reasonable when ordering.
Do I love drinking?
Of course I do.
But when with bosses I tend to refrain from ordering alcohol. Unless they do of course.
The last time such a situation occurred, the dumb waiter asked for my order first, with non-alcoholic drink. My boss then ordered a beer, and i'm thinking "DAMN! Missed my chance!"
Welcome to the posting world Quakey Jake
well our company dime currently caps at $25 a day (hasn't changed since 1983) so lunches are inherently reasonable. i rarely would order anything too expensive at a restaurant anyway as those items could be better made at home for a fraction of the cost.
Again, per co policy (must have something to do with all the driving of trucks) there is zero alcohol consumption during the working day... post work day i usually will race co-workers to blackout state.
hurting bad today, i was hoping for a hangover related post so i could wax poetic on the angry wildebeast running around in my head.
Lunch today is Sushi from this little place a couple blocks away... i think i'm going to get the "Spicy Girl Roll"... it doesn't taste all that different from a spicy tuna roll with that crunchy stuff and avocado but to be able to order a spicy girl and not feel dirty is pretty rad..
Nice first post Earthquake.
I woke up drunk this morninig. I blame all the drinking last night... Didn't we have this converation at RFD last night too?
I generally don't stress out when ordering on somebody else's dime. But I do keep in mind the advice from life's little instruction book that when you are a guest at a meal, that you not order something more expensive than your host. But when it's the company's dime, I get classy apps, full on entre and desert.
Like when I went to Mortons with my team I got the French onion soup, the NY strip and a fudgy brownie with icecream. I was the 5th most expensive meal at the table of 6.
Ah, watchdog, you should have pulled the old "Did I say soda water? I meant, vodka and soda water..."
Yes, I won't order alcohol at lunch unless the boss orders first. I generally don't drink during the work day, b/c I'm pretty much useless after one drink. But if I know the afternoon's shot already, well then! As far as food goes, I usually try to stick with mid-range pricing. However, I've never been invited to Morton's for work. Blast!!
Lunch today = ? I'm having a Diet Coke right now and I'm starving. But I think the packers will be done in maybe another hour. And yes, I'm typing this from the floor in my second bedroom b/c the rest of the room is packed up.
Oh yeah and the alcohol. My last boss was a good friend of mine, and in fact lives with Lady Sunshine. She gets her drink on like a drinking champ in training for a drinking competetion in drinksylvania.
Hey Earthquake. What happened to my play date? Did she get up? Did she talk about going back out to Ballston? Is she hurtin'?
It took me a good long while, but I have finally gotten to the point in my life when I order what I'm in the mood for, no matter who is picking up the check. I had a long run there of aiming cheap-cheap when it was someone else's treat. Somewhere along the line, I learned that part of being a good guest is allowing your host to be a good host.
I am probably going to end up having some bullshit airport lunch today, as I have a flight to St. Louis at 1:35. If I'm very lucky (which this hangover is not telling me I am), I'll hold out for some good ol' dry-rub in the City of the Arch. Then again, I may just have to roll that in to dinner...
yeah, no alcohol with the bosses...just doesn't sit well, unless it's in a foreign country and you are on a business trip and it's customary to have wine with your food, etc. i did that in spain once...it was quite nice.
welcome jerry!
um, i agree with jada in that ordering the most expensive thing is tacky. but that could also be my "polite" upbringing in that you shouldn't take advantage of people when they are paying for you no matter what...it's just bad manners.
i'm still sick but in office today. i am having cold medicine for lunch and some left over italian wedding soup and random salad that i ordered last night from radius. now THAT was an interesting telephone ordering session.
me: should i order the large salad or the regular one?
phone order dude: well, i'd say that roughage is good for your intestinal track so ordering more is good.
me: ok, that sounds about right. thanks man.
Well, my boss is pregnant, which puts the hurtin' on her opening the ordering door at the bar. We'll see what happens after the new year.
ms: play date is hurtin' and on her way to Ballston. I quote: "I hope mikey doesn't think we're really doing all that stuff today." And, yes, we did have this discussion last night. The only reason I can form the thought is because it is the last coherent moment I had.
m: Every post is hangover-related. Wildebeest on, my friend.
OH MY GOD!! LaChoi - I think that man is your soulmate.
At this particular job that I'm at now, there are no lunch outtings with co-workers/boss. I bring my lunch or grab something on the fly. So drinking at work would mean that I'd have to tote around a 6-pack in my bag or something. At this point in time, it just may have to come to that...
Lady A, Before you go out and get a 6er of Shlitz, let me remind you of tonights innauguration HH@BB. You can start drinking when you get there, you don't have to wait all the way til the 6:45 21 rum salute.
Ultimo Dragon would eat burro meat if ever el Jefe ever buy lunch. he never do though
From Earthquake on the way to the Airport:
"Duuuuuuuuuuude
I wanted to call to tell you that I scored last night.
Also lunch today will probably include a bloody Mary"
Fly well good buddy, Fly well.
If the bosses/donors/clients are drinking, then I drink. Otherwise, I don't. I never order first, and a simple, "Oh, I'm not ready yet usually does the trick." I order whatever I feel like, which is rarely the most expensive thing, but if it were, I would have it.
Lunch today is tomatoes again, and I might have some ramen because it sounds really good to me, though I'm not hungry at all.
no spicy girl rolls :( but i did get a rather interesting Dynamite roll... spicy tuna with spicy crab meat on top and some orangish chili sauce on top... all in all, it was an culinary masterpiece.
Drinking during the workday is a fire-able offense in these parts, so I generally don't. Except during the X-mas party, when EVERYONE gets blitzed. Good times.
Nice job on your first post Earthquake. My first one is next Monday (I'm a little nervous).
Oh, my rule of thumb on the ordering thing, can be articulated thusly: If I were paying, would I get x? The answer is almost always "yes" (assuming it's what I wanted and not broiled lemming heads or something), and then I feel fine ordering it.
I will likely skip the ramen. I'm having the tomatoes with some bread I found in the kitchen, torn up in a bowl w/ salt, pepper and balsamic. For dinner, after I go to my house, and then get situated at the home of e-que and shorty, I will have corn on the cob from my the farm by my dad's house. I can't wait!
Oh, and for tonight's HH--was there a decision made on which BB will be the location? Is it both? I'm def. going to need a drink tonight, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it.
From the Czar (it seems he's actually busy - are you sitting? - WORKING today):
[Czar] says:
comment for me, Cosi ordered in for office lunch meeting. when going out with the boss always go about 75% of all the way, or follow their lead.
[Czar] says:
and welcome to "jerry"
BTW, I'm out for HH. I have too much to do after work, and I know this is going to sound as crazy as the Czar doing work, but I don't feel like drinking or being in a bar. Have fun though! I'm sure I'll be back at soon enough!
I'm afraid I can't make the HH today either.
But i'll be at the HH tomorrow in VA, y'ins should come
Did hell just freeze over?
Congrats on the first post, earthquake. Nice job!
Welcome, Jerry!
When I'm out on the company dime, I pretty much look at the numbers first, find the top three or four highest figures, and make that the menu.
I think my lunches have been @ 50/50 boozy/dry. Key off the boss. I don't think there's any harm in asking straight up, either. "Is anyone else having wine? I don't really care, but I see some things on the menu that could be nicely pared."
Yeah, right.
Anyway, I scored another free lunch. I am on a roll!
A co-worker got invited to a lunchtime “constitutional forum” at the university where she goes to night school. Free sandwiches, pizza and soft drinks. I just happened to be in her office and saw the invitation on her desk and it turned out that my district’s state senator was one of the speakers. So I just invited myself along. Kwame’s not bad, but he’s no Barack. Pizza sucked.
Was it Giordannos, Dipso?
It was similar to Giordano's but even worse, I think. We even said "Is this giordano's?" But the boxes didn't even say where it came from. They just said "Fresh Pizza."
Giordano's stuffed isn't bad, but their thin crust is evil.
Plop plop fizz fizz time.
Well, I'm all packed up now. And I went & dropped some stuff off at mommy & daddy turtle's & decided to make a stop at a place I haven't been to in at least a year or so! It's a vegetarian restaurant called Sunflower's in Vienna (right near the watchdog family, actually). I got the General Tso's surprise & mooshoo rolls. Yummmmm. Such a treat! And I'm eating it right now. Then I'm going to nap & clean up & go to Bravo Bravo (to answer you Gimlet Girl: I believe we are starting at Bravo Bravo & then moving on to Buffalo Billiards later.) I have sooooo much more stuff to do, but I soooooooo need a drink. Eh, I'll just throw everything I don't want them to touch in the bathroom & say "Don't move this room!" Takes 5 minutes.
"fresh pizza". Nice. Did they give you "cola beverage" as well?
LT, I've seen the Sunflower place, but i've been turned off by the whole "vegetarian" thing.
What kind of meat options do they have there?
No, they just passed around a couple gallons of "orange drink."
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
'orange drink' - nice.
WD, I'm not big on vegetarianism, either - don't get me wrong, lentils have their place, but a whole meal of them? Sunflower has a lot of soy meat things - it's not too bad! And the owners are . . . hm, I hesitate to say which, but of some asian persuasion. I guess chinese. So they have a lot of chinese food, but with soy meat or wheat gluten - it's not as good as real meat, but it's way better than just beans & lentils. I recommend it!
(And yes, I know I probably have an overly simplified view of vegetarianism)
I'll give the ol' Sunflower a gander. I had assumed it was out of business because it looks that way and it features the word "vegetarian"
Hi!
Sorry EarthQuake,
Its been a bad day. Something to do with major security issues at the company.
Regardless, the boss always leads off in ordering. Its just, "How it Works" (TM). So take your queue.
Now, if you're off that day and get invited for an off-site lunch and your boss just happens to be there... unless he is a total bastard and would hold it against you, buy a beer and rub it in his face that its your day off.
HAHAHAHAHAHAH
So today was another Vendor Lunch. So I got the Smoked Sliced Turkey with BBQ sauce, cole slaw and a cookie.
mmmmmm gotta have my cookie ... guess what I ate first?
Welcome Jerry!
blech nasty cough causing me to completely tax my vocal chords. i hope i don't die.
but i guess that would help the death poll, now wouldn't it?
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