One of my pet peeves is attempted do good upgraders.

I remember being taken to dinner once and ordering the meat loaf and my host suggested I try one of the steaks. He actually tried to upsell me on it. My host, a company supervisor was trying to impress is over some damned thing and thought I was crazy not to take a steak dinner as a company freebie.

Over the years a few times when someone buys the drinks I've had my host get me Knob Creek or Maker's Mark when I asked for Jim Beam. Usually I quietly choke it down so as not to embarrass my host but not always.

A couple of times I've picked up my drink, gone over to the bar and handed it to the bartender and ordered a Jim Beam and returned.

Once the host asks what's wrong and I simply say that I don't like expensive bourbons. As usual, they say, "I don't understand. Knob Creek is a better bourbon than Jim Beam."

"No. It's a more expensive bourbon than Jim Beam. I really don't care for it."

It's that simple.

One time someone offered to take me to some damned hifalutin' fancy restaurant for dinner and I told him to "Save your money. I won't be impressed. Go find a nice truck stop or basic diner that makes a pretty good meat loaf and REALLY impress me."

He did and we had a really relaxed meal together.

I remember at work occasionally when they ran a class or something they'd tell us to save our dinner receipts. I had maybe 4 nights worth and while most of the other guys gorged themselves on steak and lobster, 

I turned in two from a diner, one from a fish place that made a pretty good fried cod and a supermarket receipt for a couple of pork chops, some potato salad, cole slaw and some lemonade.  

When he asked what the supermarket receipt was for I told him that there was a fire pit behind the motel and it looked like a pretty good night for a barbecue. He shook his head and laughed.

At a later three day and nights overnight class I turned in a receipt for a damned expensive dinner and a diner meal and my port captain laughed and commented that I didn't take advantage of things.

There's a 1991 Miata NA in the garage and if some rich guy destroyed it in an accident and offered to buy his way out of it by offering me a new one straight off the showroom floor I'd probably agree, sell it and go hunting for another low mileage, garage kept 1991 NA. Screw the upgrade. I like what I like.

 

To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY