Eastburn Adventures

Dear Mexican Villa Waitress:

Thank you for your excellent service to my husband and me last night in your restaurant. I really appreciated you tracking down some limes for my Diet Coke, and you were very quick to bring the refills. I think, however, that we may have given you the wrong impression and that you might be under the assumption that we are, well, poor. Not that we are wealthy by any means, but we can certainly afford to eat in your establishment without it being a hardship. I can understand where you may have gotten your misconceived notions, so let's clear this up now, okay?

First, when you came to the table and I was busy with a calculator and our checkbook, I was not anxiously calculating whether or not we could afford to each have our own meal. My husband and I both were out of town this week on separate business trips, the 15th was payday, and I hadn't had time to pay the bills yet. Finishing up at dinner was a matter of convenience.

Second, I ordered the $4.60 half-size Sancho Enchilada Style because I wasn't that hungry and we had errands to run after dinner, so that it was not feasible to get a full-size order as the leftovers would not have kept in the car. My husband always orders a $4.00 plain burrito because that's what he likes. We weren't deliberately looking to order the cheapest items on the menu.

Third, when my husband requested more mild sauce for the chips, and we balked when you told us the "first one is free, but others would be $0.35 each," it wasn't because we couldn't afford the additional salsa - it was rebellion against the principle of the matter, because we believe in America that complimentary chips and salsa in a Mexican Restaurant is an absolute right. We do, however, appreciate you bringing us an additional bowl of the mild sauce, under the table, at no cost.

Last, again we really appreciate you trying to look out for us, but it really wasn't necessary to ring up our two Diet Cokes as waters, and thus, not charging us for the soda. Although we usually order water in restaurants because the soda game is a high profit margin and it usually costs more for one glass than a two-liter does at Wal-Mart, we both happened to want the caffeine last night, and so decided to "splurge."

Total on the ticket - a little over $10. We paid with a twenty - keep the change.