As embarrassed as I've EVER been.

[4Sibes]

And, if ya know me...that's saying ALOT.

Involves my irreplaceable assistant and an "acquaintance" of mine. Acquaintance worth something that rhymes w/ "a million"...no poop.

Acquaintance wants mid-day dog walk/40 minutes for 6 out of 12 days they are in "The Islands"...and knows better than to ask me...as I have no time...so goes thru me w/ emails...and asks if my wonderful Assistant wants to make extra $ doing it.
No prob w/ me...so we line it up and agree on $40.00.

As hiring a "licensed/bonded" dog walker in our area is average $35.00 a VISIT, and acquaintance's domicile is actually located above acquaintance's shop full of valuable stuff..I am (quite stupidly) assuming she meant 40 a trip.

Acquaintance says "I'll leave $ in envelope"...still sounding good. Until my wonderful Assistant returned today (the first day of the dog care) with an envelope containing 2 twenty dollar bills. $40.00. As agreed...now that I think about it...grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I am so very angry at acquaintance.
Trying to find some humor in this...but am failing myself.

I realize this is completely my fault...but if it were you...and you found yourself (stoopidly) in this position...would you do/say anything to acquaintance...or just harbor the resentment until one day your brain explodes?

I did tear a teeny-tiny, microscopic, corner off of a napkin, and write in the smallest of teeny letters possible "thank-you"...and told my wonderful Assistant to tape it on my acquaintances fridge.

[asegroomer]

I'm sorry but for some reason I'm a little lost. The Acquintance only paid $40 for 6 days of dog walking? I don't know the Acquintance and her personality but I live in a community that has a lot of people that are worth a rhyme to a million. Some of them are a little tight but most of them would pay $40/day if you explained to them. Maybe give her a call or e-mail and say, I'm sorry but I think we may of had a miscommunication. You obviously know her better then me so maybe she wouldn't like that.

[Arrooh]

I'm embarrished to say

I'm confused. It seems like $40 for first day of assistant to walk the dog? Couldn't that be the daily envelope? Sounds right to me but I'm likely missing something.

[4Sibes]

Yes asegroomer. She paid $40.00 total, w/ a "thank-you" hand written on the envelope. And her hand-writing ain't worth $200.00 anywhere on this planet.

I can't call her for 12 more days...as she is beached on the sandy shore of some tropical island...sipping fruity drinks that prolly cost 40 bucks each to have delivered to her by some loin-clothed, healthy tanned gentleman under the age of 30 that manages to whisper "here you are Ma'am" right into her ear as he bends down to place her drink on her little drink table.

I'm currently thinking about "throttle"...and not as it applies to a car engine. More about as it applies to a human neck. A tanned, human neck. On January 29th.

Should I make up the $ difference to my assistant? She's handling it all w/ the fake "good humor" I have taught her so well,...but this is tooooo much.

[4Sibes]

I'm confused. It seems like $40 for first day of assistant to walk the dog? Couldn't that be the daily envelope? Sounds right to me but I'm likely missing something.

Sorry, I may not have been clear in my original Sibe fury. She is gone for 12 days in the Caribbean.

[keyray]

Personally I would talk to the acquaintance (for the life of me I can't figure out what rhymes with "a million") and clarify that you meant $40 a day. That would really suck for your assistant to go through all that work and only get $40 for the entire time.

[LexPauline]

Well if they have a house keeper or something maybe there will be another envelope tomorrow?? If not I would just call them up with good humor ..which your are surely not short of Berner and let your "acquaintance" know there was a slight misunderstanding. Anyway I'm sure this person wouldn't mind cus ..billion rhymes with million, right? An byyyy the way this whole "acquaintance" in quotations thing ...is that like a incognito "more than a friend" kinda hint hint thing ::raises brows:: Go Bernie! Go Bernie!" lol j/p

P.S. (sugar rhymes with daddy too)

[Maltese_mama]

I think I'd let her know she "forgot" the rest of the money.

[sheilabgroomer]

I think I'd let her know she "forgot" the rest of the money.

This is what I would do. I wouldn't even act like there was a possibility of a misunderstanding.....lol.... I would just tell her that there was only money left for one day's worth of walking and was the housekeeper or someone else supposed to leave the rest of the money daily.

You almost made me spew coffee on my keyboard again w/your "boy toy" description.

Keyray I think million rhymes w/billion, trillion, zillion, gajillion............

[blue]

Absolutely say something!

But be graceful - this allows acquaintance to save herself the embarrassment in case she really did, without thinking, accept that amount as normal for 6 days' of walks. I also would act like I assumed someone else was supposed to be taking care of it after the first day. And it must have slipped their mind.

If it becomes necessary, help her with the math. $ 40 divided by 6 days = a whopping
$ 6.67 per day. That's $ 6.67 for a 40 minute walk. Or about $ .17 per minute.

[Doubledogdare]

Your mistake - you eat it.

Or, more accurately, your assistant's mistake - she eats it.

[D'tails]

I did something stooooopid like that the other day. Had a dog on the table I didnt want to get down when the lunch delivery woman came by. When she arrived i told her "the cash for the lunch is on the counter on your left and the tip is on the right" Her eyes lit up and she said "oh wow thank you!" and pranced off with all the cash, leaving me no change for the food from the first pile of cash.

I just kept my mouth shut and kicked myself for not communicating more clearly i.e "Please leave the change!"

Hopefully your assistant doesnt go on strike

[A1Mobile]

I'd send your friend, who's in the South Seas, an email stating that you paid the dog walker and she can repay you when she gets home. I would only put it in an email so you don't hold it in until you explode.

I'm sure your friend had a small brain fart when it came to this...If she didn't, she is a cheapotightass.

[LJRSnowcat]

Yep, I'd type up a bill for the remainder with a letter saying "For the life of us, we can't seem to find the balance of this, perhaps someone (housekeeper) moved it? It's ok, it wasn't too much of an inconvenience, I went ahead and paid my worker for you so she wasn't out the money! See you when you get home, hope you had a wonderful trip!"

[Poodleluv]

I wouldn't make it up out of your own pocket Sibes. I like the advice that just assumes she made a mistake ,and ask her for the balance when she returns from her hedonistic shake n bake. I have found that many wealthy people are a little....Uhm..no better word,I guess. CHEAP! LOL