What it means to be a Team

There are a lot of really good Mexican restaurants around here. Most of them will have a mariachi band playing and they will walk around and play songs for all the tables while you eat. The first time we went to a place called the Guadalajara Grill they came to our table and played us 2 love songs. It was awesome and they sound amazing and everyone clapped. Then a week later we went to a different restaurant and they just had 1 guy on his guitar come and sing to the tables. The guy looked familiar. He sang 2 songs for us and sounded great. Another week goes by and we go back to the Guadalajara Grill (it's really good, ok?) They came and played for us again and that's when I realized that the main singer/guitarist was the guy who sang to us the very first time we went and also the same guy who sang solo at the other restaurant. After every time he sang to us I would be like "That guy looks like the guy from Jurassic Park" and Rick would be like "Jeff Goldblum?" And I would say yes and we would laugh because really, he looks just like him.

So this guy has sung to us 3 times. Neat. Except this time the guy kept looking me in the eye and he looked really irritated. Weird. So they sang 2 songs and then they went to another table across from us. We ate our food and then we came to a gut wrenching reality.


This guy has sang to us 3 times, 6 songs total, and we didn't tip him once!


It wasn't until we saw the couple across from us hand them a $5 bill that we realized we should have been giving them tips this whole time. I don't know why I didn't realize this the first time. Everyone at a Restaurant works for the tips. It's common sense. The very first job I ever had was at a restaurant! What is my problem? I guess that because I had never in my life had someone play me music while I ate so I didn't think anything of it, but still, you'd think that between me and Rick we would have figured this out like 5 songs ago.

So tonight we go to the Guadalajara Grill. Only this time we don't go to the one we normally go to, we went to one on the other side of Tucson. When we walked in the first person I saw was the SAME SINGER from before! I wanted to die. There was no way I was going to let this guy sing again and not get a tip again. And here is the big problem, Rick and I never carry cash. Ever. We only use our cards. And they should have a place on the receipt for "mariachi tip" or something but they don't. I was seriously panicking. So we sat down and we made a plan. Rick was at the perfect angle where he could see them the entire time. If they walked towards our table he would give me the signal (raised eyebrows) and I would get up and go to the bathroom. They wouldn't sing to just 1 guy while I was gone, and then they would have to go to another table. Luckily, it was a super busy night and they didn't come to our table, even though we were armed and ready.

I promise that the next time we go I will have a crisp $20 for the guy. Even if he doesn't sing to us, because I know he knows who we are. How could you forget the couple who eats out as much as us and doesn't give tips? Our pictures are probably up on the wall somewhere with the title "Worst customers ever, and they keep coming back."

Please bless that they don't start to spit in our food.