Things to Ponder

Growing up, my family was anything but rich. We were also far from poor, but we certainly didn’t have a lot of extra cash for luxuries, such as vacations and designer clothes. With that being said, this fact never really bothered me. I suppose I had enough other things to worry about it. However, it is this upbringing, coupled with living my entire life in central IL, which leaves me today confused about a variety of different things. For instance…

• How much do you tip your hairdresser? How much do you tip your waxer?
• How much do you tip bellhops and doormen? Do you have to? What if you don’t have cash?
• Do you tip hotel maids? How much do you tip them when you stay in the same room for a week?
• When should you drink red wine as opposed to white wine?
• When is it acceptable to drink mixed drinks in social settings (as opposed to the bars)?
• How much should you spend on a wedding gift?
• Why can’t you accept gifts (say iPod speakers for example) from vendors at work?
• How does traffic start (and by traffic I mean the kind where it takes 90 min. to go 20 miles)?
• How do you ask your roommate not to use your towels? How do you ask her what she does to get mud on the wall?