Numerophobia

I downloaded a handy new iPhone app called Tipulator (not to be confused with the tipping practice known as The Service Was So Bad I'll Tip You LATER).  I used it for the first time when having dinner with my sister wives, Susan, Lindsay and Desiree.  If you do not watch the HBO series Big Love, you are no doubt saying to yourself what the hell does she mean with the sister wives?  If you do watch Big Love, you know exactly how funny this is, and I cannot take any credit, it was completely Desiree's idea.

As a side note, have you noticed how many references this blog makes to HBO?  It's not like they are paying me or anything.

I used Tipulator to calculate our dinner bill, putting in the amount, adding an 18% tip (because how could you ever figure out 18% without a calculator anyway) and dividing by four.  No long division on the tablecloth, no trying to decide if we should round up or round down.  I am in love with Tipulator. We decided to spare our server the agony of dealing with four credit cards for one check and just had her split it on two cards, mine and Desiree's.

Me:  OK, Des, we each owe $72.57.  Total.
Des:  So how much is the tip?
Me:  I already included it.  The total is $72.57.
Des:  So I have to subtract the tip? 
Me:  The total tip amount is $22.14.  So use half of that.
Des:  I'll just sign my credit card receipt and give it to you to fill out.  That way I don't have to look at any numbers.

Comments

[Desiree (the elder)]

See ... if you just spell out "seventy-two dollars and fifty-seven cents ... total, divided by two", I can tell you that equals "twenty-two dollars and fourteen cents". Yes, it's true, I am numerically challenged ... definitely consider myself more of a kindred spirit to one of Isabella's favorite female superheroes, Word Girl ( http://pbskids.org/wordgirl/ )! So how does my deficit translate further down in the gene pool? Well, Isabella struggles to complete all her minute math assignments in under a minute with the exception of division problems ... which she completes in 30 (oops, I meant thirty) seconds!!! Seriously, go figure! (Fun pun intended ;->)