I just spent $600 on a dinner date. Ask me anything.

[WilliamPitt]

I'm here.

[JVS]

1. Jesus, where did you go?

Was it the all you can eat Beluga Caviar Buffet?

[WilliamPitt]

3. Biba

Phatt restaurant overlooking the Common.

[JVS]

6. What city?

[WilliamPitt]

7. Boston

[tsipple]

9. Sacramento?

Some very good wine included, yes?

[shanti]

178. ha

yes, there is a biba's in sacramento and although pricy, not at 600!

[realFedUp]

99. I must have missed the memo

saying you weren't getting married....

[Caution]

164. Must've been someone really special

For Will not to have noticed that the restaurant is no longer called Biba and is now called Excelsior (same owner/chef,,she just got bored with Biba...

[tsipple]

5. He Went to the Manhattan 7-11

Two medium slurpies and a day old hot dog. :-)

[bunk76]

36. Carson Beach...

for the submarine races? :evilgrin:

[Egnever]

2. Did she kiss you goodnight?

[WilliamPitt]

4. Yep

[tsipple]

14. Kiss Where?

:-) :-)

[Boom_cha]

8. Was that dinner for 2?

and did you get your money's worth?

[WilliamPitt]

11. The dinner was for two

to celebrate her 30th birthday, and I always get my money's worth merely being in her presence. Kiss on the cheek and I walked home floating.

[newsguyatl]

160. awwww

[prolesunited]

10. Is she a Democrat?

;-)

[WilliamPitt]

13. Yep

[dorktv]

175. Could you date a republican?

[Pert_UK]

12. What food and wine did you order?

TELL ME that you got decent wine included for that price?

And that you feasted on dodo eggs and char-grilled panda!

P.

[WilliamPitt]

17. Mmmmmmm

Appetizer: Soft shell crab.

Drinks: Bottle of champagne

Entree, me: Scallops so fresh they still had sand grit in them (a good thing), on a bed of pasta with asparagus, absolutely delectable crab claw on the side.

Entree, her: strip steak, medium on a bed of pasta with an amazing little green salad.

Half the price for the night was the limo and the birthday watch I bought her. I tend to go nuts for friends I care about, and this was her 30th birthday.

:)

[LearnedHand]

23. Hey, Will...

...I need a friend! How do I get to be YOUR friend? :hi:

[WilliamPitt]

29. Move to Boston

:) It's a start.

[LearnedHand]

34. <grin>

Only if a dinner date includes a Red Sox game!

[WilliamPitt]

37. Damn!

Get here now!

[LearnedHand]

39. Ah-Ha!

Smoked you out! Go Sox!

[pfitz59]

88. Mariners whacked the Sox!

Sorry..left coast calling! Was it stone crab claw?

[regnaD kciN]

159. When the Ms play the Sox...

...I go into severe split-personality disorder.

Actually, my ideal Seattle-Boston series would be a four-game split...while the Yankees and As were both getting swept at the same time...

;-)

[tsipple]

What kind of Champagne?

Champagne with a capital C, i.e. genuine French, oui?

[WilliamPitt]

38. For what I paid for it

it had better have been.

[tsipple]

42. Excellent!

Politically correct drinking! We approve.

[Pert_UK]

54. Scallops should never have grit in! But it sounds fantastic anyway...

Seriously mate - if you're paying that kind of money then you should be getting hand-dived scallops. Scallops have grit in when they've been dredged, i.e. collected by a big dredge net scraping along the bottom of the sea. Hand-dived ones cost more 'cause some bloke goes down there and picks them up and puts them in a basket, which avoids forcing grit into them.

However, I'll let you off this once - that meal sounds amazing. My favourite restaurant in the world does a similar dish - seared scallops with pancetta, served with fresh taglialine (sp?) and leaks, with little spots of reduced (read: TAR) balsamic vinegar.

It was the owner who told me about the scallops!

Sounds like you had a wonderful night. Good stuff!

P.

[WilliamPitt]

60. Welcome to New England

and seafood from the Grand Banks. Selah.

[AWD]

85. Will you

Will you buy me the same meal if I kiss you on BOTH cheeks?

[SyracuseDemocrat]

15. Hey Will

This comment has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but I just watched your Veterans for Peace conference speech on the C-Span website. Nice job. :)

[WilliamPitt]

18. Thanks

:)

[tsipple]

16. And I Thought $10/Shrimp Was Expensive

Guess I better get out more. Or not. :-)

[WilliamPitt]

19. This is NOT a habit

I'll be eating Ramen for a week to make up for this one. But it needed to happen.

[Egnever]

22. Needed to hapen?

You getting married?

[WilliamPitt]

28. Not anytime soon.

[tsipple]

27. I Got the Plan for 31!

Whisk her away on a chartered jet to Martha's Vineyard for an oceanfront candlelight dinner for two, then walk along the beach hand-in-hand.

(Ladies, you all know that Democrats are much more romantic now, right? :-))

[WilliamPitt]

30. Good idea

I'll start giving blood every day until then and banking the money.

[Dover]

20. Was your date Kerry?

Goodness...at $600 dollars a plate I hope he'll feel obligated to at least buy your book or lick your ear.

[WilliamPitt]

25. It wasn't $600 a plate

It was a birthday dinner for a very good, old friend. She just turned 30. I rented a limo, took her to an amazing restaurant, and bought her a nice present.

[nuxvomica]

92. That explains it

I had dinner at Biba a few years ago and it didn't cost anywhere near $600. Nice place to celebrate someone's birthday, though. I would think the Budapest Cafe would be costlier but less fun.

[Zhade]

132. Uh-oh!

She might get peeved that she's an "old friend" when she's only 30!

B-)

[TeeYiYi]

21. What kind of work does she do? ......n/t

TYY

[WilliamPitt]

26. Attorney n/t

[TeeYiYi]

33. How long have you been dating? .........n/t

TYY

[WilliamPitt]

35. THAT is a long story

that shan't be told tonight. Sorry.

[TeeYiYi]

40. So much for 'anything'. ;-) ........n/t

TYY

[WilliamPitt]

44. Ya got me

:)

[efhmc]

24. That's what I call a DATE. It's nice to know there are still some

people that know how to treat a lady. (Lucky lady.)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

31. Will you marry me?

I'll just need to get a quick divorce...

:silly:

[WilliamPitt]

32. For a Goddess of Guinness?

Anything, love. I prostrate myself at your feet. :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

75. Ok...Got the divorce. They're setting up the venue now...

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2002390401,00.jpg

I'll bring the beer, dear. :beer:

[WilliamPitt]

76. The limo driver was a Justice of the Peace

We got it knocked. :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

82. Processional music...

Ain't it dee-vine?

[WilliamPitt]

83. I was thinking

of the opening theme from Austin Powers.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

89. Sounds good...Recessional could be

"Makin' Whoopie"

Bridesmaids in puce...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

41. Are you fucking whacked or what?

Never pay retail honey :D

[WilliamPitt]

43. Aw hell

It was more than worth it. :)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

49. Just a sucker for a pretty face ain't ya?

I'll bet your friend was thrilled...sounds like a wonderful evening.

[WilliamPitt]

51. She's having trouble believing it actually happened

:)

[tsipple]

45. That's right! For the lady you love...

...you've got to pay at least twice retail. :-) :-)

[Cocoa]

46. you could have got one of texasleo's shirts for that

where did texasleo go, anyway? Haven't seen him in a long time.

[ulysses]

90. ROFL!

:D

I was wondering where Leo was the other day myself...

[MiltonLeBerle]

47. Were you aware-

that you could get a quality hooker and a pizza for A LOT less?

http://www.eros-boston.com/sections/escort.htm

BTW-as a former wait-captain, I have to ask- how much did you tip?

[WilliamPitt]

48. Uh...no, I was not aware

and I am going to pretend that I am not aware.

I suppose you'd have to meet my date tonight to understand. You can keep the hookers, thanks.

[tsipple]

57. Um, MiltonLeBerle...

Please give me a call when you get a chance. I've got some, ahem, personal research to do concerning that business opportunity you mention. And hold the anchovies, please. :-) :-) :-)

[VOX]

50. Will, it's a good thing to make the grand gesture once in awhile...

Pull out all the stops, empty the wallet, what the hell.

Adding all the ruffles and flourishes to an evening every now and then is a treat, and it's great to lavish it on a good friend.

You are, in fact, da man.

:toast:

[WilliamPitt]

52. Is there a question in there somewhere

:) Kidding. Thanks.

[CanuckAmok]

53. $600? What, did you break a window or something? n/t

[WilliamPitt]

58. LOL. She said the same thing

Limo. Dinner. Champagne. Nice present. That'll do it every time.

[tsipple]

55. Serious Hole in Your Wallet?

Or would it be tougher for Arnold to drop the six C notes?

[WilliamPitt]

59. Wallet?

All I have left is a tattered heap and a library card. Anyone wanna buy a library card?

[tsipple]

65. Damn, A Couple More Nights Like This One...

...and you'll generate more economic impact than Bush's multi-billion dollar tax cuts for the richest. :-) :-)

[WilliamPitt]

68. I'm a good 'Murican

The limo driver was named Hobie, and he was a Justice of the Peace for the Wampanoag tribe. Weird but true.

[Room101]

56. You should have brought her back to your place to watch

your Cspan speech. We call it the closer:)

[WilliamPitt]

61. That's Tuesday

and the other bottle of champagne. :)

[tsipple]

62. Or Her Place

Either way. C-SPAN on her TV works, too. :-)

Mind you, that would be the first time C-SPAN offered up romantic benefits. I suspect most C-SPAN viewers have been sent out to bed on the sofa in the living room. :-)

[proud patriot]

63. Good lord that's a lot of mulla

the A's are tied for the wild card ...:eyes:

[WilliamPitt]

64. Grrrrrrrr.....

and the Yanks went up a game.

[opiate69]

87. Hehe...

And the Ms are still on top in the West! Woo-HOO!!

[Ladyhawk]

66. That's almost as much as I get in a month.

Will you pay my rent for the next year?

[WilliamPitt]

67. No

But I'll buy you dinner. :)

[Ladyhawk]

111. Can I order anything I want and then change my mind

then just have you give me the money?

(You did say I could ask you anything.)

[pizzathehut]

69. See what gay women are missing out on???

You see, not all us guys are jerks.

[WilliamPitt]

71. Oh come now

I'm sure women take other women out for fabulous evenings.

You're right (I think). We're not all jerks...most of the time, anyway.

[Plaid Adder]

119. We do!

Although I have to say that in my 15 years with Liza I have never dropped $600 in a single evening. You win the Grand Gesture competition.

Closest I got was taking her to a fancy place in Chicago called Ambria...only to walk out before we ordered because the staff there made us feel so uncomfortable. Went to Geja's instead, had a much better time.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[SOteric]

70. You know that little cherub, Cupid?

-Shoots arrows of love through your heart?

Did you know he has a twin brother named Stupid? - Shoots arrows of love through your wallet.

[WilliamPitt]

72. The Magic Bullet Theory

The arrow entered the heart, and then went back, and to the left, and back, and to the left, stopped in the liver for 3.2 seconds before taking a dramatic turn and blasting straight through the credit rating.

[LearnedHand]

73. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Perfect! (Except, isn't that the 'magic arrow theory'?)

[WilliamPitt]

74. Yep

:)

[populistmom]

77. Ever in Connecticut?

I was glued to your CSpan speech last week and you're this much of a romantic too.
I hope you know that you've now entered into the fantasy realm for many of us women here at DU. Your woman is a lucky one.
I love my husband, but relish a little crush every so often as well!

[WilliamPitt]

78. :blushing:

Thanks. :)

[pizzathehut]

79. Even with feminism, women love a gentleman.

They love it when we treat them like ladies. Wine them, dine them, and show them a great time.

Oh yes, and even they loathe to admit it it, they crave a long night of compassionate lovemaking.

Really, the art of dating women needs to be taught to every young man.

"new shoes, top hat, I dont care cause my wallets fat" ZZ TOP-Sharp Dressed man

[Syrinx]

80. how rich did you GET?

:)

[WilliamPitt]

81. Not

Saved my pennies a long time for this one.

[whirlygigspin]

84. L'Amore

I'll sing it for you,enjoy

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie,That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore

Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella

When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore!

[SideshowScott]

86. YIKES! a year ago that was two paychecks in a 2 week pay cycle..

Things have gotten a BIT better..but still...
I need to write a book or something:)

[Raven]

91. Ahem! Excuse Me! Yoo Hoo!

Was this "old friend" about 5'2", dark hair, dark eyes, from upstate NY by any chance?

[DS1]

94. That was my guess

Pictures are $10, check made out to the William Pitt Wallet Defense Initiative, care of me. :evilgrin:

[WilliamPitt]

95. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

could be.

:)

[GalleryGod]

93. Time to "Pass the Hat" for Pitt A-gain?!

:loveya: :hangover: :thumbsup:

Looks like he blew all of his Tour Money:wow:

[MaineDem]

96. Damn!

My husband doesn't let me date. You sound perfect. ;)

And a Sox fan to boot.

[SiobhanClancy]

101. How unsporting of him

;)

[molly]

97. Small price to pay - $600 dinner and a million dollar memory

:)

[AlienGirl]

98. Why doesn't anyone ever do that for me?

Seriously, what am I lacking that I can't even get a date, much less a date with a guy who so wants to impress me that he'd drop $600?

Tucker

[Ellen Forradalom]

100. Was it joyless?

And do you suppose anyone has ever bothered to drop $600 on Slannder?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

102. are you rich or stupid?

How many Americans can afford $600 for dinner?

[SiobhanClancy]

103. He's about as far from being stupid as one can get

It sounds like it was a VERY special treat,and I think it was a lovely gesture.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

106. $600 would pay most families rent for a month

whatever, the class division on DU is just as obvious as the one in America. I've read his posts, he's obviously quite intelligent, so I guess he's just rich.

[Name removed]

107. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ladyhawk]

112. Maybe if I were rich,

I'd spend $600 on a date, but right now the idea is unconscionable. Maybe I just wish I had enough money to spend on a $600 date. Maybe I just wish I had a date. Maybe I'm just jealous as hell.

But right now, I'm "living" on $757 a month and facing homelessness. Hearing about someone who is supposed to be on our side spending $600 on one date makes me naseous.

Sure, it's his money, he can do what he wants with it. That's what my brother the Rush Limbaugh lover says. So it must be right. Rush is always right.

Excuse me while I go vomit.

[Cocoa]

113. me too

my circumstances are not as dire as yours, but my reaction was really visceral.

Similar to hearing about the way Bill Bennett blew his money. If I were someone that had bought his book, I'd me mighty pissed that that's where the money's going.

[Name removed]

118. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WilliamPitt]

115. So now I'm Rush Limbaugh???

Excuse me while *I* go vomit.

I saved a long, long time to be able to do this.

[SiobhanClancy]

120. This sort of reaction just stuns me

These special things are what make lifetime memories. Years ago,my former husband(a struggling grad student at the time)whisked me away for a weekend in Paris. He had saved and even did some tutoring to be able to save the money. I will NEVER forget how special that made me feel. Some of these comments seem very mean-spirited,and I'm sure Will didn't expect to be attacked this way. It's a wonderful thing to do for a friend,and I hope someone does something similar for you someday.

[WilliamPitt]

121. Oh don't worry

I'm a Rush Limbaugh Republican who is getting rich by telling liberals what they want to hear.

That's what I'm getting in my PM, anyway.

[Maddy McCall]

148. Puh-LEEZ. Let's not be overdramatic!

Damn, a guy whose written two leftist books condemning the present state of affairs decides to splurge for once and go out and buy a meal for his special friend and himself, and he becomes Rush Limbaugh???

Jeeez, let's all sell all our belongings, life in sack cloth, paint ourselves in ashes, and become one big classless society!

I think it's a lot to spend on a meal, but if it made a memory for Will and his SO, then good for him!

[WilliamPitt]

105. Certainly not this American

but I wanted it to be a special night. This person did the same for me when I turned 30. Thanks for the attempted guilt trip, though. I worked for every penny I spent, so bite my shiny metal ass.

[Name removed]

114. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WilliamPitt]

116. What did you think?

I was smearing caviar on my balls or something?

Christ.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

123. look, you came to DU and told everyone that you spent

a months rent on dinner - ask yourself what kind of person enjoys that sort of thing anyway - and you're upset that some of us didn't go "ooh-ahh" about it? Christ is right, gimme a break. Take that kind of conspicous consumption to freerepublic.

I hope you at least tipped well.

[WilliamPitt]

124. aaaaaaaaaaaaand then

I explained why, and that I saved a long time for it. Right? Or did you not read far enough? Who the fuck are you to judge me in the first place?

[Bake]

169. Because that's what some DUers are really really good at.

And a lot of liberals, too, who think they know better than you how you should spend your money. I'm a liberal, but I'll be the LAST person to condemn you for the dinner tab.

Sometimes this place really, really makes me want to puke.

Good for you, Will. I'm glad it was a special evening for both of you.

Bake

[MoonGod]

167. Hahahaha...

... I'm generally not a fan of conspicuous consumption myself, but kudos to you for treating a friend on a special day.

Hey, folx, it's not like he went out, bought a 10mpg Hummer, got a $10,000 paint job with a bunch of red, white, and blue to go along with Bu$h's mug, and took it on a road trip across the country.

[Jonte_1979]

104. I don't even earn that kind of money A MONTH!

600 bucks? Bah! Who needs fresh scallops and champaigne
when there's frozen fishsticks and tap water...

[ScreamingMeemie]

108. Holy Cwap!!! For three hundred I'll cook you and your next dinner date

a fine meal here at Casa Grumpy's...although it might include okra.

[boilerbabe]

109. For 300, you would cook my dinner date!!

Cool, but I am a veg, so someone else has gotta eat him!!! Yum!!!!

[MissMillie]

110. Would you like to go out sometime? (n/t)

.

[Name removed]

117. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jmm]

122. You should've titled this thread

I just saved $599.42 my cooking by dinner date ramen noodles. Then nobody could accuse you of frivolously wasting money while millions of people world wide starve. Of course then you'd be branded a cheap bastard. Guess you can't please everyone.

[DS1]

125. Finally, an "ask me anything" that makes one go "wtf!"

and have questions about it.

btw, I just typed a reply, ask me anything!

:eyes:

[Raven]

126. So, Ok, here it is, 125 posts later.

Are you surprised with some of the reaction you got? Can't imagine why. Who spends $600 on a date? I understand that she spent alot of $ on you but I know what she's making and it's a hell of alot more than you. I don't buy the criticism about how you could feed a small country with this... who knows to what you have donated to...maybe you have fed a small country...but I do buy some people's reaction that this was a little over the edge...I'm disappointed...with both of you. After all, Will, after the last few months, a quiet little picnic would have been just the right thing.

[Cocoa]

127. can you spank him for calling me a total idiot?

the moderators are ok with it, but maybe you can do something.

Or maybe cut off his allowance. :-)

[WilliamPitt]

129. You are a total idiot if

you think acting out on visceral reactions, absent the facts, is a good thing to do. I'm an idiot when I do the same. Anyone is an idiot if they do it.

[Cocoa]

131. I didn't act it out

I felt like puking, but I decided just to make a dumb joke about texasleo instead.

[WilliamPitt]

128. God damn it

Screw this. Judge if you want, any and all of you. Part of this, as you should well know, is an attempt to repair a relationship that meant more to me than breathing. Part of it was trying to do something we would remember forever. part of it was celebrating an important birthday. Part of it was because I god damn well wanted to. I have busted my ass for 15,000 miles and 18 hours a day to be able to afford to do something like this once in my life, and I have to take this level of shit.

[Raven]

133. You started this thread.

I didn't and no one else did. And since you started it publically, I have weighed in publically. Maybe it's not up to you to repair this relationship. Quit whining...nobody forced you to do a book tour...suck it up, it was a bad idea...to do it...and to post it.

[WilliamPitt]

134. Damn right I started it

and gave every good reason why one special night out, no matter the cost, is not worth the incredible venom I have gotten because of it. From you, most of all, it is heartbreaking. Literally heartbreaking.

No one asked me to do the book tour. You're right. It's only my damn job, only in the damn contract.

Jesus baldheaded Christ.

[Bake]

170. No, Jesus is in another thread and he has hair.

Like I said. Sometimes the judgmentalism in this place makes me want to :puke:.

Bake

[Plaid Adder]

135. Fuckin' OW, man!

Sounds like you two know each other in RL and whatever this is about has to do with info the rest of us lounge lizards don't have. If that's true...then why not have a chat about this in private? If not, then cut the guy a break. He's surely not the only person on this forum who's ever blown a wad on something other than feeding the poor.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[WilliamPitt]

136. Believe it or not

That's my mother, backhanding me about my relationship and my job and a very special night, all in one post. Nice, huh?

:(

[Plaid Adder]

139. Dude!

Whoa. I am so glad my mother doesn't read DU.

Good luck working it out in private, Will and Will's mom,

The Plaid Adder

[FlaGranny]

158. Deleted

.

[DemLikr]

194. Whoa...your Mom? I love watching other peoples' issues being

publicly acted out. It is so much more interesting than dealing with my own shit.

BTW, Will, spend two grand next time, and report back in just to piss off these puritans.

It's your money, your time, your life...enjoy!

[ScreamingMeemie]

182. Will, I didn't state it in the Holy Cwap message but I think it is great

that you have someone you care enough about to want to spoil, whatever the cost. I am sure she appreciated it immensely, and if you had a good time then it was well worth the cost-regardless of what a bunch of yahoos here think. Now, that said, I can let you in on a cheap place to buy cases of Ramen to help defray the cost.

[regnaD kciN]

161. Well, I spent $500 on a dinner for my parents...

...so I guess you can flame me, too!

(It was at Masa's in San Francisco for their 50th Anniversary. Since that was for four people -- my wife and I as well -- it was a lower per-person cost than Will's date, but I'm sure you can find lots of ways that, in your opinion, I could have spent the money more "responsibly.")

:grr:

[Ellen Forradalom]

130. Lighten up, people

He makes a generous gesture to someone he loves and he gets pummelled by the Red Guards? Get a grip, folks. It's not like he went on a Republican cocaine-and-hookers bender, for cryin' out loud.

[UrbScotty]

137. Have you ever considered running for political office?

Having seen you on C-SPAN 2, I think you would do an OUTSTANDING job!

[goobergunch]

138. Seconded! (n/t)

[SiobhanClancy]

141. How about Cambridge City Council?

I'll be a volunteer....maybe we could get them to reconsider their upcoming smoking ban:)

[Castilleja]

192. And thirded!

I was highly impressed, and it was good enough to make me wake up from the nap I was taking! Guess I will need to buy one of your books as well. Congrats on what sounds like a stupendous night!

[WilliamPitt]

140. I am definitely not worthy

[goobergunch]

142. IMHO you are (n/t)

[UrbScotty]

155. You ARE worthy!

In fact, I'd say MORE than worthy!

[Coffee Coyote]

143. you stood me up!

Roasted Yak Groin with Cream of Matcom!!! Pricey! :D

[WilliamPitt]

144. Cream of Matcom?

:shudder:

:faint:

:twitch:

[curse10]

196. LMAO

I can't believe ANYONE passed up cream of matcom!

[Ellen Forradalom]

145. Time for a musical interlude

Our musical guest is soul greats "The Main Ingredient," singing their hit "Everybody Plays the Fool":

Everybody plays the fool sometime;
There's no exception to the rule.
Listen, baby, it may be factual, may be cruel,
I ain't lying, everybody plays the fool.
Falling in love is such an easy thing to do,
And there's no guarantee that the one you love is gonna love you.....

[WillParkinson]

146. I think it's sweet!

I've never spent that much on a date but I have scrimped and saved my pennies to be able to afford something nice for someone I love.

No matter what anyone says, Will, I think it was a beautiful memory in the making.

[SoCalDem]

149. I once told my husband we were having dinner at the 4 Season at O'Hare

when in actuality we were going to Puerto Rico for the weekend.:)

The perks of being a travel consultant.. a rep called and asked if I wanted to go for the weekend.. If so, he's have two will call tickets at the counter..

:)

But then it didn't cost me anything :)

[DemExpat]

147. Before opening this thread I thought it was for a Dem fundraising......

:-)

DemEx

[BigMcLargehuge]

150. How am I gonna compete with a $600 dinner date?

Will you set the bar pretty high for the rest of us here... Mrs McLargehuge reads DU and is already inquiring about her upcoming birthday celebration.

Gulp.

But seriously, the important thing is that you recognized the 30yr milestone in a manner you deemed appropriate. Did it make her smile? Did you smile? That's all that really matters.

It's so rare these days that anyone of either gender puts in the planning and scrimping to throw a first class romantic evening. I think putting in all that effort not to mention sacrificing and saving to afford it, makes the whole experience that much more special.

Great evenings like that tend to last a lifetime as well they should. Huzzah Will! We few romantics nod approvingly.

[Booberdawg]

151. Oh for God's Sake!

Will! I'm glad you had such a great time and thought to share it with your DU family. Sounds like it was a very special moment with an exceptional lady. :thumbsup::hi:


Who gives a flying fuck what anybody else thinks anyway?? Some awfully presumptuous people here. GEEZE! :eyes:

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

152. Wow!

That's a lot of money to spend on one woman! She's lucky, and that was nice of you but remember- I paid for 6 cents of that 600! ;)

ps- Simple stuff is nice but sometimes you want to splurge, I understand completely! :hi:

[WilliamPitt]

153. Simple stuff is 99.9% of the time

Thanks.

[TEXASYANKEE]

154. You are so sweet!

I had a good friend who, for many years, would treat me to a steak at the most expensive restaurants in Dallas for my birthday. I know the total bill had to be in the $200-300 range (just for the food and drinks). She made good money and I didn't, so I always loved and appreciated those dinners. Sadly enough, she moved to Switzerland and how I do miss those steak dinners!

Your friend is very lucky indeed.

[Crewleader]

156. I think this was a beautiful gift

no matter how much it costs, it's making memories with the one you think worthy of a wonderful night, besides 30th birthdays are pretty special and you saved for it, speaks volumes of you friend! :-)

on edit...ask me anything...
Did this evening bring you & your friend happiness?....
if you answer yes..then it was worth every penny! ;-)

[ploppy]

157. It sounds like

you and your birthday friend had a wonderful time. Good for you! We all need more wonderful and joy in our lives. :D

[realFedUp]

162. but Will, you could have bought 15 of these....

:-)

[Plaid Adder]

163. LOL! and HURL!!!

Laughing through tears we all know about...laughing through vomit is a new experience.

Oy,

The Plaid Adder

[realFedUp]

173. Can you believe these things cost $39.90

without the shipping and handling...

[dorktv]

176. Here is a question:

Would the Secret Service come to your house if you bought some and blew them up?

[Ladyhawk]

165. I apologize.

Under certain circumstances (and if I had the money), I might actually spend $600 on a dinner date.

Right now, I'm very, very touchy. I'm trying to get away from my ultra right-wing religious family using only disability funds. During the process, unscrupulous people who were supposed to be my friends found it necessary to kick me while I was down. I'm not a great fan of the human species right now.

I'm at the end of my rope, ready to either live out of a car or gas myself. I really don't want to do either, but I've had it. I'm completely disgusted with live and the people around me.

Probably William Pitt doesn't need a stupid, worthless malcontent blasting him for spending his own money. It's just I wish I had enough money to tell my family what they can go do with themselves. That's all I want.

[WilliamPitt]

166. Apology completely accepted

"stupid, worthless malcontent"?

Hardly.

[Rhiannon12866]

168. I don't understand the reason for these unwarranted attacks

You did something special for someone who meant a lot to you and wanted to share the experience with your DU family. I know that you are not one to throw money around with wild abandon. How much did you say you make on each book, .06 cents? After this, you're lucky you can afford Ramen noodles. You might have had to resort to kibble.:D

It's been awhile since I have been to Boston, but I used to visit there regularly. One restaurant that sticks in my mind is La Famiglia Giorgio on Newbury Street. I had linguine with fresh shellfish. The prices were more than reasonable and the amount that they served me could easily have fed a family of four. You would definitely need a doggie bag.:-)

[dorktv]

177. We should start a fund for you!

[unfrigginreal]

171. It's a good thing that we're not a bunch of envious bastards!

Or we would be giving you a hard time. Luckily, you are amongst friends that would certainly realize that you had every right to be proud of your date and how it went.

[MuseRider]

172. Wel, I'm late to the party

as usual but have to throw my 2 cents in only because I think this was something that meant a lot to you. You worked and earned the money. What kind of life is it if you can't do something incredibly nice for someone you care about? Yes it was a lot but hell, you are young and still working. You spend your time giving to the large community so go for it. If this made you happy and your date feel special then I think you did a wonderful thing. She is a damn lucky girl.

[dorktv]

174. This is not a question, it is a request:

WRITE ANOTHER BOOK!

[DS1]

179. Attn: naysayers

This is nothing more than a belated and inexpensive prom night, minus the dancing and hotel, so you call all shove it :7

[SiobhanClancy]

180. No fair!

I didn't get to go to a hotel on my prom night:(

[DS1]

184. I didn't go to prom night at all

:shrug:

[never cry wolf]

181. I don't understand the flaming either

For the one special lady in my life I would spend twice that much!! You can't put a price on something like that.

By the way, There's a motion and a second on the floor, and yes Will, you ARE worthy. All in favor say Aye!!.

[Rhiannon12866]

185. Aye! n/t

[ima_sinnic]

183. Will that is fabulous

You already do so much for everybody else, by your research, writing and speaking. It would mean far less if you were wealthy and $600 was some meaningless small fraction of what you had. The fact that you sacrificed and saved--now that's true love and selflessness!

[diamondsoul]

186. Good GOD! WTH is wrong with everyone??

This is just pathetic, and maybe I take it a little personally even though it doesn't involve me directly.

Look, I'm broke as hell right now. I'm an inch away from losing my house because the shithole this economy is in. There's not a job to be had that I'm qualified for, and I'm stressed to the max. SO WHAT? It's rough all over, people! I'm not in any worse shape than probably a few hundred other DUers. Lemme tell ya as rough as it is, about once a month we go blow anywhere from $15-80 on a night out together. That's what we can afford to splurge these days. That's MY LIFE, and MY worry, not Will's!

But here's another newsflash for all the people beating up on Will in this thread. This guy helps me keep going every day. I go looking for something by him at least once a day anymore! We don't agree on candidates, hell I'm sure we don't agree on a lot of things, but he's a NICE GUY and he's wise WAY beyond his years. As much spirit lifting and inspiration as Will Pitt gives hundreds if not more of us, the LEAST you people can do is respect a special event for him!

So he managed to splurge more than YOU can. TOUGH! That wasn't the point, and anyone who has ever blown money they shouldn't have damned well ought to comprehend that.

So who wants to take a turn at me for blowing a grand on a special weekend with my husband? To quote the most despised person on this forum "Bring it on!".

[ScreamingMeemie]

187. basically, in a word---Jealously. The shoe fits to me.

Damn you for loving your husband.

[diamondsoul]

188. LOL

Jealousy is all I can think of. Like I said, it's rough all over, but Will gives entirely too much to too many people to deserve some of the nastiness I see here.

[Crewleader]

189. Well said diamondsoul

and love your name...William didn't deserve this treatment no matter what anyones' situation is like with funds, this as to do with William expressing his joy that special night with a good friend.

We all should be happy for our friend not tear him down emotionally when the topic touches his heart. Treat people like you want to be treated and what a better world this would be for all of us, we MUST be a kinder DU, for we truly do need to SUPPORT one another!
And it has to start NOW!

[Bat Boy]

190. Okay people...

Just how does it affect any of you if Will chooses to do this?

It doesn't.

He was feeling good and wanted to share it. Who the fuck are any of us (with the possible exception of Mom) to say we know better?

Hey, if I could I would do it every day for my wife. Well, maybe once a week. I wouldn't want it to get old.

You can choose to enjoy this with him, or you can really believe that the $600.00 would have fed, housed and clothed all the poor in the country.

Call me judgemental, but one of these choices is absolutely moronic.

[Khephra]

191. Here I missed this

Gak...gotta spend more time in the Lounge.

Great news, Will! I'm so happy to hear about your wonderful evening!

:hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

193. Okay, I found the thread where Will explains how much he makes

on each book he sells and decided to post it. People on DU should know Will better than this. He was full of joy and you kicked the tar out of him. This was unconscionable.:-(

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=75202&mesg_id=75202#75784

[DemLikr]

195. I want all the details of the evening AFTER the dinner...

...and I do mean ALL the details.

Got any pics? }( :9 :7 :evilgrin: