Dear Blake,
For the last 20 years, my wife and I have had a Friday night happy-hour tradition. We use the time to get caught up and to reconnect. Occasionally, we’ll invite others to join us, but it’s usually just the two of us, and we like it that way.
Some longtime friends from another state moved to our community recently. We invited them to a couple of happy hours and enjoyed the evenings, but we did not intend for our Fridays to become a foursome every week. Apparently, our friends think otherwise and keep showing up every Friday.
While we enjoy their company, we want our Fridays back! How do we get out of this arrangement and reclaim our connection time back without hurt feelings?
Signed, Rodney
From Davenport, Iowa
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Dear Rodney,
I’m sorry that this new couple is imposing on you and your wife’s serene quality time. But fear not, because there are several ways you can ditch those losers. Here are some options. Start telling that couple that your Fridays will now be spent at a location out of town, and if they say they want to go too, give them a location that’s a least 200 miles away. When they arrive and give you a call, inform them that you changed your mind, and you’re currently that’s a few blocks from your home. Or, tell them every Friday night is now poker night, and make sure you and your wife play with some mark cards, so you can possibly “cheat” those two intruders out of your life. Or this idea. Tell them to meet you at a sporting event, and they can pick up their tickets when they arrive. Just make sure their two seats are on the opposite side of the stadium from you and your wife, and hopefully those morons can take hint. And finally, impose a new rule where the last couple to arrive at a meeting place, has to pay for everything. Always be first and begin eating exclusively at expensive restaurants. Once you have reduced them to near bankruptcy, have them meet you at McDonald’s, specifically the drive thru. When they are in the vehicle behind you paying for you and your wife’s meal, speed off after you are handed the bags, without telling that couple where you are going. And definitely turn your phones off as you drive away, because couples should not be texting while they are relaxing and dining. I hope this helps.
Blake