Close Call with Grubhub

I went online to order from Tinga, the Mexican restaurant in town, via Grubhub. But my cart included an automatic tip of $13 and then came a question: Did I want to add a tip for the driver, and of course I would. So Grubhub is taking that giant cut first, and it's not even for the driver? That was getting to be way too much. It was $78 for dinner for four without the driver tip.

Instead, I called directly, and the food came to $65 and I added a $12 tip for contact-free delivery. I got chicken quesadillas for me and Punch; beans and rice platter for Figgy; cheese enchilada platter for Dan, with fixings, lettuce etc.; guacamole with small bag chips; and pico de gallo with small bag chips.

TCOY

1. I cried a lot in my kitchen today. I got the call from my cousin Loretta that my Uncle Jackie [formally John] Mahon died Wednesday nite at age 90. Crying can be TCOY, letting feelings out. There goes another one of the Old Guard. I cherished him, the middle of my mother's three younger brothers--the second of my grandmother Alice's three sons. I love/loved them all, but Jackie was gregarious, like my mother. He and Aunt Mary had five children. Jackie went to law school at night after age 40 and became a government attorney, working at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City and commuting from Long Island. He handled trademark cases. [I think my friend Liz does that, too!] He also lost two children--my peer, Stevie, who died in a bike accident when I was in sixth grade, and more recently, my older cousin, John, who was physically disabled for years.] How do parents ride through that? Today, in the kitchen, as unrealistic as it might be to visualizer reunions in the heavens, up in the clouds, I pictured my father, mother, her parents and Uncle Jim greeting Jackie on his arrival--maybe because he was so lovable. I hope Stevie and John met him with wide grins and loud voices, too. Sis and I FaceTimed with Jackie last week in Connecticut. Loretta showed him the Facebook pictures of us fishing, with a big striper.
2. Writing an essay to pitch.
3. Walked Sug around the block.
4. Went over to my friend Jean's, chatted and caught up.
5. Talked on phone to my friend Jane, plus Moey and Sis.
6. Michael joined Dan and me for dinner in the backyard.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Rented "The Gospel According to André" documentary about fashion editor André Leon Talley, about $13.
• The Mexican food, $77 counting tip for contact-free delivery, weekend family treat, dinner for four [and Michael joined us, too].

total daily spend: $90.

ongoing monthly spend as of June 12:  $1,463.59.

avg daily spend: $121.97. As of now, this is almost twice as much as my avg. daily spend in March, when coronavirus took hold. I hope I can rein it in. I have been doing a lot of grocery and other shopping.

Keep an eye on/compare to previous months:

April 2020: Total monthly spend: $2,143.19.
Avg daily spend: $71.44.

March 2020--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now

Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.

Avg daily spend: $61.81.

February 2020

Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.

TOTAL SPEND FOR MAY 2019: $2,348.24.

MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR APRIL 2019: $3,634.28.

APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.

Let me try to get back to the essay now, before the food arrives. Good night.