Truth Tuesday--What Gets Your Goat?

Okay, so I know it's Wednesday.  But this happened last night (which was Tuesday) so it counts.

It's confession time.  What part of your personality gets you into trouble--that pesky character trait that surfaces every once in a while no matter how hard you try to keep it tamped down, and then you feel shamed and embarrassed after you realize Mr. Hyde has taken control yet again?

I'll go first.  You are safe here with me (cuz it doesn't get any worse than this!).  insert clearing of throat

Hello.  My name is Shonya.  I am always right.  A-hem.  Let me rephrase that.  When I know I am right, it drives me crazy for someone else to think they are right. (really, really crazy)

We went out for supper last night.  I'm sorry for those of you who don't enjoy math, but this post involves a story problem.  Stick with me here.

Seven people go out to eat.  There are four people in the adult-price-buffet bracket at $9.09 each.  The other three are children ages 6, 4, and 2 and their buffets cost $4.50, $3.00 and $1.50 respectively.  It is "Kids Eat Free Night", but there is a catch.  Patrons must purchase one full-price adult buffet for each child eating free.  The family also has two coupons for "buy one adult buffet at full price, get second at half price".  What combination of full price, reduced, and/or free buffets will result in the lowest bill for this frugal family?

(Isn't this fun?!  I'm one of those weird people who enjoyed both English and math in school.  In fact, I started my college career as a math major, then did a 180 and graduated with a degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism.  That's how torn I am between these two subjects.)

The man behind the counter (who just happened to be the manager) told us our best deal would be to purchase four full-price adult buffets, save the coupons for another time, and get the three kids' meals for free.  He was smug and arrogant and rang it up as though that was the way it was going to be.  My immediate mental computation disagreed, but I might have kept my mouth shut if he hadn't been so. . .priggish about it.  And then when I casually said I thought it would be a better deal to pay for the two-year-old's buffet and get one of the adult buffets at half-price, he smugly disagreed.

Sigh.  Can I say I just paid the man and went on, or do I have to tell the truth?  Ok, ok, full disclosure.  I was starting to get frustrated that he wouldn't listen at all, so I said I would prefer he "please ring it up with one coupon and I will pay for the kid's buffet because it would be the best deal--it's just simple math."

"Yes, it is just simple math," he rebutted as he refused to adjust the cash register.  "And math is my thing."  I was polite, but I reached for his little pad of coupons he had beside the register and wrote out the math as I said "yes, math is my thing too".

He acquiesced and rang it up as I requested, even as he mumbled that I would only be saving a dollar.

I paid without saying another word about it.

Even though I was actually saving three.