On Saturday night Matt and I headed up to Northampton to hang with some pals of ours. We stopped at the strip mall containing Modern Myths, peeked in there, and then continued to our rendez-vous. I assured Matt we were fine parking in the lot there.

However, when we arrived back at 12:08, we watched a tow truck drive Matt’s car away. Apparently, “No overnight parking” means that, literally, at 12:01 a fleet of trucks arrives to haul everyone away. A half hour and about $160 (cash only) later, we were headed back to Springfield, grumbling and grousing.

I felt bad for having made the suggestion to park there, so yesterday I went by Matt’s place and gave him $160. This morning on IM he said that he didn’t think it was any one person’s fault, and me paying the $160 was not fair.

Matt and I play a lot of boardgames together, so before long we had found a complete win-win solution.

Dave: well I think you should offer to take the full hit, but I have an excellent reason why

Matt: what is that?

Dave: ok so you say “no, it’s cool, I’ll pay it” and I say, “look, I insist you let me pay it”

Dave: so we decide to halve it

Dave: now here’s the good part

Dave: both of us were just in a position of being resigned to being out $160

Dave: but now we’re only out $80

Dave: which means the other $80 is pretty much just free money!

Matt: I demand to pay the whole $160

Dave: No, please let me pay it all

Matt: you are a stubborn man, Lartigue. fine we’ll go halvsies

Dave: woooooo!!!

Matt: hey so what are you going to buy with your $80?

Dave: man, I don’t know! it’s glorious!

Matt: I’m thinking a board game and a bottle of scotch for myself

Dave: excellent idea

Matt: My wife will be so proud of me

Dave: mine too! We’re so thrifty!

So that’s the story of how Matt and I each pretty much just found eighty bucks lying in the street with no strings attached!