By Karen Cleveland
What to do…what to do. A group of friends hit one of Toronto’s fine patios to celebrate a birthday. A few pints, a bottle or two of wine…then everyone gets hungry so some food is ordered to share. Naturally, a round or two of shots seems like an excellent idea. The consummate summer birthday celebration turns weird when one participant has imbibed too much and skips out on her portion of the bill.

Might be best to let this sleeping/tipsy dog lay. Or at least until she’s coherent enough to deal with it. First things first: get her home safely. Next up, a friend (or two, and certainly not the birthday girl) should quietly cover the loss, front the amount needed and diplomatically discuss the debt in private. It’s easier to hand over $100 to one friend, than owe 10 folks a ten’r.