Original Air Date: April 15, 2008
Forgotten Gifts
As usual, everyone’s hanging out at JIM and CHERYL’s house, including ANDY, and Jim notices that the $200 gift certificate he gave Andy on his birthday for Sir Steven B’s Steakhouse will expire the very next day. He knows Andy hasn’t used it yet either because he’s been keeping close tabs on what Andy eats ever since the birthday boy promised to take him along for a meal.
Instead of just reminding Andy outright, as sensible RUBY suggests when her father brings up the subject with her, Jim is determined to not injure his “pointless male pride.” So, off he goes to the restaurant by himself to stuff his face with three steaks, a rack of lamb, and everything on the desert menu, to the ultimate tune of $198.50.
Remembered Gifts
Too bad, then, that Andy drops by the house — again — that night with the news that he just found the gift certificate between the cushions of the couch where it fell. The discovery reminded him he has until the next day to use it. He invites Jim to come along as originally planned, forcing Jim to agree to another huge meal that will have to be paid for somehow.
Once more, sensible and smart Ruby speaks up and suggests that her dad slip the waiter $200 so Andy won’t know anything is wrong with his gift certificate. Jim agrees amazingly … until he and Andy have finished their meal and, in the high-calorie and fat-filled afterglow, Andy notes that the $200 gift was an amazing present from someone as cheap as Jim. Oh no!
The Falling Out
Jim tries to clarify that he’s thrifty not cheap, but Andy persists with his description. Not surprisingly, Jim then decides to return to his original plan for the night, which was to pretend to go to the bathroom right before the check arrived and sneak out of the restaurant to go home, leaving Andy stranded with the bill.
Andy arrives at the house later angry as hell, of course, because he not only got stuck with the bill, but he had to walk since Jim had the car. He continues to insist that his birthday gift to Jim of a satellite radio was the best present ever … until Ruby reminds both men of her significant role in persuading them not to give each other the gifts they initially intended to.
Ruby to the Rescue … Sort Of
In the case of Jim, he was going to give Andy a mystery box containing junk like a ten-pound can of chocolate pudding, a half-eaten small jar of pickles, and jumper cables. On the other equally awful hand, Andy was all set to give Jim a moose that poops candy (!), a naked lady pen, and the I guess requisite jumper cables.
The moral of the story is that Ruby is a miniature version of her goody-two-shoes mom (who doesn’t appear in the episode, by the way) with the power to shame grown men into doing the right thing just by folding her arms and glaring at them sternly.
Her punishment for messing with Jim and Andy this time is to return with them to the restaurant and use her saved piggybank money to pay for yet another steak meal for them — and she has to watch them eat it but can’t order anything for herself.
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