Dining alone presents a challenge for many. Eating is usually a social event full of shared laughter – except when it’s not. Whether you travel alone often, or just find yourself at a table for one, the usual advice is to bring a book to read, chat up your server or eat at the bar for company. You could do that. OR you could…

• Build a tiny fort out of your food
• Stare down the other patrons without blinking
• Have a conversation with the imaginary person seated across from you
• Say you’re waiting for a party of 10 that never shows and enjoy a big table all to yourself
• Slowly start eating your paper napkin, then ask for another
• Use glasses, utensils and everything else on your table to become a one-man band
• Pour your drink out onto your plate and use a straw to suck it up
• Fall asleep and take a little cat nap before your entree arrives
• Sing your order to your server
• Announce to the room that you are skilled in the Heimlich maneuver and offer to demonstrate
• Ask if you can purchase a bottle of ketchup to go for dessert
• While you’re waiting for your food, go stand at the front entrance and welcome other patron
• Strike up a conversation with a table across the restaurant
• Put a teddy bear in the opposite seat and order a tiny plate of food for your friend
• Barter with your server over the cost of everything
• Pull out a large map and proceed to cut it into tiny pieces
• Order extra napkins and use them to craft a new hat, then try to sell it to your server
• Read pretend text messages and laugh so loudly you choke
• Use the time to do seated yoga stretches
• Blast music from your smartphone and get up and dance
• Use a wet nap to wipe down the entire table and all the chairs