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"  You may not have that summerhouse you&amp;#039;ve always wanted (not yet, anyway), but you have friends who do\u2014and they&amp;#039;ve given you the nod. Alas, visitors are often unaware of behaviors that can drive their hosts crazy, leading to a weekend of simmering resentments. To avoid antagonizing your generous friends, follow these good-guest suggestions. Arrive with a present. Think beyond wine. One idea: &amp;quot;Balsamic vinegar that&amp;#039;s been aged for 25 years and first-press Italian olive oil,&amp;quot; says Dorothy McGivney, editor of jauntsetter.com. &amp;quot;Your friends will think of you every time they dress vegetables or pasta.&amp;quot; Dial down your phone. &amp;quot;Turn off the data connection,&amp;quot; says Nick Bilton, tech columnist for The New York Times. This way you can get emergency calls but not distracting e-mails, texts, and tweets. B.Y.O. Picky eaters should &amp;quot;offer to pick up some groceries,&amp;quot; says cookbook author Katie Lee, including treats others will like. Chocolate is a no-brainer. Keep it clean. &amp;quot;Respect the sink area in a shared bathroom,&amp;quot; says Jolie Kerr, cleaning columnist for thehairpin.com. Rinse the basin, wipe the counter, and keep toiletries in a case or in your room. Pick up a tab. Treat your host to a fancy meal. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ll usually phone the restaurant in advance to let them know I&amp;#039;ll be paying so a check is not presented,&amp;quot; says Relais &amp;amp;amp; Ch\u00E2teaux chef Barbara Lynch. &amp;quot;This avoids any &amp;#039;fighting.&amp;#039;&amp;quot; Have a backup plan. If you need to make an escape, use an app like Magic Tap&amp;#039;s Fake Calls to feign a crisis. Some acting advice from GCB star Marison Nichols: &amp;quot;If it were a real emergency, you&amp;#039;d just go\u2014so deliver the line, &amp;#039;I&amp;#039;ve got to go&amp;#039; and get out of there.&amp;quot; Leave a lasting impression. &amp;quot;A hand-written note is a lovely footnote,&amp;quot; says Beth Salvini, owner of New York&amp;#039;s Greenwich Letterpress. Add a boxed set of DVDs or a cookbook your host will love\u2014and perhaps you&amp;#039;ll reap the benefits if they ask you back. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a7198/houseguest-etiquette/?click=list4>