and then...

Wham!

Just like that, and thanks to a case of shingles, I'm back on the invite list.

damn the seventh wheel.

I did have plans for NYE.

Exciting, fun, looked-forward-to plans that were made last NYE.

But the logistics of the evening changed, and my dumb ass got bumped from the festivities.

Now I have no plans for NYE.

Anyone want to go see a movie or something?

merry christmas, bitches.

Love,
Cricket (et. al.)

that with which i have been given during this season of good will towards men and similar ilk....

1. a $25 gift card to Caribou Coffee, from T.B., a client.
2. a $10 gift card to Starbucks, from R.N., a client.
3. a card + cash, from J.U., a client.
4. cash, from S.S., a client.
5. a subscription to Games Magazine, from Tifling.
6. a tin of butter cookies, from my landlord.
   
7. a hardcover copy of Diablo Cody's Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper, from Matty.
8. a slice of lemon-poppyseed bread + a $20 gift card to Caribou Coffee, from B.F., a client.
9. a card + cash, from G.J., a client.
10. a membership to Western Colorado Congress, from my cousin in Colorado.
11. delicious Ouray-made truffles, from my cousin in Colorado and her family.
12. lots of Burt's Bees hand and foot lovin' gear, again courtesy of the Colorado cousin 'n family.
    
13. a $10 gift card to Caribou Coffee in a cute little stocking, from S., my ASM.
14. a small gift bag of Hershey candies, from H., my GM.
15. a card + cash, from Pappy.
16. a Black & Decker Scumbuster, from the 'rents.
17. a bag of meltaway mint, from Santa.
18. a tin of chocolate hazelnut pirouettes, from Santa.
19. Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest on DVD, from Short-Round.
20. Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong CD, from Princess Stinkerbell.
21. a copy of Robert Sabuda's pop-up book, Encylopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs, from Daddy 'n Short-Round.
22. a pretty bead necklace made in Ouray, from Mom.
23. a Tinker Bell magnet set, from Princess Stinkerbell.
24. a card + cash, from Mom.
25. Graffiti Zoo Pink Flamingos (candy), from Mom & Short-Round.
    
26. the first season of 21 Jump Street on DVD, from Mom.
27. a cute pink jewelry bag with pink bead accents, from my cousins in California.
    

hopefully more to follow...

(I have also received over 50% return of holiday cards, which is impressive to me.)

and now i can't give the shit away...

Last week, I decided to take responsibility at work for making sure that three boxes of stuff was donated to a women's shelter.

None of the damned shelters will get back to me, so the boxes are still sitting in the stock room.

Today after work, I stopped in at Starbucks to drop off Toys for Tots.

Only to discover that they no longer collect for the charity.

Then, on the way into the grocery store, I decided to put a couple of bucks into the Salvation Army bucket when I left the store.

And as I was exiting the store, cash in hand, I realized that no annoying bells were being rung, and no bright red bucket was to be seen.

what i want to know is...

Which bitch outed me to the local charities?

I happily donated to Felines, Inc. because that's where I got my beloved little Posey-kins, but now I've got the Night Ministry, PAWS Chicago (Pets Are Worth Saving), The Chicago Fund on Aging & Disability/Meals on Wheels Chicago, and Father Scott Donahue from Mercy Home for Boys & Girls all beseeching, begging, or otherwise hitting me up for charitable donations to help the kitties/puppies/homeless/aged/infirmed/abandoned/abused in my area.

I can ignore large-scale national organizations like Easter Seals and Amnesty International with no problem, but when I've got a heartbreaking letter from the president of a local charity telling me that his shelter is overflowing with abused and abandoned children, it's got a waiting list a mile long, and that my $35 could "make a real difference in a hurting child's life," I feel like a total fuck-o for not whipping out my checkbook.

And what about the poor, abandoned, homeless baby animals? My $27 could buy antibiotics for six kittens or puppies with respiratory infections, or my $103 could provide critical medical care for a sick homeless pet.

First, jury duty summons, now daily guilt-trips.

Aiugh.

As an aside, thank you Matty for the book-love. Reading about someone else's strange voyage makes me feel a little less weird about mine.