Holiday Hangover
I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night. This means I'm working on little more than a skull filled with Jell-O today. My brain is moving so slow, I just realized that I can have a thought, wait a few seconds, and then catch it on the other side as it processes. Neat. It's like slow motion baseball. But for the brain. And if my catcher was a one-armed blind person wearing cement shoes. I'm pretty sure a few thoughts have gone missing along the way too. I just had one involving lunch... which ended an hour and a half ago.
Christmas was wonderful. Hoop and I were completely spoiled. I got a new digital camera (Canon PowerShot SD880 IS), a GPS system for my car, Rollerblades, and two baby fruit trees (among other things). Hoop got a digital drawing tablet, video games, and the only DVD copy I could find of the 1986
The Secret Santa goody bags on Christmas morning were NOT a hit. It was pretty disheartening, actually. Only four people out of the the ten we gave to acted appreciative. Four people took their bags without even a thank-you. One woman thought Hoop was planning on robbing her. One gentleman, a truck driver delivering fuel, turned his nose up at the present I was offering and asked, "What's in it?" real snottily. When I told him it was candy (not to mention a $5 gift card), he stepped back and glared at me. "Do I LOOK like I need candy?!"
Needless to say, I didn't give it to him after that. I'm not sure we're going to do this again next year. That kind of breaks my heart. Part of me wonders if maybe there's a reason those people were working on Christmas Day. Or perhaps people (as a whole, not you) are undeserving of kindness anymore. They're so unused to it, they don't know what to DO with it when they get it. But I don't want to believe that. Hoop's Uncle says that the only way to avoid punishment for kindness is to donate anonymously. So maybe we'll do that instead.
*Sigh*
Boogers.
What did you get/give/do for the Holidays?
Labels: Stupidity
Copyright© 2005-2008, Pickledbeef.blogspot.com. All rights reserved
30 comments
30 Comments:
the fuel guy? maybe you should have stomped on his foot and made a rude gesture with your middle finger?
I like Gary's idea. I was going to suggest a kick to the groin myself.
I think people in general are apprehensive of being given something from a stranger without a catch or a trick involved.
I'm sure there is a good way about doing the gift bags. Maybe you just need to find the right venue?
Don't give up the Secret Santa thing. I think it's cool, even if the doooshbags weren't appreciative. It's probably a product of having to work on Christmas and dealing with the not so friendly public. Maybe. I hope.
I got cash, books and gift cards to Amazon. What more could a guy ask for?
Are the fuel fumes getting to him? Coz how else could you explain someone not wanting candy? Dang, EVERYBODY needs candy! What a goober!!!
whoa whoa... let's not go for the nuts ladies, don't have to always go there...
now, don't paint me a zombie, but your brains sound delicious. i love jello
I'm glad YOU had a good Christmas, even if the secret santa thing didn't go over well. How strange that people were so unappreciative. It wasn't that way last year, was it? I think this has just been a hard year for people, and maybe they're just ready for it to be over. I know I am. But you know what, even if they were snotty, you still did something good. And who knows - maybe those people went home that night and thought about how they treated you and felt bad about it - maybe it even caused them to think about their actions. You never know. Or maybe someone who was standing in the store watching got a good feeling out of it.
Hey - I am getting a GPS too - Santa was very generous this year. I can't wait to use it!
love you for trying,
fiwa
People often do act strangely when taken off-guard. And it's often difficult to wrap our brains around a gift from strangers - without a catch. You MUST be trying to sell them something. Be glad that there were a few who got your kind intentions and appreciated it. Be happier still that you have one of those hearts filled with kindness and giving. It beats the hell out of a head filled with jello. ;)
I'm sorry that folks weren't appreciative! I would've been! How rude. But...don't let them rain on your parade. At least 4 folks were!
Maybe they thought the candy was injected with poison, that's always my first guess/wonder/fear and then I tell the children "Step away from the kind stranger babies...s/he's a "Don't Know."
But, the secret Santa is a sweet idea! And $5.00 gift cards?! I would have said, "thank you" sweetly and then when a few miles away I would have ditched the candy...safety precaution. But, I would have said a thoughtful prayer that night for that sweet, sharing, caring stranger.
:-)
It's a great idea and tradition! Keep it up! Maybe you just need a different venue to give them out in.
I thanked a woman on Xmas eve for working on the ferry so we could go and visit Brent's family. She gave me a raised eyebrow as an answer, looked at the person behind me and said, "NEXT!".
I can only assume she was:
a) Pissed she's low on the union totem pole and HAD to work
b) a total bitch
c) a Jehovah's Witness and sick to death of goddamn Christians and their freakin' holidays!
d) all of the above
On a nicer note, my sis-in-law worked at a drive-thru coffee stand for 12 hours on Xmas day and made 250 bucks in tips plus one home-knit Santa hat. Sweet, huh?
Not everyone sucks. Just MOST people.
Cool a new camera, does that mean we'll see double amount of pictures from you? :D
Random acts of kindness catch people off guard, because society in the US/materialism has sucked the life out of people! Its not just here but wtf America, the almight dollar has brain washed people into thinking everyone that tries to do something nice for someone they dont know, HAS TO WANT SOMETHING IN RETURN. I've been thinking of a way to revolt again big business' version of Christmas and doing things different! Giving stuff to the children is way cool, dont get me wrong! They are the reason we love Christmas, besides the obvious reason for some. But ive been considering DOING things for people vs buying lots of presents. Maybe its just me, being fed up, with shit like working 6 out of the last 7 Christmas'. Maybe Im a little bah hubuggy lol.
well thats my rant for now
Tink & Hoop: Thanks for having us over!
You two truely made my Christmas! That was the best present Ive gotten in ages!
Dang, that just kind of illustrates everything that's wrong with our society, doesn't it? :(
But I'm glad you otherwise had a good holiday! And hope that you're catching up on your sleep RIGHT NOW.
I got to shovel 3 feet of snow from my driveway.
Then, I got shovel my parents mcdriveway in front of their mcmansion while they called me and told me how wonderful it is in florida and the rich bastard that lives beside my parents wondered why the hell I didn't have a "guy" for that.
Who the hell has "guys for that?"
But I did get ham. Love ham. MMMMMM
There was just an article in the Seattle Times about how a "Random Acts of Kindness" club was failing because people did not believe they were to get something for nothing. It's a sad comment on society when you have people wondering what the "game" is on one side and on the other taking and running away without so much as a thank you because they're afraid you'll take it back? Charge them? Think they deserve it? I dunno...
It was a good try though. You might have even changed these peoples lives...I mean, when Fuel Guy goes and tells the "bizarre" story, maybe others will open his eyes to what a dummy he was and instead will go out and be nice to others in return...
You never know...
Exactly! Those people acted like you put boogers in those bags. You had the best of intentions. I'd take candy from you any day.
secret santa fail totally sucks. i'm sorry...
on a brighter note, i got a gps unit too. love love love it, since i'm completely geographically impaired ;-)
I often wonder if organ donation were a surprise gift if some people would reject it. This is a small picture of how some Christians feel when people try to offer the gift we are supposed to offer. Blah blah blah boring Christian talk.
You guys did spoil each other. What kind of fruit trees?
So sorry your Secret Santa attempt was a bust. At least your heart was in the right place. Perhaps next year ditch the candy and give them coal.... if nothing else, they can burn it to warm their cold, cold hearts!
Oh, Tink! I'm sorry you found such Scrooges!! I've read everyone else's comments and I have to agree, maybe as a society we just don't trust strangers anymore? Or maybe the folks who work on Christmas don't care about Christmas/are anti-Christmas/whatever.
I bet if you went to places like hospitals and fire stations, you'd get a lot better response. (But maybe I recall you choosing to go to places that other people don't think of instead?)
Santa delivered an early Christmas gift: the youngest had to leave church on Christmas Eve to throw up, followed by his brother the next morning during present-opening. But no one else got it, we ate chicken soup for a few days, and now we are back to normal. I have hardly seen my kids because they have a couple of new Wii games. I got a new camera, a small one that I can slide into my purse and keep with me always. I gave my dh cologne so I have more reasons to nuzzle him (21 years of marriage, sometimes it's good to have a few more reasons).
Wifester got a new Canon Powershot something or other too! Awwww....which means now I'll be back in the WWC, cuz I get the other camera back! YAY! Sounds like you had a fab. Christmas! Don't let a few asshats ruin your wonderfully delightful secret santa thing! I love it! Keep on doing it. People are like Pavlov's dogs, conditioned to be suspicious. Eventually they'll get used to random acts of kindness again, I just know it.
Wow! It sounds like you had a bountiful Christmas this year. Too bad the secret Santa giving sucked so much. I think it is a sad reflection on today's society that we can't trust a simple gift from a stranger.
That's unfortunate that those people were ungrateful. There are so many people that would be. Mayeb there is another avenue to try for next year. Like gifts to foster kids/families or something.
The hubby & I decided not to really get each other anything major this year (other than building a new home...ok that's major), but made sure family members got good gifts this year.
Maybe next year we can do something more charitable.
One really awesome gift we got was our Wii. We love it!!! and I don't usually play video games!
Awww, that's too bad about the Secret Santa. People are so jaded these days, I'm not really surprised. Maybe next year, if you do it, you should go somewhere where they will appreciate it...like a hospital or old folks home or something like that. You guys are special people and your good deeds will come back to you. Even if people didn't appreciate your kindness.
I don't think we know how to accept niceness anymore. We're f'd up, man.
You and your shining little winks. You shoulda been able to melt any gas guys heart. Or you shoulda thumped him in the face with a toaster (like in Scrooged) and then giggled. Bet you'd get away with that.
Happy New Year to you two. Stay (moderatly) out of trouble.
Ewwww... I vaguely remember the movie "Rad".
In fact I think I took a big "Rad" this morning after coffee.
Happy New Year!!!
I fully believe that people are hell on earth. Then again, people are heaven on earth too. Sometimes they can turn around and surprise even the best of us cynics. Which I find myself joining the ranks of daily.
The husband worked Christmas this year & he would have been absolutely gracious to just even the fact that someone remembered he was working on Christmas. So, replace that thought with one of the ungrateful one's you experienced this past holiday.
I do believe in "avoiding punishment for kindness by donating anonymously". We practice this & feel just as satisfied as if someone knew we did it.
Chin up, buttercup.
That really is disheartening about the goody bags. I think Hoop's uncle is right - donate anonymously.
Happy New Year, Tink! :)
Happy New Year!
I think you're Secret Santa goody bags is a great idea! And I don't think you should stop doing it, because it didn't go as well as you'd hoped. People aren't used to getting something for nothing. But the few whose hearts you did touch, appreciated it. You have to start out small to get something great going. Focus on the people who appreciated what you did and grow it from there. It's like the "Pay It Forward" concept. You have to start somewhere!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Here's to a fantastic, out of this world 2009!
Hugs, Foo, Turtle & The Chitlins
Post a Comment
<< Home