quickie: stupid kid

 Each day (appropriate day) I back my car out of the garage and drive 3 blocks to get the mail.  I make a U turn, stop, get out of the car, find my mail, return to the car, drive back 3 blocks to the house, park inside the garage, close the garage door, go inside the house and look at my mail.

If I get 5 pieces of mail, at least 4 will be from someone asking me for money.  No, not because I owe them anything, they are asking for donations to some worthy cause.  In my world, there are fewer and fewer worthy causes.  Yesterday, I received 4 worthy causes.  Two of them wanted me to hurry because they had matching grants.   I give $100; it becomes $200.  

I keep thinking:  if they would use the postal money on research instead of "gimme" letters, maybe all sickness would be cured.

TRUTH:  2 YEARS AGO I sent $50 to the Alzheimer's people.  I have my reasons.  Within 2 weeks I began to receive more requests from them for MORE MORE MORE.  I can't say why I did it, but I began to keep track of  their requests.  I would receive 2 to 3 or MORE every week.  One particular day, I received 3 requests at the same time.  

I know they get a discount on postage; they don't pay what normal humans pay.  By the end of the year, using what nor. hum. pay as a measure, they had spent $100 to my $50.  I don't know.  Maybe it is a good policy.  Yes, there are more than one Alzheimer organizations.  A doctor told me that dementia doesn't get much attention but Alzheimer's is the money trip.  So each fund raisers stresses their Alz connection to the fullest.

Finally, I mailed one of the complete packets back with an attached letter explaining what they were doing.  I ended by stating, "This year I am not sending any money to you.  Instead, I am going to write a check directly to the Post Office in order to eliminate the middle man."

They didn't figure it out.  Now, when they send something, I check to see if they enclosed a nickel or a dime (another ploy).  Once I get the good stuff out of the envelope, it goes to the trash.   I know this is a bad attitude.  I hate myself for it.  But, why should I finance my own mailings?

-------------------

I got off the title subject.

Driving to the mailbox, I saw an elementary age boy walking into a cul-de-sac   (bet you didn't know I could speak French).  This boy was about 4 ft tall, sandy hair.  It is 49 degreeseseesee (shiver) out there.  The kid had on a pair of blue shorts and a T-shirt.  I thought, "at least he is wearing shoes."  My eyes were fooling me.  Up closer, I saw no shoes.  He was barefoot walking on the curb.  You know how you walk along a log to keep from falling off.  That's the kid.

Walking into the cul-de-sac, I figures he lives there and is going home from a failed play date.  49 degrees.  C'mon.  Doesn't he have parents?  I know, they are at work.  No school today.

I continued to the mailbox.   Let's say 5 minutes pass.  I am driving back home.  There is this same stupid kid walking on the curb  towards my house.  He has apparently walked around the circle and is headed north.  A full block he has trudged.  Stupid Kid.  I rolled my eyes and parked the car.

As a P.S.  TODAY'S MAIL:  Request from a children's hospital far away and a request from Consumer Reports for MORE MORE MORE.  The hospital has sent me 5 greeting cards.  I will package these up and give to an old folks home soon.   Cons Rpts has offered me the chance to win a $41,000 car.

later,  m