It's been a while since I've joined one of the FML card exchanges. So
I was pretty eager to do the Valentines Day one this time around. The
cool thing about the card exchange is you feel comfortable and welcome
to participate in any which way you like. You feel comfortable whether
you write on a napkin, fold it up and call it a card, or buy card and
slip diamonds in there for people. I've heard crazy stories about our
military folk sending home entire jeeps piece by piece in the mail
during past wars. Happy Valentine's day. Here's you a jeep. I didn't
get a jeep this year. Nor did I send one out. However when I started
out, I intended to be thoughtful and all that. I pictured getting
pretty little stickers for the envelope, picking out some cute animal
card, and then writing up a nifty greeting to slip inside. I thought
maybe I could figure out some weightless goody to slip inside for
people and that I'd slip some money in the one intended for SOS.

What did end up happening was I forgot to look for cards while out
during errands, then I ran out of ink to make personal ones and to make
up nifty greetings for inside a card, then it was down to the deadline
and so my 22 year old son went to the Dollar General and picked out
cards for me. Don't ever. Ever. EVER ask a young dude, to go pick out
Valentines Day cards. Now at this point, it's really, REALLY late and
the mail lady is coming. Nope, no time draw cartoons and smiley faces.
So I did the best I could and tried to muster up as much spit as I
could in a hurry to seal them all (that was a close one). Then I
remembered. Oh crap. Stamps! Well at least something went right. I dug
into the drawer and found a ton of left over Christmas stamps adorned
with lovely snowmen, snow birds, and snow things. Just want everyone
who has hit by Snowmageddan and are still being hit by Noreasters today
wants. Yup, perfect. Off the went to the mail lady and I crossed my
fingers that my spit would hold.

I realized at that point ... yah, no way would most if any of those
cards would make it into any ones hands on the day they needed to. I
got sad. I thought, "failure again". But I realized it was okay because
was now back "playing with my FML friends". Valentines Day came and
went. Only one card arrived on the big day, and that was from the
person running the exchange. I let out a big "yesssssss". I wasn't the
only one! I bounced back to the front door like Daffy Duck in the old
cartoons. "Woo hoo woo hooo woo hoo!" Oops. I mean I wasn't glad that
others had any trouble too. I don't! ... "Lord I apologize for that and
bless those pygmies down there in New Guinea.." Yup, my cards came one
by one. I so missed feeling that huge smile creep across my face when
I open up cards with fuzzy faces looking up at me from their beds, old
fashioned valentines, greeting papers, etc. I started to feel really
inept, yet again. All these wonderful cards and gestures. And I sent
out some boring empty card to everyone. I went on Facebook where
everyone seems to be nowadays, and wrote that I felt so bad that my
card was so lame. Oh HELL no you can't down yourself in front of your
ferret friends, let alone your card exchange buddies. All of these
comments came feeding back to me immediately how I can't do anything
"lame" and the card was great. I know it was now. Super Tonks from
heaven told me so himself on FaceBook!

Next time? Yah, no stress man. I'm going to remember my words, "it
doesn't' matter if you write on a napkin and send it out". What is it
Steven Tyler says on American Idol? "Sh*tfire and save matches, @*!! 
a duck and see what hatches."

Wolfy
ps, thank you SOS and Robin Jones for keeping up this awesome tradition
that Judy Cooke started long ago. Peeps, (thats cool Facebook talk for
people), join one. If you have no time or money to do something fancy,
draw a smiley face on a piece of paper and a sweet note, stick it in an
envelope and send it. There is nothing like seeing something arrive in
your mailbox and to have something to hold.

[Posted in FML 6976]