Well, it's close enough to Christmas morning for me!
And wow, I can't even put into words how blown away I am. Legit tears in my eyes, keep reading and you'll see why.
So, opening up the box I'm greeted by an envelope and two rolls of hiding shop towels. These aren't just any shop towels, these are specifically for glass and polished surfaces as they don't leave streaks or lint. That is awesome because I'm a nut job when it come to clean, streak free glass in my car. These are going to be awesome, can't wait to use them. Then we have an assortment of various awesome items. Pressure washer pump conditioner and anti-freeze which is pretty damn cool as I have a pressure washer and used up the last of my pump conditioner/anti-freeze winterizing it for this season. Excellent timing.
Next is a Vessel multibit screwdriver, I had the Craftsman version a while back and lost it, now I have the legit Japan version! Then some Lucas gun oil, while I don't have an actual gun, I do have an air rifle from my childhood that got me into trouble. I can use this on the troublesome air rifle as well as lubricating my tools, way cool! And then, an outlet multitap. Those things are crazy handy to have around, every one of my extension cords on reels has one at their end. Next up, the delicious food items section. We have some bread and butter pickles, some white peach jam and two dry rubs. One rub for chicken and the other for any type of meat. Great timing as for New Years day dinner, we're doing a pork roast. Guess what the seasoning is going to be! And, an Old Bay seasoning mug! There legit is a container of Old Bay in my pantry right now, I use that stuff a lot. And then, a Carhartt Rain Defender full zip hoodie! This brings my total of Carhartt hoodies to five. Say what you want about Carhartt, but their hoodies are the only ones that have held up under the abuse I put them through. Stuff that has destroyed other brand's hoodies have barely put a dent in my Carhartts. And, their flannel insulated jeans are amazingly warm while being out in the cold.
And finally, back to that envelope.......
Crabman is my Secret Santa and the letter has some history and information about where he lives (way cool by the way) and some history about himself (glad you're doing well, keep at it for the little ones!) and some history about the local volunteer Fire/EMS service and the current state of things there. It's been a rough year for all of us in healthcare and it's getting worse. Here in NorthEast Ohio, in the 15 years I've been in EMS I've never seen anything like this before. Nearly every hospital in the area is at its breaking point with patient volume. Nurses and medics I know have quit because of how mentally and emotionally draining things have become. Our agency is horribly understaffed and calls have sat, waiting hours for a unit to be dispatched to help. It's getting harder and harder to keep going, I'm not immune to it myself. Many times this year I've almost walked away, the physical work load isn't the problem, the emotional toll is what's getting a lot of us. Like I said before, it's going to get worse. So, do something to show your local Fire Department/ER nurses and medics that their hard work is appreciated. Send them a pizza or coffee or just some gesture of appreciation. Believe me, it will go such a long way with helping morale with the current state of things. And this is where the tears came from. Crabman made a $100 donation to his local animal shelter on behalf all First Responders. I can't even put into words how amazing that is. Thank you so much, best gift I've received in a long time.
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Stay safe everyone, we seem to be more divided now than ever before. Now is not the time for that, how about in 2022 we work together and help each other through this mess.
)
(My victim)
Special treats for the kitties, they will last a long time. We have a finicky old kitty and she is fighting over the tuna snacks, Mrs. Cat is asleep and she will love the chocolate. Mrs Cat is a elementary school librarian and is going to get a big kick out of the "special worm book" we will find a protective sleeve for it , we appreciate how special it is. The pens and flashlight will come in so handy. Topper on the tree is a $75 gift card from GardensAlive.com. Can't express how much it is appreciated, Thank you so much. MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, MikeTook this pic from the North Pole Condo.
