Worst Christmas Gift Ever

Okay, I know you've all received those email quizzes where you have to fill out a questionnaire about yourself so your friends and co-workers will know you better. There is even a Christmas version with questions such as real vs artificial tree, etc.

Anyway, they also ask for the worst and favorite gifts you've ever received. Well, I ALWAYS win that!

For those of you who don't know- here is the true story of the worst gift I ever received. I wish I would have kept it and had it framed or at least photographed- somehow preserved it for evidence, but I will try to describe it the best I can.

It really gives a new meaning to the phrase, "You really shouldn't have..."

Several years ago I had been dating a guy for awhile and he tells me that his mom and a bunch of gifts for me. I was surprised. This was the first year that she had purchased anything for me and I was touched that she went to the trouble. Especially since there was more than one gift for me.

I started opening the gifts at my mom's house Christmas Day and I remember a ceramic figurine of 2 birds and an ornament and then the last box contained something homemade. I remember it took me a minute to figure out what it was. There was a piece of Christmas themed flannel (teddy bears and Christmas trees I think). I soon realized that it was a pair of women's underpants that were 2-3 sizes too small! I looked at the guy and said "she made me underwear?" He squirmed and said "Oh no she didn't make them." I looked at him even more puzzled since the undies were obviously handmade. He then explained that she FOUND THEM in a rental house that the tenant had abandoned, thought they were cute and decided to keep them. I looked at him in absolute horror "you mean they are USED?"

He got all defensive and said "she WASHED them!" Geez, thanks.

Because she was a really nice woman and I did care for her son, I wrote her a nice thank you note later, but I'm pretty sure that the undies were tossed along with the wrapping paper they were decorated with.

Really, you shouldn't have...

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and received great stuff- no recycled undies!

A really bad day

Okay, I've had a crappy week so far and today was just like a really bad sequel to the 3 previous "Monday's from hell" that I've had. You know how it goes, your period is late so PMS is way worse than normal and you have more days of PMS! That's been my week this week.

My "problem" kitty ran away. I officially realized she was really gone today when I opened the door to see if the food I put out for her "just incase" had been eaten and it was still there. I totally started bawling. She was such a pain in the ass and still I'm just devastated. I feel like I failed her in some way when the reality is that she is an outdoor cat. I just hope that someone with a yard has taken her in and is keeping her warm and well fed. My other cat and I miss her terribly.

Then tonight I'm half watching the local news before I head to class and see a guy a dated for about a minute a few years ago who I ended up getting a restraining order against. He's on the news trying to defend his employer for hiring him when he has a felony record and history of violence against women. This infuriates me because he works for a University supported program so my tuition is helping pay his salary. And the program he works for allows him access to more victims.

I understand that people make mistakes and pay their debt to society. I also believe that some can be rehabilitated but I've seen first hand how he talks a good game but in the end is a sick, and twisted criminal mind who has no business working anywhere near women.

I'm curious to find out how long he has been employed there because if he has been there since the restraining order was initiated, then University officials need to be notified. I have serious issues about why a background check was not done.

On a lighter note, graduation is coming very quickly. I can't wait to be done with school! I just need to figure out the "what next" part.

Thanksgiving was really nice. I enjoyed a great couple of days with "M." It was also great to introduce him to my family. They seem to like him and he seemed to have a good time too. I'm just looking forward to seeing what happens with him come January when things are less crazy for both of us. I really miss spending time with him. I feel like we miss out on a lot of what happens in each other's lives by not talking or seeing each other regularly.

It's kind of inevitable, but I now see him as being more human. He made a point to explain things and try to reassure me that my fears about him seeing other people are untrue. My trust in him has been altered now. It's not as absolute as it was before, which is fine for now. I think that in time it will either grow again or decline until we are over. Only time can tell. It's funny in a way because for the longest time, I wondered what was wrong with him! He seemed too great, too perfect, too wonderful! Now I know. He IS human. Not exactly a bad thing.

This is especially true considering all the rather unflattering things he has learned about me recently that also show that I'm not perfect either.