Minus One

Looks like we're going to have our first night below zero. It's damned cold out there.

Earlier this week I made out my Christmas cards and threw the whole stack in a public mail box. As they left my hand I realized I hadn't stamped them. Too late.

Today they appeared in my mailbox bundled neatly with a rubber band. Maybe that was to make up for the fact that they looked like they'd been to hell and back. All of them were scuffed, scratched, covered in black, blue and red smears. Some had tattered or shredded corners, all were filthy, and two of them had actually been ripped completely open. One was hastily taped up with FOUR large strips (and believe me, it needed every one of them), the other was just left flapping in the breeze. And of course every one of them had "RETURN FOR POSTAGE" stamped in bold red letters across the front. All this happened in a period of 48 hours in getting them to my home from the mailbox two blocks away.

So now when you get your Christmas card you'll know why it looks so sad.

Merry Christmas!