Another great idea...

... already in action! Here's a piece of an email from my friend Kathleen (a.k.a. The Controversial Genius), who is  MILE 1! (Talk about a dedicated friend.) She is not sitting around waiting for my cash. She is Paying It 40-ward like a boss:

For the month of December I leave a big tip.  So far I have left 50%, 75% and 100%.  I try to get away before the waitperson or the hairdresser sees the tip.  The other night at Bertucci's we weren't fast enough and the guy came over to the table and was shocked, excited and grateful.... Also, I have really cut back on my trips to Dunkin' Donuts but I went through the drive-through this morning and paid for the person in the car behind me.  

Great plan, huh? They don't call her The (Controversial) Genius for nothin'. (Actually THEY don't call her that. Just me. Cuz once when she was directing a cast of 5 - 8th graders in a show that ran on April 1st I joked on Facebook that she was doing "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Jr!" and some people really bought it. How disturbing is THAT notion, huh?!)

Meg (Mile 3), The Controversial Genius (Mile 1) and Me.We work well together when it comes to musical theater. But we drink cosmos together even better!

One thing I love about K's plan is that it's on going and it spreads the love to the unsuspecting. And, speaking as an hourly wage earner who just received a "bonus" (read: "here's some extra money in your paycheck since you have health insurance through your spouse and therefore save us a ton of dough each year")... this is THEEE MOST wonderful time of the year to have a little extra money coming your way. 

My to do list for this project is incredibly long and just keeps getting longer. My goal between tonight and tomorrow night is to get the envelopes stamped and the cash-o-la in the mail. I am going to be doing some Christmas shopping with Kathleen on Saturday so I hope to do a ceremonial Post Office Box "dump" which she can witness and/or document. Guess I better log off and get busy!

P.S. I know we're all thinking about it but I feel I would be remiss if I didn't make mention of it: please keep the Sandy Hook families in your thoughts. One year on, looking at the images of those children - each of whom seems more dear to me because my middle guy is their exact age and grade - I am feel incredibly sad and incredibly, unworthily lucky. No matter your feelings about the Rights, you can certainly agree that those children and teachers - and those they left behind - need to be honored by all of us. Dona nobis pacem.