No one's really done anything for me lately, other than my kitty cuddling up close to sleep with me when it is really cold out. My mom bought some granola bars and stuff that I eat to put in a huge jar on the counter for an easy healthy snack for everyone, though she kind of counteracted that by baking sugar cookies with super sugary frosting and putting them next to the granola bars . less

Since I had spent so much time over the holiday season in the hospital, I try to visit there every other week. It's a long ass bus ride, but the kids in the children ward are totally worth the bus ride. We usually play games and really just give them some company. less

My husband and I moved out of state to help my father in law open up a business. This meant leaving our stable careers and all of the other stuff that goes with an out of state move. Suffice to say the business plans we were advised of and cross examined him on over and over turned out to be... we'll just say grossly inaccurate. My husband has been trying to get a permanent position that pays decently and has been working 50-60 hour weeks doing warehousing, recruiting, any and every assignment he can to keep the money coming. The business closed the first of December, I've been working as well but just found out yesterday that my pay will no longer be able to be paid at the end of this month. Money has been very tight and this has been an amazingly rough time period for us because his assignments could end at any time. Besides that there's the obvious betrayal, I can't imagine what my husband is feeling when he thinks about it. We are saving every penny we have and splitting them 25 ways just to make it happen.

Anyhow. For Christmas my parents sent us a little bit of cash with a note- Take this, go out to eat, go on a date. Enjoy each other. we love you. Suffice to say there were tears. To add the icing to the cake, I grew up in Miami and the thing I miss most is the food- good pork kebabs, empanadas, guabana shakes, ropa vieja, platanos maduros... We saved the money for after the holidays and on the way home from work two weeks ago my husband passed a Cuban restaurant on a road we've been on dozens of times since we moved up here and never noticed it before. He couldn't wait to tell me! We went that night and it was amazing! It was like I was transported back to Miami, except the snow on the ground.

I got not one gift or two, I got three. We got money so we could have a date for the first time in months, I got to eat real Cuban food again and I got the most amazing, caring partner that, no matter how rough it gets, is by my side and looking for little rays of sunshine to brighten this storm we're riding through. less

My husband and I moved out of state to help my father in law open up a business. This meant leaving our stable careers and all of the other stuff that goes with an out of state move. Suffice to say the business plans we were advised of and cross examined him on over and over turned out to be... we'll just say grossly inaccurate. My husband has been trying to get a permanent position that pays decently and has been working 50-60 hour weeks doing warehousing, recruiting, any and every assignment he can to keep the money coming. The business closed the first of December, I've been working as well but just found out yesterday that my pay will no longer be able to be paid at the end of this month. Money has been very tight and this has been an amazingly rough time period for us because his assignments could end at any time. Besides that there's the obvious betrayal, I can't imagine what my husband is feeling when he thinks about it. We are saving every penny we have and splitting them 25 ways just to make it happen.

Anyhow. For Christmas my parents sent us a little bit of cash with a note- Take this, go out to eat, go on a date. Enjoy each other. we love you. Suffice to say there were tears. To add the icing to the cake, I grew up in Miami and the thing I miss most is the food- good pork kebabs, empanadas, guabana shakes, ropa vieja, platanos maduros... We saved the money for after the holidays and on the way home from work two weeks ago my husband passed a Cuban restaurant on a road we've been on dozens of times since we moved up here and never noticed it before. He couldn't wait to tell me! We went that night and it was amazing! It was like I was transported back to Miami, except the snow on the ground.

I got not one gift or two, I got three. We got money so we could have a date for the first time in months, I got to eat real Cuban food again and I got the most amazing, caring partner that, no matter how rough it gets, is by my side and looking for little rays of sunshine to brighten this storm we're riding through. less

I was working in the mall and I was having a pretty bad day at work. My boss was on my ass about working more hours and I was cranky. I went on lunch break and I saw a small family. It was two kids and a dad. They were walking past the Disney store and the girl saw the Belle dress and just lit up and was like "OMG DADDY, the dress it's beautiful can I have it?"
And the dad was like... Um, not right now sweetheart. We don't really have that kind of money. "
And her eyes got all big and watery and the boy was like "Stop that, dad says we don't have much money right dad?"
And the dad looked like he felt awful and he was like "Yeah we don't really have much money right now, I'm really sorry I shouldn't have brought you here to walk around."
And so he kept on walking with the kids, and I ran in there and brought her the Princess dress, and the boy a Toy Story train set.

I ran in the mall after them, and really startled them. The dad hugged his kids and I was like "Here" and he's like "Sorry miss, I can't afford these, it's fine."
I was like "No, they're yours." He's like "I can't do layaway either"
I finally shoved the receipt in his face and I was like "NO, I BOUGHT THEM FOR YOU."

He was like "Why?" I was like "My family didn't grow up with much money and I never got pretty dresses. You seem like a good dad and my day's been sucky. So making them smile will help, I think."

He looked so stunned, and I just handed the kids the stuff and him the receipt.
I then told him where I worked if the dress was in the wrong size cause I just gaged her size and I have no kids of my own.

I did feel incredibly much better. Especially when they came back another day and she was wearing the dress and she twirled and she sang for me.

Her name is Natalie, ^_^ I miss that job. less