Charity Faileth

After much dramatics, I finally got my Pampered Chef order. Illiterate Fed-Ex Man was working the day my order was in his truck, and he delivered to the wrong house. Of note, the correct address was on the box. Fortunately, the little old lady that lived there was honest, and took the time to look me up in a phone book. Unfortunately, Illiterate Fed-Ex Man and his cronies couldn't read the "Fragile" that was on the side of the box.

In the end, two stone pans were completely destroyed. All items were accounted for otherwise. Including the forged cutlery I bought and gaze upon lovingly each night before I go to bed. At any rate, the pans will be replaced.

Today, I took Mom to lunch. After lunch, I met with Trish to do some shopping at Zona Rosa. Her family will be leaving Thursday to go to Family Hell (i.e. Disney World), where they will stay until July 2. With three boys, not including her husband, I can only hope she takes a colossal bottle of Prozac with her. She's going to need it.

Upon leaving Zona, I noticed a printed receipt stuck inside my wiper blade. It was a parking ticket. A parking ticket at Zona Rosa, courtesy of their rent-a-cop. They have those little parking meters that you feed coins in, and all the proceeds go to charity. Having emptied my loose change into my change banks at home, I had a total of fifty cents on me in various coinage. Apparently, my time expired, just in time for Barney Fife to come along with his little computer, whose sole purpose was to spit out tickets. The fine was for $5.

Okay, now I am debating whether to pay it. How can possibly be valid? It looks like a credit card receipt!

On the ticket, it says "donation/fine"...but aren't donations voluntary? Fines are not voluntary...so which is it? It's not that I can't afford $5, but it's the principle. Wasn't the change I had on me good enough, or are they not happy until they squeeze every drop they think they can get out of me (not including the extra tax I just paid for the privilege of shopping there), all in the name of charity?

I have half a mind to call them tomorrow, tell them to shove their donation/fine ticket up their ass, then take my business elsewhere.

I'll take the $5 and give it to Harvesters.