Got Too Much Money? Kickstart This.

People have way too much money and no clue how to spend it.

Today I found out about the Potato Salad Kickstarter. I know it's been in the news for a while, but somehow I missed it. In case you did too I'll bring you up to date: this guy, Zack, really likes potato salad around the holidays, but he's never made it before. He decided to try and raise $10 on Kickstarter to buy the supplies to make potato salad. He wrote a funny little bit about how if you give him a buck he'll say your name while he makes his potato salad. It struck a nerve and went viral out of control. As of right this minute (10:55 am central time) he's raised $69,802.

Holy shit, right?

School Supplies

Today was meet the teacher and drop off all your school supplies for my daughter's school.  She's in her last year of preschool and her list included items like:  thin markers, thick markers and Pipsqueak markers.  Do you know how much Pipsqueak markers cost?  Ridiculous.  I was fuming this morning as I packed up her bag of supplies and noticed the list called for 4 glue sticks.  The 3 packs were on sale so her class got short changed a glue stick.  They can bill me - or bite me.  Their choice.

Tomorrow is my son's day and I can tell you right now, I still don't know the difference between a "plastic" pocket folder and a "poly" pocket folder.  I DO know my colors, so he did get a green one, a red one and a blue one.  I was able to cross that part off my list with confidence!  I also could not find the particular brand of pencils that was asked for.  He got the "skippies" of the pencil world:  whatever brand Wal Mart had on sale.

All in all, I'm pretty lucky with the school supplies thing though.  I can't imagine having to label EACH individual crayon with my child's name!  True story, a friend of mine was doing this the other night, per the teacher's request.  That's just sick and wrong.

When I sat down to bitch about school supplies, I found this on FB tonight.  No one seems to know who the original author is.  I can tell you, it wasn't me.  After reading this, I realized why bother?  She summed it up perfectly and said it better than I ever could:

UPDATE:  I got an email telling me who to give credit to for this glorious letter to the teacher.  It came from Ginny over at Praying to Darwin.

For all you Mommies dealing with this shit right now, cheers!

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

School Supplies

by XXXXXXXXXXXX on Monday, September 7, 2009 at 10:31am

************************************************

Dear Mrs. X:

In just over a week, you will be my son’s Grade 1 teacher. He is ever so excited to be under your tutelage. Why, since the last day of kindergarten, entering your class was all he could talk about. He gleefully thrust a piece of paper into my hand on that June afternoon, and said, “Here’s a list of the stuff I need for school next September!”

And I have to admit, I, too, was excited. I’m a school supplies geek from way back. And so, in early August, I set out to buy the items you’d listed. It was on my fourth store that the realization began to sink in.

You’re a crafty bitch, aren’t you?

This list was a thinly disguised test. Could I find the items, exactly as you’d prescribed? Because if not, my son would be That Kid, the one with the Problem Mother, Who Can’t Follow Directions.

For example, the glue sticks you requested. In the 40 gram size. Three of the little buggers. (What kind of massive, sticky project you’ve got planned for the first day of school that would require the students to bring all this glue, I cannot imagine.) But the 40 gram size doesn't come in a convenient 3-pack. The 30 gram size does. But clearly, those would be wildly inappropriate. So I got the individually priced 40’s, as per your instructions.

Another bit of fun was your request for 2 packs of 8 Crayola crayons (basic colors). The 24 packs, with their 24 *different* colors, sat there, on sale. I could have purchased *three* of the 24 packs for the price I had to pay for the 8 packs. (Clearly, you’ll not be teaching the youngsters any sort of economics lessons this year.) Even the cashier looked at me, as if to say, “Pardon me, ma’am, but are you slow?” as I purchased these non-bargain crayons. But that’s what the list said. And I was committed to following the list.

But the last item, well, now, you saved your malice up for that one, didn’t you? “8 mm ruled notebooks”, you asked for. Simple enough. Except the standard size is "seven" millimetres. One. Millimetre. Difference. Do you realize, Mrs. X., exactly how infinitesimal the difference between 7 mm ruling and 8 mm ruling is? Pretty small, I assure you. The thickness of a fingernail, approximately. But that millimetre, that small bit of nothingness, made me drive to four different stores, over the course of three sweaty August hours. And when I finally, finally found the last remaining 8 mm notebooks, I took no pleasure in my victory. I merely shifted my focus. To you, Mrs. X.

You wanna dance, lady? Let’s dance.

Because I am just batshit crazy enough to play your games. And, in turn, come up with some of my own.

On show and share day, my son will be bringing the video of his birth. It will be labelled, “Ben’s First Puppy.” Enjoy.

He will be given a list of words, and daily, he will ask you what they mean. Words such as “pedophile”, “anti-semite”, and “skank”. Good luck with those.

At some point, you will attempt to teach him mathematics. And I’m quite sure that, like most of your ilk, you will require my son to “show his work”. And he will. Through interpretive dance.

Because that is who you’ve chosen to tangle with, toots. A stay at home mom who is not entirely balanced, and has altogether too much time on her hands. But is, most certainly, A Mother Who Can Follow Directions.

Sincerely,

Ben’s Mom