WHAT NOT TO GIVE FOR CHRISTMAS...

Have you ever been given a truly useless Christmas gift? You know, like something that you would love to re-gift, but you don't really hate anybody bad enough to give it to them. You know, like something that your shrewish Sister-in-law that you really dislike and you know is going to eventually throw your brother out of the house and keep the good car, the house, the kids, and all the money gave you?

Well, the Galileo Thermometer is one such gift!

We got this stupid thing a few years back for Christmas, and I hated it. It's quite possible that I hated it because of the giver. But I hate it even more now.

We have a young lady (our future daughter-in-law) coming to stay with us for a few weeks while she finds an apartment. So, The Mrs. decided to clean out the guest room and get it nice for a girl. We've never worried about that too much, because this boy's dormitory that we call "home" didn't have to be so spiffy. But she is a girl. A real girl thank God! So, we want to make her stay as nice as possible so that she doesn't jump ship on the deal.

So, while cleaning out the guest room, we came across this stupid shrew-gift and set it out on the porch to be thrown away. Fortunately, it is about 12 degrees today, and the wind is blowing from the north at about 4,000 miles per hour. The 4,000 mph wind just happened to knock the stupid fallix symbol looking thing over, breaking it, and the water inside spread all over the porch.

I thought "No big deal. I'll just go out there and clean up the glass and the water will evaporate pretty quickly, seeing as the North wind is blowing 4,000 mph." Well, just FYI, the stupid Galileo thermometers ain't filled with water. Their web-site states that it is a mixture of paraffin, and petroleum distillates. Now this is just wonderful news, which I had already figured out when I tracked oily crap all through the house after cleaning up the glass.

So there was only one thing to do since this is the porch that we all walk through while coming and going into the house...clean the mess up. So, I got some degreaser, a broom, and the water hose and went to work. Did I mention that it is about 12 degrees, and the wind is blowing 4,000 miles per hour?

So the job is all done now. The porch has never been cleaner. And I've learned something today about myself, and what not to give someone for Christmas.

I hate cold weather. I'm gonna go take a hot bath.