A Series of Unfortunate Presents

"A Series of Unfortunate Presents" was the funny title of an email message from my dear friend Cynthia this afternoon. Being a Lemony Snicket fan, I laughed even before I read the message. But the message itself also made me giggle -- Cynthia just can't win for losing this Christmas, between bad weather and present preemption. It's just an example of the mischief a blog can cause. But I promise that I would have been gracious about receiving a book I already own and did not like all that much . . . Here's what Cynthia sent:

So, long story short, this week I ran into a software roadblock – software that I need for my hopefully fabulous 2008 presents! My new software won’t be here until early this week (that is, if the UPS plane lands at the airport and the UPS truck can skate to my house!) So, I decided in the meantime I would send part of your present since part of it is holiday related. I had your pretty Christmas box wrapped and ready to go, but decided at the last minute to jump online and check your Rose City Reader blog to make sure you hadn’t already posted the vintage postcard I had used for a gift enclosure (see below.) Of course, the first thing that popped up on your blog was your review of the Sedaris book which also contained a review of Holiday on Ice which then had me laughing out loud (see why below!) I promptly ripped open the package to remove the book. But then I decided this called for a picture and a post. Criminy Christmas!!

4 Days Until Christmas