smonster, I say deep wine red. Any red would look good on you (with the exception of bright copper "red"), but I think a deep wine shade would be striking.

(Take my advice with a heaping spoon of salt - I finally took the plunge and have bright pink bangs and crown.)

I've packed up the Think Geek items and am mailing them back to the company with this letter:

On December 3, 2009, I placed an online order with your company. I received the order with no problem several days later and am completely satisfied.

However, on Monday, December 14th, I was surprised to find a package in my mailbox containing what appeared to be a duplicate order. This package had been mailed to me by [redacted]. Apparently, my order, along with the packing slip with my shipping information was inadvertently included with one of her recent orders.

She kindly and thoughtfully put my items in a packing envelope and mailed them to me at her own expense with a note explaining that she was worried I was missing the items and that they might be holiday gifts for someone.

I was touched by her integrity and honesty. Some people would think nothing of keeping such items or would have simply returned them to the company, without worrying whether or not the correct person received them.

I would hope that you would acknowledge Ms. [redacted]’s kindness in some small way. I have sent her a thank you card and am enclosing the duplicate items she sent to me so that they can be returned to your inventory.

I’ve ordered from your company in the past and have always been happy with your customer service. Now, I am impressed with my fellow customers.

Sincerely,

Me

Great letter, Cashmere. What a kind thing for another customer to do.

What a kind thing for another customer to do.

I know! A lot of people would just think, "Oh, free stuff!" I hope they give her a discount or something nice.

I lost track of how many job applications I sent out. I think I'm somewhere around 135. And, so far, two interviews.

Yep, it's an especially tough job market. When I was hunting it took me around a year, sending out five applications a week. (I set a goal of one per work day. Luckily my supervisor and I were on a race out the door, so I could job hunt on the clock.) My non-profit has some openings (in public health, not math, sorry), and our employment page gets 50% more hits than our home page. Well, partly due to the fact that our home page sucks, but still, it's pretty competitive.

Good luck with the hunt. Does your university offer any sort of job hunting help?

I finally took the plunge and have bright pink bangs and crown.

And it looks great! Thanks for the input.

I have done something to my neck that has made it sore to the touch on the left side. Meh, says I.

Off to a safety meeting. Probable further meh.

Cash, not only is that a great letter, but the whole event is one of those that reaffirm that humanity might not be quite ripe for being lined up against a wall and mown down with a machine gun. Yet.

smonster, I was in a hurry to get to work yesterday, and then when I got home, was so cold and frozen I had to snuggle intensely with Daniel for a good long while. So here is what I think: You look great with dark hair, I think you will look great with red all over, and I would also like to see you in red highlights sometime. I second suggestions for a wine-red, and I bet you would totally rock a plum kind of color, too. So basically, there is no wrong answer there.

Cash, that is a lovely letter and an excellent follow-up to a lovely gesture by a stranger.

Woke up this morning with my head feeling woozy.

Also, just saw a couple of young folks come in all dressed up in their interview suits but with no coats. People: it is 12 degrees out with a windchill below zero. WEAR A COAT.

Oh, and in addition the Chanukah, the lesson of this movie is that Jewish kids are really good at academics but need a black man and a miracle to make them good a sports.

Just like in real life!

Also, just saw a couple of young folks come in all dressed up in their interview suits but with no coats. People: it is 12 degrees out with a windchill below zero. WEAR A COAT.

Working on a college campus, I am continually astonished at the stunningly weather-inappropriate sartorial choices students make.

Cash, what a terrific story and you wrote a terrific letter.