I am super not into the whole Santa mythos for many, many reasons and I had to run away from that crazy lady on your post, Hil. She is ridiculous and kinda gross and terrible.

I am now googling chicks (birds, not women). Not for fun, but because I am at my parents', and somebody left in another floor of the building a box with a baby bird in it (with some food and water). It's been there for almost two hours now. I'm gonna give it another hour in case there was some miscommunication between giver and adopter, but after it I'm calling the wild animal authority. Just trying to identify that chick, first.

(I don't even want to think of the possibility of someone abandoning a chick like this).

Update 1: so there are two chicks in that box. One of them was already dead when I checked. The hell with whoever abandoned them. I also think they are chickens. The wild animal place will only be able to send someone tomorrow morning, and my parents can't take care of the remaining chick. Trying to convince the neighbors to take care of it for the night. And seriously, fuck whoever abandoned these chicks.

Update 2: No authority/society could come tonight. I tried to get the number of the apartment where the chicks were left, but got nowhere. I don't hear tweets anymore, so I guess the other one is also dead, or that the owners came. Not gonna check it now cause it's bedtime soon and I do not want to dream of dead chicks all night. I feel horrible for them, but I really couldn't take the living one to my parents' house.

I'm sorry about the chicks, Shir.

More ~ma to Harvey, and his humans, Windsparrow.

Stupid humans are stupid, Hil. And askye. Except for amych and Strix and Laura and and--you're all here!

You know what? I think I'm going to stop right there, because my inner grinch is rapidly becoming larger and greener and reeeeeally wanting to *smash!*

Thanks, Amych! Now I have to find the menorah and candles. They're in The Closet of Boxes of Stuff.

I hope the chicken is okay.

I'm so ready for the holidays. I'm getting pulled in a million directions at work and we are so short staffed. To make matters worse for the whole week the fire system is messed up. It makes a really loud high pitched bebeep that never stops. The alarm company has tried to fix it 4 times so far.

And people want stuff we don't have and are hitching about waiting .it's the Saturday before Christmas waiting is expected. Some people want to order things but I refuse to promise by the 24th even if that's what the system says.

When I was a kid, I thought the eight nights thing was a pretty good deal. And, the whole comedy-in-exclusion thing...if your kids do feel left out, they have a good shot at being funny about it.(You and Nilly could probably figure it statistically, ha ha) Yes, it is a bit of a comic generalization, but being outside of dominant culture does not leave you culturally bereft...you have traditions that don't include that other stuff. I held onto Santa long enough to almost be the kid taking a blankie to summer camp. Would not recommend, not that I'm very concerned about next gen since none of us have gotten off our butts and bred, but still...

Chick made it through the night! I am happy.

Neighbors next door (NND) brought it up to our floor. It was in a new box with breadcrumbs and a new towel, so someone must have changed its location from the box with its dead sibling. However, that someone also didn't understand the clue and thought that a 45F stairwell is good for chick. It's slightly warmer on our floor (about 53-55F), but I didn't have heating pads and wasn't sure it'll make it through the night.

NND didn't know what to do from that point, so they called me. I didn't know what to do either, but I improvised. So we found a bigger shoe box, punched holes in it, I called a vet friend to ask what to feed it, moved it to the new box, fed it, and closed the box so the chick will be warmer and will be able to sleep and that stray cats won't get to it.

I called the municipal hotline this morning, they got in touch with the municipal veterinary services, and in about two hours chick will have some proper care by less clueless people.

Now, just crossing fingers that Clueless Person isn't a neighbor that will call and yell at me for saving their chick.

Shir you are now the official Buffista chick savior.

Oh and social skills question. Since I wear hats, it is my habit if someone is nice enough to let me into the street, I raise my hat and lower it. I don't turn around, cause if I was prepared to turn around I could just do the "wave". If someone you let ahead of you did that, raised and lowerd t heir hat without turning and facing you, would you guess they were thanking you? Or would you just assume they were adjusting their clothe?

I think most people would think you were adjusting your hat, unless those folk currently occupying the world of Those Who Wear Hats have a different understanding.

I would interpret a tip of the hat as thanks.