Grr. Argh.

[hummingwolf]

Because I don't mention this often enough: I really, really hate bureaucracy.

If anyone has been wondering what to get me for Christmas, the answer is food*.



This post has been brought to you by the people who repeatedly tell me there is no need to come into their office until I get a letter, then send me a letter saying I get no more food stamps because I didn't go into their office.**

I wonder what movies the dep't of social services is showing in their lobby this December.



* Decent medical care would also be a lovely gift, but food is much easier to find.***

** And no, based on past experience, this was not unexpected (that's why I'd been calling the office in the first place). Yet this stuff still manages to be simultaneously infuriating and discouraging after all these years.

*** Other good gifts would be electricity and phone service. Yeah. Those are generally good things.****

**** Footnotes are addictive.

Comments

[dcjensen.livejournal.com]

So...any suggestions/dislikes?

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Only real dislike is black raisins, and I even like those in certain contexts. I'll try to think of good suggestions later on. Probably I should look through the canned & bagged & boxed foods I have around and see what I need most. I know I could use dried fruits & nuts, as well as peanut butter. Canned leafy green vegetables are good too. Canned turkey & chicken would be helpful.

[rhiannasilel.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...could I take you shopping on one of my days off so that you can get the food you like and need? I have weird dietary habits so I can't always tell what other people like to eat.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

I would be happy to go shopping with you sometime. I guess we can work out details later?

[cantinera.livejournal.com]

Re-send your address to nicedream[at]rocketmail[dot]com as I have chocolate for you. Not truly food, but I can't send most stuff via post to the US so my Xmas package (which has been a long time coming, so sorry) will be less foodier than you probably need.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Sent you an e-mail earlier. And chocolate is always good. :-)

[meretia]

::hugs::

What sorts of food do you like?

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

I still haven't checked through all my canned goods, but the suggestions I made here are still valid.

::hugs back::

[paradigm-palace.livejournal.com]

"This post has been brought to you by the people who repeatedly tell me there is no need to come into their office until I get a letter, then send me a letter saying I get no more food stamps because I didn't go into their office."

OMG!!! You *do* know what I'm going through :P

Except I'm not eligible for Food Stamps since I'm a "student", so they tell me. But that statement applies to anything IN GENERAL when working with bureaucracy. My personal favorite is this one:

You get a letter in the mail that is postdated Nov. 8 and the letter tells you that if you don't respond by Nov. 9 to *whatever request* your services/coverage/benefits/aid will be abruptly terminated.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

You get a letter in the mail that is postdated Nov. 8 and the letter tells you that if you don't respond by Nov. 9 to *whatever request* your services/coverage/benefits/aid will be abruptly terminated.

Yep, I've seen at least one of those. Actually, I've seen at least one that told me I had to respond well before I got the letter. Most vexing, that.

As C.S. Lewis said when explaining the reasoning behind his depictions of demons in The Screwtape Letters and why those demons were unlike the bat-winged monsters of so many old paintings: "I like bats much better than bureaucrats."

[meretia]

Oh, man. I forgot to ask the other day, for my own nefarious reasons: Are you nearby a big Wal-Mart or Target, any of those super-department stores that have grocery sections?

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

It is in fact pretty easy for me to get to a Target from here (am pretty sure I could get to a Wal-Mart or K-mart too, but I can't remember where those are or how long it would take to get to them). The main grocery store chains around here are Safeway and Giant Foods, if that matters any.

[meretia]

Yeah, I was pretty sure that you'd have different grocery chains from the ones I can get to, since these are pretty much southern Midwest ones. Things like Target were the only stores I could think of that would probably be in both places.

I would say "now I must scheme some more," but that's too grand for spending more time trying to figure out how to get things to you from all the way out here.