You sit down with your 21 year old son who doesn't have a job and who sits at home all day and tell him he has to get a job and help pay for household expenses like his younger 19-year-old brother does.  That's when the 21-year-old says, "Of course you don't have enough money.  Half our money ends up in Iraq". 

I had such an urge to squeeze his little neck :-)   And when I think of ALL those young men and women risking their lives daily while he idly lays in bed watching his television.  Oooooo  I get so heated up!

Sorry for the negative post.  But I definitely am a Junkie

Mary

Mary,

Please tell that 21-yr. old that Gran said if we still had a military draft, he would be requesting packages sent to him by you and Gran too, but our freedom is to join or not.  Our grandson took his place so that he wouldn't have to go to Iraq!

Gran

you finally stop long enough to count, and find that in 2.5 yrs. with AnySoldier.com you have sent packages to a total of about 500 contacts and didn't even realize it. WHEW!

Someone want to take up the slack for me so that I can take a vacation?

Gran

1) you just have to take on one more because they don't have many requests

2) you have to check every clearance shelf at each store you go into to see if there is a good deal on something so that you can buy just one more thing for your Soldiers.

Gran

Gran:

you finally stop long enough to count, and find that in 2.5 yrs. with AnySoldier.com you have sent packages to a total of about 500 contacts and didn't even realize it. WHEW!

Someone want to take up the slack for me so that I can take a vacation?

Gran

GRAN!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!! THE TROOPS ARE LUCKY TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE YOU IN THEIR CORNER!! THANK YOU!!!

  you search for seasonal clearance items to be sent in future packages to Iraq. You notice chocolate on clearance at Target and decide to freeze now for shipments in December.

Thank you to all the sincere AnySoldier Junkies out there.....You're in great company!(Get it? soldiers in a company?LOL)

Gran:

you finally stop long enough to count

Wow...that's amazing!

At this point, I'm afraid to count...not the number of contacts, but the number of packages and...worse...the total amount I've spent on goodies and postage.  Did you count how many packages you've sent?

Free Spirit,

That's why I just counted the number of "contacts".  I don't think I want to know how much we have actually spent.  For the first year, I knew exactly how many packages we had sent to who, and the amount of postage we had spent.  After that, it ballooned, and I don't want to know because I would then have to report it to Hubby - LOL!  Ignorance is bliss?  As long as we are able to pay our credit card bill, I am not going to sweat it.

The way we choose to send packages is not like some do.  We don't pick someone and make sure they have a package from us every week.  We try to not take it personally, even though that's hard.  We just try to contribute in the best way we are able, and when they say they are getting tremendous support, we usually go on to someone we feel need it more unless they post a particular need that we are up to.  Whenever they have normal 12 month tours, we usually don't send more than 6 packages to any one contact. 

Gran

Gran,

Thanks for your post.  I was just feeling guilty that I am diverting two packages intended for a large unit, now receiving dozens of packages, to a new contact who seems to need immediate help.  Just so happens the things I have packed up are exactly what they requested!  Divine intervention again?  After reading your post, I feel much better.  LOL  I have found 4 new contacts in the last few days...haven't requested all the addresses yet since I promised myself I wouldn't take on new ones right now, but how can you refuse when some of these folks obviously need help?  Glad I'm not the only one who can't say No. 

Since I started sending packages last November, I've kept a log, and I have decided you're right...perhaps not knowing the Total is better since I can honestly say...Sorry, dear, don't know for sure.  LOL  My husband's helping me now with the shopping and loving every minute...

Thanks for all your posts.  I truly enjoy reading them!

A fellow AS Junkie

Brenda

Funny thing is that Hubby actually does more of the shopping than I do.  He takes several different prescription meds, so has to pick them up regularly, and ALWAYS goes to a couple of places to shop before he comes home.  He has become a Junkie himself LOL!  I just don't dare give him the figures on the totals!  It might be too big a shock for someone with high blood pressure. 

About divine intervention - you wouldn't believe the number of packages that have sat waiting for just the right thing/s to finish it off (all of you know what I mean), while I get other packages ready for mailing, and then someone else comes along doing what we call looking into our boxes.  The box just fits them perfectly along with other things we have to finish filling it with.  I am always reading a new post to Hubby and telling him that so and so is looking into our boxes because they are requesting just what we have on hand.

Gran

when....you returned from grocery shopping today and realized the only reason you bought that 9-pack of chips (I have 100 packs already sitting in bags on my kitchen floor) was because it came in a box shaped like a fire truck and now you have to find a unit to send them to because you don't have any firemen on your list!

(Okay...I'll fess up...I bought two fire trucks.) Oh my!!!

You know you are a junkie when ... you are sitting inside on a lovely summer's day reading the AS site instead of enjoying the day outside with your dog . . . you are annoyed that the dentist you see now (due to the fact your preferred/longtime dentist  doesn't accept your dental care insurance) does NOT give brushes and paste at every cleaning . . . and make note to TRULY change dentists before Oct. cleaning (didn't do in time last time) . . . you see camo flannel sheets on display at Target and get all atwitter at buying them at markdown prices at some point in the future . . . having just bough some markdown t-shirt sheets last week ;- ) . . . you buy McD's happy meals just to get the toy du jour  to send a soldier . . . you threw away the spiral-bound notebook of contacts/package inventory you filled up more than a year ago . . . because seeing how many packages you sent made you wince. 

And you have to STOP yourself from buying Little Debbie treats because you have so many things on hand to send!!