Flocked!!

Last night, around 9:30, my oldest daughter came in to tell me goodnight and instead ended up curling into bed with me while we overindulged in the Food Network. At 11:00, after munching on crackers and learning about the molds in cheese, we decided that neither of us could stay awake any longer so I walked with her toward her room to make sure all the lights were off.

There is a long skinny window right next to my front door and as I walked past my entry way, something caught my eye. At first, I thought that my 6 year old son had taped a picture to the window, then I realized it was taped to the outside and that I had gone in and out of my front door since all the younger children had gone to bed. So Meg and I sneaked to the front door to peer out.

Earlier, while Meghan and I were still snuggled safe in my bed, giggling blissfully unaware, some person, completely unknown to me, had done their own sneaking about and strategically placed 14, very pink flamingos in my front yard.

They appeared to be aimlessly wandering around and generally having a grand old time of it. One, in fact seemed stood at a somewhat drunken angle.

The paper taped to my window read: “You Have Been “Flamingoed”!!!

Now, the flamingos themselves are not what disturb me, Meg and I were cracking up and plotting as we went to bed. It was later, when I realized that someone (and if I’m truthful, probably more than one someone) had pranced about in my yard, whispering and smothering giggles, and even fiddled around my front door, all without being detected. I cannot even claim that it was my being asleep that caused me to miss all the outdoor action. I was wide awake being grossed out by street vendor’s hot dog water and how mold is used in cheese making (it was a very educational evening and for your information, I will never eat a hot dog-also known as a dirty dog- from a street vendor, but will happily continue to eat cheese). Perhaps, when Jeff gets home from California he will be the proud new owner of a Pit Bull or Doberman Pincer.

Luckily, for me it was a friendly someone in my front yard that dark and windy night, out raising funds for a trip to Boise with the Mayor’s Youth Council. My “flamingoed” paper gave me all the details. For $10 I can have the flamingos removed. For $20 I get to choose the next victim and for $30 I can guarantee the flamingos never come back to visit me (for this fundraiser only I am sure). It even gave me the name of the person that sent the flamingos to me. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW.

She had been at my house twice, earlier that day and never even wore a smirk or a I-know-something-you-don’t-know grin. This woman is good. They had been sent to her a few days earlier by her daughter and son-in-law. I thought for sure, that by letting her know that I would never have sent the flamingos to her, that I would be safe from them landing at my house, but apparently no one is safe.

I have to admit, that this is a pretty clever fundraiser, and something I have never seen before. What a fun way to bully someone into giving up their hard earned wages. There is no awkward door-to-door magazine sales, no bland dinners to endure, no buying things at an auction that you will then just re-donate to the next fund raising event, and most off all no standing out in the sun all day while trying to convince other people to by my old junk at a garage sale. Instead it has that “Maffia Insurance” feel to it. Wonderful! I love it and will be keeping it mind for the next time I see a really great handbag that I cannot afford.

Now the only things left to do are; choose my next victims (will it be one of you readers or some person who has no idea what may be awaiting them) and decide on the revenge for my sweet mother-in-law. The first will be done within a few hours. The second? Well, I have heard that “revenge is a dish better served cold”.

Watch out!