Always...but this time, not like Walmart...

One great thing about living and working in a bustling metropolis like this wonderful city of Chicago, is that on quite a regular basis we get free stuff thrown at us left and right while walking down the street. Just in the past few months I have been given some totally cool stuff like the Sharpie 'retractable' marker, a monitor cleaner from Comed, one of those climbing clips/key chain things from Office Max, more then 2 or 3 candy bars with those mini M&M's in them, Edy's Dib's ice cream, Wrigley's sour apple gum, and oh and how can I forget one of my favorites, the light up shamrock that Southwest gave out on St. Patties day?...the list goes on and on...and like I said, these are only the things I can remember in the last couple of months...today was extra special though...and perhaps the most amusing.

If you haven't been around downtown when people are giving stuff away, let me explain these scene...usually there are 1 or 2 people working a busy corner during either the time everyone is hurrying to get into the office or at lunch time. People can smell free stuff...spot it out from blocks away and will literally stop traffic to get across the street so they don't miss out causing mass confusion and chaos to obtain their free piece of Wrigelys Gum. It's ridiculous yet Jason ( my aussie friend from work) and I have been known to circle the block multiple times to see what all we can acquire and if we will be caught double dipping.

Today as Jason and I went for our usual daily Dunkin Donuts coffee run we spotted them right outside our building...people were swarming and of course Jason and I immediately got excited 'FREE STUFF!'...soo we b-line for them...only as we get closer I see men who approach with faces like kids at Christmas time soon are turning away with looks of horror and disgust...Jason reaches out his hand only to retract it about as quickly as he stuck it out...men scatter across the street with their heads down...i giggle in glee...cause I just got a free candy bar that said 'Have a Happy Period! always'