Who's at the door? Oh, it's a gift of some sort!

The doorbell rings on a Sunday afternoon.  Who could that be?  Is it a package?

Well....kind of.

My wife answers the door, and she sees a white SUV pulling away out of our cul-de-sac. 

She brings in the goodies - a bright yellow gift bag and a box of 12 Shiner Bock longneck bottles.  What the...?

"It's for you, apparently - from Melissa Grant?", she says.

She sets it in front of me at the kitchen table.  What's in the bag?  Looks like it's a pair of University of Texas socks, along with three cans of Pringles, in assorted flavors. 

Why the heck not?

I look at the note on the gift bag itself and it begins to make more sense.  It says it's from the "Jacked!" crew AND Melissa Grant.  The usual suspects surface in my mind - Slaybaugh, Hanson, Heindel, Hall, and (of course) Grant.

But how did it get here?  I ask Elaine Hanson first, but she is coy and secretive.  I finally figure out that Amanda has a local friend who did the actual shopping and the delivery. 

The socks have a special meaning that goes back to December, when Melissa had a house fire.  The Pringles are an inside joke.  The beer....well, it's beer.  Why do you need an explanation for good beer?

This furtive delivery and its contents remind me that I have real friends who care about me here on ActiveRain, not just faceless names on a screen.  This is a condolence gift for the recent loss of my friend David.  Lest you think that this is inappropriate, let me assure you that this is likely the most appropriate gift I could have received from this group of friends.  Funny, festive, and a little "off", just like they are (as am I).

I appreciate this gesture, and the logistical preparation that went into getting this on my doorstep.  It demonstrates a thoughtfulness that goes well beyond mere networking.  Thanks, guys (or gals and one guy, anyway)!