GIFT CARDS: Enjoying the generosity of my friends and family

I found myself disagreeing with a writer the other day who claimed that gift cards are somehow a more gracious present than cash. I find both more than acceptable, but I will say I'm having fun spending the gift cards I received for Christmas. The Wawa one took care of two tanks of gas; the Giant one paid for a week and a half's groceries. With the L.L. Bean one I replaced a lost gym skirt (that one will be an unsolved mystery for the ages) and a worn-out pair of their Wicked Good slippers (bald patches are fine for the Velveteen Rabbit, but not for slippers in a 60-degree house). And I know I'll have no trouble spending the cards for the Foxy Loxy and the Half-Moon, either.