To everyone who wrote in with offers of systems and games, etc: I received so many responses that it would have been impossible to write everyone back personally, so I'll take this opportunity to tell everyone thank you. Due to the huge response they will be well taken care of on the games front. But if you still want to help out this holiday (or any time for that matter), please consider donating to Child's Play or another of the many well deserving charities out there.

I spoke with Rachel (the waitress) personally this morning and she wanted me to thank everyone for all their kindness and well wishes. She said she will be sending some pictures from Christmas morning that I will be sure to post as soon as I get them.

Happy Holidays, all!

The outpouring of emotion, support and goodwill towards this woman whom none of you have met is nothing short of amazing. It really gives me renewed faith not only in the gaming community, but in the world in general. I will be sure to give you all an update once the delivery has been made and hopefully I can even get some photos.

Once again, thank you one and all.

On this particular day, I happened to be wearing my Reggie-as-a-muscle-guy Wii t-shirt that came out at launch last year. We sat down and when our waitress came out she immediately noticed my shirt. "Oh, the Wii!" she exclaimed. "Do you know what that is?" I said that I did and she went on to tell a tale that still has me thinking about it nearly two weeks later.

She said that her 23 year old son wanted a Wii for Christmas, wanted it more than anything in the world. He had contracted Spinal Meningitis at the age of four and was paralyzed down one entire side of his body. In an effort to get her son his game system, she borrowed $200 from her boss against her pay so she would be sure to be able to get him one by Christmas. "Do you know where you are going to get it?" I asked. I didn't want to disappoint her by saying there was a Wii shortage. She was so earnest in her conviction to get one that I just couldn't bear to tell her. "I don't know where I'm going to find one, but I'll find it. He's such a good boy and he really deserves this." Having had Spinal Meningitis when I was 20 and only just barely escaped death (I was in a coma for three days) I knew what a horrible and painful experience it was, although thankfully I received no long standing after effects.

I spent the rest of the meal on my iPhone, trying to hunt down anywhere that had Wii's in the immediate area, but to no avail. When we left, I used my various stops on the remainder of the trip trying to track one down in hopes that perhaps I could find one and send it to her, but predictably everyone was sold out. Returning to work and looking at all the reports of the shortages left me more convinced that finding one may be an impossible feat.

So, if anyone out there has a line on Wiis, please feel free to email me as I am more than willing to pay for it myself. I am bound and determined to make sure this hard working and dedicated mother gets a Wii for her son. For me, this is what the holidays are all about.

Upon entering I ordered my memory soaked breakfast and looked around to see a McDonalds branded Gamecube gaming station in the middle of the restaurant. Now, once again I never eat fast food so for all I know this could be a staple of McDs everywhere, but this was the first I'd seen of it. It had four separate sides, each emblazoned with a different McDonalds character including my favorite unclassifiable purple blob, Grimace. I got a little closer hoping to see what kind of games they had and maybe even play a round of something. Unfortunately it was all turned off so I started taking photos of it for posterity. Looking through my lens at the controllers I saw a site that made me reconsider that McMuffin.

The controller was the filthiest thing I had ever seen. Now, bear in mind that I had been in a myriad of truck stop bathrooms in my journey across the country, but these controllers were the worst by far. Just looking at them made me go immediately wash my hands about six times. Back in the U-haul I prayed that they payed closer attention to cleaning the rest of the place than they did to that game station as I bit into my surprisingly tasty greasy breakfast.

So, word of warning for all you intrepid traveling gamers: if you decide it would be a good idea to play some games on a McDonald's game station, check that controller before you touch it or at least carry along a gallon jug of hand sanitizer and a box of wet wipes. You'll need them.