Alien Skies - and you thought I was an earthling!

You would think I Photoshopped it if I just showed you the image, so I took a picture of the camera screen as proof.

Abuse does not go unpunished. I  have never anticipated divine retribution, but after many months of point and shoot abuse, the Canon gods have caught up with me, opening a portal through my LCD screen to a strange new world. I presume the next step will be to physically transport me there if I do not complete the six step recovery program.

1. Acknowledge my problem: I admit, I carried my camera in my pocket, unprotected, with keys, pocket knife and other objects of a typical male pocket.
2. Acknowledge my fall into wayward ways, step by step.
  a. Initially I used my shirt zipper pocket with the camera in a plastic bag, but couldn't get the camera out fast enough, so:
  b. I moved it to my pants pocket, still in plastic bag, but was still missing shots.
  c. I ditched the plastic bag. Better, but this is where I fell into my criminal ways.
  d. Small scratches started appearing on the lcd screen. I thought, ok, they aren't very big. I'll ignore them.
3. Stop the problem behavior: Now, I mostly have the camera in my hand, though it is a little awkward with the hiking poles, and I have a plastic bag in case it rains.
4. Take a status of yourself, to see if things are improving or at least stabilized: No, the scratches are starting to grow. At the present growth rate, they should fill the entire screen in a couple of months.
5. Bite the bullet, ask for help: Open a problem ticket with Canon, send off the camera and six weeks later and $150 later, receive a healed camera, or if it could not recover, an opportunity to buy one of its healed brothers or sisters.
6. If appropriate, Admit past relevant experiences: I did this once before on my Canon 870IS, and fell off the wagon.  

Status Report:
Right now I have completed step 4, but still have to do step 5.