A Christmas epiphany

vsp · 12-23-2003, 03:17 PM

I am sick and tired of melting my brain cells, desperately trying to think of apt presents for people who don't do much, don't really need much of anything and don't tell anyone what it is that they want for Christmas.

My righteous indignation at this is tempered by the fact that I don't do much, I don't really need much of anything, and I have no idea what to tell other people that I want for Christmas.

And so on.

Griff · 12-23-2003, 03:21 PM

Over the last few years we've done some serious retrenching and whittled our present distribution down to the kids and those few adult relatives who can't understand Christmas without merchandise. Its worked fairly well and you'd be suprised how many folks are looking for a way out.

Griff · 12-23-2003, 03:22 PM

Oh and get everyone a leatherman.

warch · 12-23-2003, 03:41 PM

Food. Everybody gets food.

vsp · 12-23-2003, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Griff
Oh and get everyone a leatherman.

Hey, my family may vacation in Rehoboth Beach, but they don't hang out in THOSE kinds of bars down there...

bmgb · 12-23-2003, 04:16 PM

Over the weekend I was at the gathering for my mother's side, and heard the story of what happened to my Uncle Donnie a few years back. He was grumpy the entire year, and wouldn't say what he wanted for Xmas. Everybody got him chocolate covered cherries. At the end of the day, he had 16 boxes of the things.

He lightened up in later years. (It paid off. This year he got a new hitch for his truck.)

xoxoxoBruce · 12-23-2003, 04:27 PM

I had a tough one but she has a multitude of critters so I went to her Vet and put money on her account. I wish Mom was that easy.

warch · 12-23-2003, 04:51 PM

For all that celebrate (and those that dont for that matter), have a relaxed and peaceful time. Enjoy yourselves. Health and happiness. I'm unplugging for a while, so y'all take care.

ladysycamore · 12-23-2003, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Griff
Oh and get everyone a leatherman.

Which one?

daniwong · 12-23-2003, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Griff
Over the last few years we've done some serious retrenching and whittled our present distribution down to the kids and those few adult relatives who can't understand Christmas without merchandise. Its worked fairly well and you'd be suprised how many folks are looking for a way out.

Griff - this is exactly what my family is now doing. The adults just sit back and drink and be merry. (And eat everything in sight.) Kids are the important part of Christmas for us now. (My Grandmother however still insists on giving me my Christmas money. OH well. I guess. Twist my arm....) Course she always gives it to me two weeks before christmas. So I use it for the kids and buy something special for myself.

elSicomoro · 12-23-2003, 09:13 PM

We only bought for Rho's parents, my parents, my brother and each other.

For that matter, I really didn't buy for anybody per se: Rho is getting a gift cert, my brother bought my mom's present (gave him half the money for that), my mom bought my stepdad's present (gave her half the money for that), I gave my brother $25, Rho's mom is getting a gift cert and Rho's dad is getting an Amex gift cheque.

I'm not a real fan of buying anyone actual gifts. I'd rather give the person $$$ or a gift cert to get something they really want...that way, if they don't like it, it ain't my fault.

wolf · 12-24-2003, 01:36 AM

I was having a conversation about this topic with bruce earlier today ...

I have a constant problem with getting a present for my mom. Maybe it's just something about approaching the 3/4 century mark? Although my mother has much less than everything, she's rather particular about the things she does have ... my sister has the knack of getting "exactly the right thing" which mom uses either until forever, or until the thing is in shreds. She's still using a keychain my sister gave her when she was in junior high.

I'm the "did you keep the receipt" daughter.

My mother is also categorically opposed to doodads. The ones that she has, she has had since Jesus was in short pants and knee socks. Anything new is "something else to dust" although she has occasionally stolen things from me ... like my pewter renaissance faire drinking mug. I'm allowed to take it off the shelf for use, but it has to go back to the tableau after washing and complete drying so as not to mar the furniture. I'll know she's completely taken it over when the "rough spot" on the bottom has one of those green felt thingies stuck to it.

This year I have resorted to the easy way out. Cash. Which is of course WRONG because it shows that I put no thought into the gift, and settled on giving money at the last minute. I am putting it inside a new wallet, but there is a chance that my mom, who is starting into the argumentative, difficulty recalling recent past events stage of senility, will think that it's the fake cash they put into wallets.

*sigh*

Elspode · 12-24-2003, 01:09 PM

Poverty and circumstances have placed me in the terribly poor position of having nothing for my wife, and no time to go get it. Even the hospital gift shop is utterly bereft of anything remotely giftably suitable for her.

I have two very nice gifts coming via online ordering, but they aren't arriving today...

I hope I get off early enough to grab *something*. I mean, we gifted very, very little this year, compared to past years, but she did have some DVDs for me. Of course, we had previously agreed to no gifts whatsoever, so I thought I was abiding by that agreement...

Oh, shit...Xmas is so stressful.

wolf · 12-24-2003, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Elspode
Oh, shit...Xmas is so stressful.

Sounds like you might benefit from talking to slang about his whole stressmas thing ...

elSicomoro · 12-24-2003, 04:18 PM

The only thing that stresses me at Xmas are the fuckheads who bust out their retard act...but I blow it off fairly quickly.

Examples that have occurred in the past 2 days:

--Last night at Tower Records: Some stupid bitch cut in front of me in line.

--This afternoon at Rite Aid: Some asshole was getting mad at a couple of employees b/c of their policy on returns without a receipt.

As a whole though, I don't sweat Xmas. I refuse to let a bunch of people drunk on greed and material items ruin my happy feel-good vibe.

12-23-2003, 03:17 PM	#1
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	A Christmas epiphany I am sick and tired of melting my brain cells, desperately trying to think of apt presents for people who don't do much, don't really need much of anything and don't tell anyone what it is that they want for Christmas. My righteous indignation at this is tempered by the fact that I don't do much, I don't really need much of anything, and I have no idea what to tell other people that I want for Christmas. And so on.

12-23-2003, 03:21 PM	#2
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Over the last few years we've done some serious retrenching and whittled our present distribution down to the kids and those few adult relatives who can't understand Christmas without merchandise. Its worked fairly well and you'd be suprised how many folks are looking for a way out. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-23-2003, 03:22 PM	#3
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Oh and get everyone a leatherman. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

12-23-2003, 04:16 PM	#6
bmgb Master of the Domain Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: MN Posts: 231	Over the weekend I was at the gathering for my mother's side, and heard the story of what happened to my Uncle Donnie a few years back. He was grumpy the entire year, and wouldn't say what he wanted for Xmas. Everybody got him chocolate covered cherries. At the end of the day, he had 16 boxes of the things. He lightened up in later years. (It paid off. This year he got a new hitch for his truck.) __________________ That gun will replace your tongue. You will learn to speak through it. And your poetry will be written in blood. - Nobody

12-24-2003, 01:36 AM	#12
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I was having a conversation about this topic with bruce earlier today ... I have a constant problem with getting a present for my mom. Maybe it's just something about approaching the 3/4 century mark? Although my mother has much less than everything, she's rather particular about the things she does have ... my sister has the knack of getting "exactly the right thing" which mom uses either until forever, or until the thing is in shreds. She's still using a keychain my sister gave her when she was in junior high. I'm the "did you keep the receipt" daughter. My mother is also categorically opposed to doodads. The ones that she has, she has had since Jesus was in short pants and knee socks. Anything new is "something else to dust" although she has occasionally stolen things from me ... like my pewter renaissance faire drinking mug. I'm allowed to take it off the shelf for use, but it has to go back to the tableau after washing and complete drying so as not to mar the furniture. I'll know she's completely taken it over when the "rough spot" on the bottom has one of those green felt thingies stuck to it. This year I have resorted to the easy way out. Cash. Which is of course WRONG because it shows that I put no thought into the gift, and settled on giving money at the last minute. I am putting it inside a new wallet, but there is a chance that my mom, who is starting into the argumentative, difficulty recalling recent past events stage of senility, will think that it's the fake cash they put into wallets. sigh __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-23-2003, 03:41 PM	#4
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	Food. Everybody gets food.

12-23-2003, 04:27 PM	#7
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I had a tough one but she has a multitude of critters so I went to her Vet and put money on her account. I wish Mom was that easy.

12-23-2003, 04:51 PM	#8
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	For all that celebrate (and those that dont for that matter), have a relaxed and peaceful time. Enjoy yourselves. Health and happiness. I'm unplugging for a while, so y'all take care.

12-23-2003, 09:13 PM	#11
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	We only bought for Rho's parents, my parents, my brother and each other. For that matter, I really didn't buy for anybody per se: Rho is getting a gift cert, my brother bought my mom's present (gave him half the money for that), my mom bought my stepdad's present (gave her half the money for that), I gave my brother $25, Rho's mom is getting a gift cert and Rho's dad is getting an Amex gift cheque. I'm not a real fan of buying anyone actual gifts. I'd rather give the person $$$ or a gift cert to get something they really want...that way, if they don't like it, it ain't my fault.

12-24-2003, 01:09 PM	#13
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Poverty and circumstances have placed me in the terribly poor position of having nothing for my wife, and no time to go get it. Even the hospital gift shop is utterly bereft of anything remotely giftably suitable for her. I have two very nice gifts coming via online ordering, but they aren't arriving today... I hope I get off early enough to grab something. I mean, we gifted very, very little this year, compared to past years, but she did have some DVDs for me. Of course, we had previously agreed to no gifts whatsoever, so I thought I was abiding by that agreement... Oh, shit...Xmas is so stressful. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-24-2003, 04:18 PM	#15
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	The only thing that stresses me at Xmas are the fuckheads who bust out their retard act...but I blow it off fairly quickly. Examples that have occurred in the past 2 days: --Last night at Tower Records: Some stupid bitch cut in front of me in line. --This afternoon at Rite Aid: Some asshole was getting mad at a couple of employees b/c of their policy on returns without a receipt. As a whole though, I don't sweat Xmas. I refuse to let a bunch of people drunk on greed and material items ruin my happy feel-good vibe.

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