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I recently had a birthday and it gave a chance to again marvel at how well women pick gifts.
I remember my dad telling me about how his girlfriend bought him a gift for some special occasion. For the life of me, I can’t remember what it was, but I do remember him telling me that it was an item he mentioned to her in passing several months before. She remembered this fleeting comment and bought it for him. A similar story, just last year I had a conversation with my mom about how I’d like to get a down comforter. A few months later, she bought me one for Christmas.
Speaking of Mom, she was interested in how my girlfriend would celebrate my birthday. I guess it is telling. My girlfriend, who will from here on out be called Sarah on this blog because that is the pseudonym she picked for herself, asked what I wanted for and to do for my birthday. I really had no idea. I have no imagination for special events unfortunately. That’s why I’m the Beverage Keeper for holidays. I didn’t have any idea on where to eat. Plus, I had to work the night before and this conversation took place just a few hours before I had to report. I’ve had some bland birthdays in the past. Two times in my life I’ve started crappy jobs on my birthday that only lasted a couple of weeks. I worked a twelve hour day shift on my birthday last year. One time, I spent my birthday travelling from Texas to California by personal auto for an army change of duty station.
I picked Sarah up at her house and she greeted me at the door with a gift bag featuring the monkey with a banana hat that you see above. She suggested we eat at Outback Steakhouse where we had a damn good chicken meal. Before eating, Sarah wanted me to look at the gifts she had bought me.
Sarah does have a woman’s keen observation skills when it comes to gift giving. I mentioned that the day before my birthday she had asked me what I wanted. Lately, I have been watching old Columbos on DVD because I thoroughly enjoy them. She has even watched quite a few with me. I already own seasons 1,2,7,8. I told her that I’d like season 3. She visited several different places before she found the box set and gave it to me as a gift. She also bought me two boxes of Milk Duds, my favorite candy. She gave me a cute card of a guy dancing in a hologram.
I have lots of magnets on my refrigerator that I’ve collected over the years. She gave me one that lists interesting trivia from my birth year. Last week, I saw some blank cards with cool designs and pictures at Border’s that I liked when Sarah and I went looking for a cookbook. I didn’t buy them because they were kind of pricey at $3.25 a piece for an impulse purchase. She bought me four of them. She also bought me a couple of postcards, one with a thumbs up she liked and another with a picture of Elvis Presley’s record “Love Me Tender.” She said it reminded her of a story we watched on 17 News about a lady that decorated a high school bathroom with Elvis memorabilia. She also bought me a gift certificate to Starbucks because she knows I like coffee.
These were incredibly thoughtful gifts and it almost made a tough guy like me choke up. I hope that I can get her something(s) later this year that are even a fraction as thought out.
August 1st, 2007 at 10:23
I have no sense of imagination when it comes to gift buying.
Unless I get real lucky and happen to hear the person talk about something they might want, I’m usually at a lost. That’s when the old gift cards (or cash) come into play. At times I wish that I was more imaginative, but after all these years I’ve come to realize that I must work with what I’ve got.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:06
You are right Sonic, women do usually have a better sense for gift ideas. I am one of those “just give ‘em a gift certificate” people…
August 3rd, 2007 at 14:39
Sarah is a lucky girl.
I suck at gift giving too. In the 8 years of marriage full of birthdays, Christmas, Fathers Day, etc… my husband has returned every single thing I’ve ever bought him, OR it’s in the garage, unopened. The past few years we just resort to the good ol’ “whattaya want for your birthday?…. ok well pick it out and go buy it” thing. It’s the only thing that works for us.
ME? I’m easy. Make me dinner. That’s the greatest gift he can give me. For one thing, it gives me a day off from cooking, and second.. he’s a great cook.
August 3rd, 2007 at 16:26
Dinner…now that’s a good idea.
August 18th, 2007 at 18:54
douche
September 25th, 2007 at 18:36
Sonic: Lately, I have been watching old Columbos on DVD
Hillarious…I can picture this. An episode of the Simpsons on the other day had a short gag where Homer was doing a Colombo impression.
My method is to either have something in mind for a while that costs more than I can afford to spend - or - I walk into a Halmark store the day of and seek out a statue that looks right. I’ve done well so far, but most has been me pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
September 29th, 2007 at 15:21
I am one of the few females on earth who hates malls… so shopping for male or female is always a form of chinese torture for me. Usually I’ll do a shirt and tie, or cologne if I’m in a pinch. But usually I will put some thought into it and buy something the guy will use everyday, personalized… maybe a pen set or agenda. The best gift though was one I made to a friend who basically has everything, and was trying to lure a girlfriend of mine into dating him. He was determined to learn to cook, so I bought him a recipe book filled with spanish and argentine recipes for him to learn by her birthday…
He still owes me so big.
October 14th, 2007 at 6:45
Lists. It’s all about lists.
October 21st, 2007 at 17:24
I hate giving gifts. I don’t do well in that regard. Its usually something simple like a gift card to a store that I know the person, male or female will like..for men: Home Depot..for women: The Gap. Shit like that..
She really put a boatload of thought into those gifts..strange as they are.
November 7th, 2007 at 21:00
Dude..whats up?
December 12th, 2007 at 13:41
Dude..we are getting worried about ya..come on post something! ;(