Good Gifts, Bad Gifts
As some of you know, my birthday is in a few days. I was just thinking of the gifts that I have received over the years and which ones were memorable because they were good and which were memorable because they sucked so very, very badly.
The only person I knew who ever consistently gave me really awesome gifts was my sister. She knew what was cool and what I liked and gifted accordingly. One of the more memorable things she gave me was a pair of dinosaur feet bedroom slippers that made roaring and smashing noises. My mother *really* hated those as she thought they were a waste of money. If I liked them and they made me happy, then they were not a waste of money.
Another memorable gift was from my sister's friends who lived down the hall in her building. They themselves were memorable as one was a former high fashion model and her husband had won the NY state lotto. Anyway, they were both quite the characters and they gave me Warcraft 3 as a gift. Pretty cool as they were mainly my sister's friends and more or less just acquaintances with me.
My parental units on the other hand, give craptastical gifts. The momster likes to give things that are "practical" such as bras that are not my style or things that are her taste. She thinks that she is the ultimate gift giver, though. She will also buy expensive electronics for me on occasion, but if I try to move out of the house, I am not allowed to take them with me because 'she bought them'. I'm fairly sure that's not how gift giving works.
The dadster is probably the worst gift giver as he is such a cheapskate and somehow thinks that I'm perpetually 10 years old. When I was 28, he gave me a reflector telescope, which would have been a nice gift, except he had it hanging around his mother's house for maybe 10 years, decaying in the humidity, and by the time I got it, the mirror was corroded so badly that the whole telescope was useless. Another time he gave me some horrible piece of crap "cuckoo clock" that he got from some crappy mail order in Parade magazine. WTF? If it was an actual Bavarian one that was nice it would be a WTF? as in WTF would I want with a freakin' cuckoo clock? But it was even worse than that as it was a very cheaply made thing, made from thin press board that was laminated with fake wood and had pasted-on pictures of cats on it. And to make matters worse, the "clockwork" was electronic and battery operated. Oy.
I really hate bad gifts. I hate when people waste money on crap. I'd rather have the cash even if you only feel I'm worth spending $5 on. It's insulting to get crap. It tells me you don't know me at all and have no clue as to my likes and dislikes.
The only person I knew who ever consistently gave me really awesome gifts was my sister. She knew what was cool and what I liked and gifted accordingly. One of the more memorable things she gave me was a pair of dinosaur feet bedroom slippers that made roaring and smashing noises. My mother *really* hated those as she thought they were a waste of money. If I liked them and they made me happy, then they were not a waste of money.
Another memorable gift was from my sister's friends who lived down the hall in her building. They themselves were memorable as one was a former high fashion model and her husband had won the NY state lotto. Anyway, they were both quite the characters and they gave me Warcraft 3 as a gift. Pretty cool as they were mainly my sister's friends and more or less just acquaintances with me.
My parental units on the other hand, give craptastical gifts. The momster likes to give things that are "practical" such as bras that are not my style or things that are her taste. She thinks that she is the ultimate gift giver, though. She will also buy expensive electronics for me on occasion, but if I try to move out of the house, I am not allowed to take them with me because 'she bought them'. I'm fairly sure that's not how gift giving works.
The dadster is probably the worst gift giver as he is such a cheapskate and somehow thinks that I'm perpetually 10 years old. When I was 28, he gave me a reflector telescope, which would have been a nice gift, except he had it hanging around his mother's house for maybe 10 years, decaying in the humidity, and by the time I got it, the mirror was corroded so badly that the whole telescope was useless. Another time he gave me some horrible piece of crap "cuckoo clock" that he got from some crappy mail order in Parade magazine. WTF? If it was an actual Bavarian one that was nice it would be a WTF? as in WTF would I want with a freakin' cuckoo clock? But it was even worse than that as it was a very cheaply made thing, made from thin press board that was laminated with fake wood and had pasted-on pictures of cats on it. And to make matters worse, the "clockwork" was electronic and battery operated. Oy.
I really hate bad gifts. I hate when people waste money on crap. I'd rather have the cash even if you only feel I'm worth spending $5 on. It's insulting to get crap. It tells me you don't know me at all and have no clue as to my likes and dislikes.
posted by Xul at 12:42 AM
20 Comments:
I fairly sure that's not how gift giving works.
No, it doesn't. Unless your a kid. Which you're not.
I want with a freakin' cuckoo clock?
Maybe he figured you like to collect curiosities?
No, hm? Nah. :/
I really hate bad gifts.
I have given up hope in other people being able to give me birthday gifts that I like. I just don't care anymore.
Not that I didn't appreciate yours... ;P
It tells me you don't know me at all and have no clue as to my likes and dislikes.
So, no pressure then. :P
I think I said this last year as well but you should give yourself a nice birthday gift.
I just don't care anymore.
I mostly don't care anymore.
I *have* had people be thoughtful when gift giving, it's just rare, and unfortunately, they are not in my life any longer. :/
Not that I didn't appreciate yours... ;P
Aw, c'mon now, ya can't say that wasn't just a *little* bit good. ;P
you should give yourself a nice birthday gift.
What I want would land me in jail if I did it myself. :/
You can probably guess that QoH is pissing me off to the Nth degree today. She's a nasty piece of work.
Earlier, I swear to God she was putting some kind of bad juju on me. I could feel my heart start beating erratically just from having to suffer with listening to her drone on and on with her usual bullshit and I just had to stop what I what I was doing and physically remove myself from her presence. Now I know why my dad had a heart attack at such a young age--putting up with her will do it. Now that I receive the full brunt of her insanity on a daily basis, I completely understand. Not that he isn't nuts on his own, she just exacerbates it 1,000 fold. :/
Anyway, don't stress about a B-day gift for me(yeah, no pressure after a ranty post about bad gifts ;P).
Never ending aggravation from QoH today.
She is always bitching that I 'never do anything' and always bitching that the trees need to be trimmed(because she is paranoid that a hurricane will come along and 'blow them right out of the ground') so stupid me, in an effort to appease her and *maybe* shut her the fuck up for 5 minutes, dragged out the pole saw and ladder to cut 3 tall branches off the avocado tree. But could she leave me alone to do it? Oh fuck no! So a job that should have taken me less than an hour to complete took me 3 hours and I only managed to cut 1 branch due to her micromanaging, name-calling, baiting, provocation, and general nastiness.
And to add insult to injury, I had taken a corned beef out of the freezer and had it thawing in a pot of water, thinking that it would only take me less than an hour to do the tree trimming and then I'd come back in and cook the corned beef.
Of course, that plan got fucked to hell. QoH had to come back out and scream at me that the meat has been defrosted and is rotting on the counter(always one for the hyperbole)and that she *had* to start cooking it or we'd *never* eat tonight. Well, the fucking bitch had the fire on so damn low that it wouldn't get finished before way late, so when she went out back to water her stupid plants after I had finished and came back inside, I went ahead and put the carrots in, waited 15 minutes and took them out, and then put the potatoes in. In the mean time, she comes back in for something and checks the pot and sees the potatoes in there and then has a rage-fest that the reason the meat is not done is because I put the potatoes in. The fact that she had the fire too low had nothing to do with that, of course. No, it's all *my* fault because I dared to at least have part of the meal finished. Ugh. Can't win with that one. Never mind the fact that the last time I made corned beef I cooked the meal *the exact same way* meaning that I cooked the veggies with the meat during the last half hour of cooking time and QoH said it tasted good. She just likes to fault-find and have something to argue about. BTW, she put too much water in the pot and it diluted the seasonings. :/
Okay, here's one that'll make you go O.o
I shit you not, QoH just got into an argument with me over which direction the sun sets. For some reason, she thinks that if you are in Massachusetts, you would have to look south to see the sun set. I told her that the sun still sets in the west regardless of which state you are in. She said that if the sun sets in the west, and you are facing the west, then you should still have to look south. I have no words. (and don't argue the semantics of latitude, I'm not going there, the sun still sets in the general direction of the west if you are not at the poles)
having to suffer with listening to her drone on
Have you tried listening to loud music through earphones? That usually works for me.
physically remove myself from her presence
Yep, that works as well. ;)
So a job that should have taken me less than an hour to complete took me 3 hours
"Why Mr. Anderson? Why do you persist??" ;P
Can't win with that one.
"A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess? " ;P
and don't argue the semantics of latitude
That's probably what she meant though? In Massachusetts you're not looking in a "pure West" direction but in a South-West direction.
BTW, "fuck" count = 4 ;P I gather Ma Nature hasn't gone yet? (I kid! I kid! :D ;P )
Have you tried listening to loud music through earphones?
That wouldn't work, as she neeeeds me to listen to her.
you're not looking in a "pure West" direction but in a South-West direction.
No, it was more retarded than that. In her mind, the sun sets over the Gulf of Mexico, so you would have to look out a window facing south to see it. ::facepalm:: Cuz like, the sun isn't some huge thing that you can see from different latitudes. O.o
I gather Ma Nature hasn't gone yet?
She is long gone and has nothing to do with me cussing like a sailor. I don't get PMS or any of that crap.
Anyway, only a minor flare-up with QoH today. She accused me of adding to the hoard in the spare bedroom and 'blocking the door'. Hmm, I seem to remember *someone* bitching about the grout in my bathroom floor being 'filthy' and that the 'only' thing that will clean it is the steam cleaner(which was buried in the spare bedroom hoard and I had to un-bury it which required moving crap around). So stuff being moved around meant that I put more stuff in there. ::facepalm::
Then she didn't want me to put the steam cleaner back in its box where I had uncovered it. Nooooo!!! I had to dig out the box and put it all downstairs in the basement hoard. :/
Anyway, she is in a slightly better mood now as I made crepe skins a while ago. I make crepe skins like a French woman. ;P Crepe-making is one of my superskillz. ;D
She of the sweet-tooth opened a can of cherry filling for hers and I made some delicious crab meat ones with a béchamel based sauce. They were yummy-noms. :)
I'll probably make some spinach ones, too.
she neeeeds me to listen to her
So what would happen then?
so you would have to look out a window facing south to see it
I am baffled by this explanation.
I don't get PMS or any of that crap.
So there's no correlation between how bad altercations between you and your mother get and getting your period? It seems like there should be *some* effect. :/
So stuff being moved around meant that I put more stuff in there.
A reasonable explanation.
she is in a slightly better mood now as I...
So, how obsessed are you exactly with getting her in a good mood?
Given that your mother depends on you for basically everything, you should be in complete control of the situation at your home. It's like your mother brainwashed you into thinking that you're not. You're stronger than her in every way I can imagine and yet she dominates you. Maybe I'm wrong and you're actually weak-willed. :/
I know you pride yourself on being able to deal with your mother in a reasonable way but there is such a thing as being too reasonable, you know?
Anyway, have a nice weekend. :)
So what would happen then?
An escalation of screaming and yelling and nastiness.
I am baffled by this explanation.
When she came and posed that question/statement to me I was just sort of dumbfounded and at a loss for words. It's like arguing that the sky is purple and the sun is green when it is clearly not, but she is insisting that it is. It's like being in bizarro world. Then, as if by magic, someone at the PD Forum had the best explanation, which I lifted in its entirety:
Re: At some point you have to stop trying to understand PD's
For a pd-disordered person, conventional logic is absent and their perceptions rule. Everyone else is expected to conform to that "dis-logic", without challenge or question, or face the wrath or disappointment or dismissiveness of the pd-person. It's like "Alice in Wonderland": up is down, left is right, black is white, so long as the pd-disordered person believes it so. Only one opinion, only their expectations, what matters to them is only their viewpoint.
So there's no correlation between how bad altercations between you and your mother get and getting your period?
No, as I don't start shit with her. She's the one who is always yelling, acting crazy, etc. I try to avoid it as much as possible, but there is only so much I can take before I say something back, that's when she escalates things. She can't handle the loss of control and she will fight like crazy to beat me back into submission(figuratively speaking, although twice now she's gone physical).
So, how obsessed are you exactly with getting her in a good mood?
Not at all. Even if I was silent, compliant, and totally capitulated to her wants, needs and desires, whether stated or not, it still would not be enough. She wants a robot/slave who will fulfill all her wants, desires, and needs without being a person with her own wants, needs, desires, etc.
Since I cannot do any of that, she'll never be happy, since I cannot control her happiness or emotions, even though she claims that *I* make her do, say, act the way she does. I wish I was capable of such mind control--I certainly wouldn't waste that kind of ability on "making" her rage and act like a loony. :/
It's like your mother brainwashed you into thinking that you're not.
Bingo. Having a raging PD beating me into submission my whole life tends to have that effect. It's like living with a Borg--you *will* be assimilated. It's just easier to go along with whatever she wants than to always deal with a fight and mental beat-down. You should see the look she gets on her face if I don't do something she wants or defy her in some way. It's like she's demon possessed with her eyes bugging out of her head and the snarling and getting in my face with her threats. Ya know, **lightbulb** moment--the last time she did that, I just looked at her like she was completely mental and told her that whatever she planned to do to me, just do it now, I didn't feel like waiting. That's when she tried to choke me. Defiance leads to escalation.
And ya know I heard her talking to Stasi on the phone, telling him that *I'm* the one who provokes her and basically *I* do everything she does to me.
Basically, her definition of provocation is different than everyone else' definition. Provocation to her is if I'm not doing or saying exactly what she wants when she wants it.
there is such a thing as being too reasonable, you know?
Yeah, I was just reading a thread on the PD Forum about how you cannot be reasonable with the unreasonable.
Anyway, have a nice weekend. :)
I'll try. What are you up to, BTW?
Okay, enough of QoH and her BS for now...lets talk about what awesome cooking skillz I have! ;P
I made myself some spinach crepes today that were super delicious. I modified a recipe that I found on the internet. I can turn a meh recipe into something good. :)
I just now finished making cabbage rolls. Once again, I modified a recipe, well, borrowed elements from 2 different recipes and made the things better than a Bubeleh could do. Go me! Woot!
I think for my B-day I'm going to make myself my famous baked ziti and perhaps a cake with butter cream frosting.
So I can cook, I like sports, beer, and am in pretty good physical shape. I should have peeps banging down my door for a date. ;P
Defiance leads to escalation.
You're so screwed. Seriously, you need to prepare for evacuation. :)
.lets talk about what awesome cooking skillz I have!
You have awesome cooking skillz. :)
baked ziti and perhaps a cake with butter cream frosting.
If you're going to bake that cake then please send a pic. I'd love to see it.
I should have peeps banging down my door for a date.
Probably, yes. If they knew where you live.
What are you up to, BTW?
Just the usual stuff. Some gaming, some programming. I guess I'll buy a birthday card tomorrow and write some good wishes on it. I can't actually physically send it to you, unfortunately. Oh, well.
You're so screwed.
Yup, and not in a good way.
If you're going to bake that cake then please send a pic. I'd love to see it.
To do it right, I'd have to bake it after QoH goes to bed, because I'd need to dig out the pastry bag and star tips from her cake/icing-making stash, and I don't need a fight over a damn cake. :/
I can't actually physically send it to you
You could if you had an address, but I guess it's a little late for that. Then, if QoH got to the mail first, there would definitely be a fight over *that*. I'm truly amazed that I managed to get 2 Dead Pool winnings from England and a giant parcel from Canada with my arctic quiz winnings without her knowing.
Anyhoo, have fun with the gaming. :)
I think I can say that I know how to play chess now, not that I'm particularly good at it. :/
and not in a good way.
So clockwise rather than counter-clockwise?
Sorry, I only have lame puns left... :/
I don't need a fight over a damn cake.
OTOH there's something appealing about a food fight. It's one of those things of which a video recording *could* go viral over the internet. ;P
...and lame jokes.
Ah, damn.
I know how to play chess now, not that I'm particularly good at it.
"Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe" ;)
Not that you're a gnat (tiny brain), or an elephant (Huge ass. Yes, I know elephants don't play chess with their asses).
Anyway..., would you like to play a game sometime?
without her knowing.
Yeah... how did that happen again?
Ah, there's my sexy if not corny manimal...I'd show you clockwise, counterclockwise, and what to do with that cake. ;P
would you like to play a game sometime?
Are you asking me on a chess date? ;P
Anyway, I found the pasty bag and star tips, it just seems like a lot of trouble to go through, cuz..ya know, once I start something, I just can't half-ass it. It'll turn into something elaborate, complete with dragon pics and frosting flowers. ;)
So, did your local pagans do anything special the other night? or do you even have local pagans who do stuff? ;P
manimal
Manimal? Really? ;P
Are you asking me on a chess date?
Would that need to include a chess dinner and a chess movie? ;P
complete with dragon pics and frosting flowers
Hey, you go, girl!! ;)
did your local pagans do anything special the other night?
Ah, the streets were drenched in lambs blood. It's such a nuisance every year. ;P
I assume you zealously performed your naked dance rituals in the pale moonlight?
Manimal
LOL I forgot about that. ;) Hey, you *did* say you turned into a werewolf... ;P
Would that need to include a chess dinner and a chess movie? ;P
I thought you were the one asking me? Shouldn't you have all that worked out? ;P
BTW, are you trying to psychically put your juju in my head while I sleep at night? Such dreams...dayum! LOL ;P ;D
I assume you zealously performed your naked dance rituals in the pale moonlight?
Nah, there was only a thin crescent moon the other nigh IIRC, and the mosquitoes would have me drained dry if I tried that. ;P
I have looked up some frosting recipes which look easy enough, and also some cake recipes. I have a couple chocolate cake mixes in the cabinet, though. I might just get lazy and make one of those. I'm not sure how chocolate cake with butter cream frosting will taste. :/
If I am not mistaken (and I do make lots of mistakes!) today is your birthday. So here's a Happy Birthday! to you and don't forget to check your mail. ;)
Shouldn't you have all that worked out?
I wish. Nah, you know me, right?
are you trying to psychically put your juju in my head while I sleep at night?
I can not be held responsible for what my sub-conscious does. The juju wants what the juju wants. ;P
I'm not sure how chocolate cake with butter cream frosting will taste.
I'm gonna go with 'good' or even 'great'. Just a wild guess. :P
But seriously, how did the cake turn out?
We had some flapjacks in honour of your birthday BTW. My parents didn't know that, but I did. ;)
So here's a Happy Birthday!
Thanks! I shall check my mail later when QoH is not stalking about.
Hey, a minor miracle occurred...the dadster sent me a card as is his habit, but this time, he actually included a money in it! :O
Anyway, QoH has to renew her driver's license this year before her B-day(before July)and she is all in a panic and thinks that they are going to make her take the written test again(they don't, when I had to renew mine a couple years ago because the govt changed the law requiring more ID documents, I only had to get a new pic taken)she made me look up online where she can get a driver's handbook. They have them on PDF, but since QoH is computer and technology phobic, she wanted to go up to the licensing office to get a handbook yesterday. I think it's the first time she has ever left the house before 5pm to do anything, but I digress. Anyhoo, the office is across the street from where the Walmart and Sam's club is, so after I got her the stupid handbook, naturally, we had to go to Walmart and Sam's(thankfully, she was in such a rush to get to the DL office before they closed, she didn't put on make-up and refused to get out of the car LOL so I got to shop in peace ;P) So long story to get to this point, I managed to find a nice pair of Speedo sandals in my size, so I bought those as a B-day gift to myself. :)
BTW, I had to schedule QoH's DL appt online, and I noticed yesterday when I was looking up the office hours that that particular office(a different one than we went to yesterday)doesn't do written or driving tests. ;P I'm not even going to bother telling QoH that as it will no doubt open a whole new can of worms. :/
I can not be held responsible for what my sub-conscious does.
Your subconscious is pretty hot is all I'm sayin'. ;D
But seriously, how did the cake turn out?
QoH actually went to bed a little earlier than usual, so I had plenty of time to make a cake from scratch. I made a white cake, but only did half the amount called for in the recipe, so the cake was small. I didn't do the butter cream as it called for cooking it and I didn't want to be bothered, so I made a different frosting that still had butter in it. It turned out tasting like the frosting they use on petit fours as it had a touch of almond extract as well as vanilla extract. The only thing is, it is quite possibly the sweetest frosting I've ever tasted and it could probably make half the town diabetic. ;P
So! I kinda screwed it all up when I got the brilliant idea that I wanted to tint the frosting 'Dark Magic Purple'. I got the amounts of food coloring wrong(as I wasn't measuring and accidentally slopped it in)so the color came out a gunmetal grey color. :/
By then, it was getting late and I didn't care. I frosted the cake with it anyway, and it kinda looked like a tombstone. LOL Anyway, it tasted good so that's what matters. It was the very first time I ever attempted to make a cake from scratch, frosting included, so it wasn't a total failure. The coloring fail was mainly due to me getting impatient because of how late it was. Next time, I'll be careful with the food coloring and mix the colors until they are right *first* instead of dumping them directly into the frosting. :)
The cake has been hidden in the fridge downstairs, so QoH is unaware of its existence. *This* house elf leaves no trace of midnight baking. :)
he actually included a money in it! :O
Was it a lot?
I managed to find a nice pair of Speedo sandals
Are those for wearing inside or for outside?
I'm not even going to bother telling QoH that as it will no doubt open a whole new can of worms. :/
She'll be so busy studying that she won't have time to bother you. :)
it kinda looked like a tombstone.
That's a bit ominous, a tombstone on your birthday... but hey, as long as it tastes good, who cares? :)
Was it a lot?
Not really. If I added a few bucks to it, I could buy one of the cheaper models of the type of watch I was looking at in Walmart, certainly not enough for an automatic. :/
Are those for wearing inside or for outside?
Either. They are black with hot pink where the sole of your foot touches, so they'd probably get dirty if worn out in the yard. I'm going to save them for "dress up" kinda occasions.
I have 3 other similar pairs of the Speedo brand--one is totally trashed and I wear those out in the yard, the other two are getting the worn look even though they are still semi-presentable for going out.
She'll be so busy studying that she won't have time to bother you. :)
I caved and told her. :/
Her whining about having to study was getting on my nerves. :(
a tombstone on your birthday...
It kinda has a purple tint to it. :/
Anyway, I was doing some reading and the subject matter got depressing, then I kinda felt bad that I was sitting home reading--alone--on my birthday, so to make myself feel better, I made myself a large vodka and tonic. It made me feel kinda fuzzy, but then I had to get up in the middle of the night to pee and my mouth felt gross and tasted worse. I'll not be doing *that* again before bed. :/
Anyhoo, you card was the highlight of yesterday. It was pretty. :)
not enough for an automatic
You mean a self-winding watch?
so to make myself feel better, I made myself a large vodka and tonic.
Purely intuitively, I'd say that that's not a great idea.
It was pretty. :)
I'm glad you liked it.
Hey, if your computer can play MIDI files then I could send you some "music" that I "composed" about 10 years ago. I was having a look at the contents on an external hard-drive when I ran into them. I'd completely forgotten about those files.
Got any weekend plans BTW?
You mean a self-winding watch?
Yes. I haven't seen one that I'm crazy about, though. All the ones a Walmart have the 'skeleton' face(gears are visible)and it's difficult to read the time IMO. I've seen some nice looking automatics on the TV shopping channel, but they are the HUGE ones that some men like wearing. I think the size I'm looking for is 35mm. Black face, chronometer, automatic, nice looking bracelet. I don't ask for much. ;P
Purely intuitively, I'd say that that's not a great idea.
Correct. Gin would have been preferable, but I have none on hand. :/ ;P
Hey, if your computer can play MIDI files then I could send you some "music" that I "composed" about 10 years ago.
I'd like that. :) I *think* ye olde computer will play MIDI. Go ahead and send 'em. Won't hurt to try.
Got any weekend plans BTW?
I hope I'll be able to watch the 2 hour season finale of OUAT on Sunday. I'm glad they are doing it back to back instead of stretching it out for 2 weeks. I think there's some awards show next week so they didn't want to have a 2 week gap between the last 2 episodes.
Anyway, I think they are going to do something whack and stupid and I'll be pissed. They had this whole thing about what the WW had planned to do, and it got thwarted, but then somehow tweaked and then enacted. I'm ***really*** tired of the show getting sent to some new land at the end of each season. It's getting really old. It would be nice if everyone could just chill a while and live their lives. Peeps generally have enough drama with day to day things, we don't need the constant McGuffin chases and retcons and stupid shit all the time.
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