Just thought I'd share my favourite present that I received this year... My parents bought me a new house coat/dressing gown whatever you want to call it. It is a nice blue colour, warm and long - hits the floor. It also has one sleeve longer than the other! One of my mum's friends gave her a scarf. Made from 100% rabbit fur! Mum is not too sure that she likes it - I said, being phillywotsit about it, that its a by-product - people eat rabbit. You eat cow/lamb etc. You wear leather shoes, have leather coat, what's the difference? Tis just bunny tails all joined together - look theirs Thumper's, Peter Rabbit's, Flopsie's, Mopsie's, and Topsie's...irate: the cast of Watership Down... and Bugs Bunny's too! Shuffled out of living room tripping over sleeve of new house coat, avoiding low flying wrapping paper. So to all - what great/funny/crappy presents did you receive?
Wabbit is glaring at me, he's not really convinced about the by-product theory there. I think the best prezzies this year were Little Miss Sunshine on DVD, and a game called Citadelles. I also bought myself a small compact digital camera thanks to a couple of gift vouchers I got and my own money, although it's more of an investment than a pressie, I need something lighter and handier than my wonderful big SLR, especially for the trip(s) to Dublin and sending Reg pics and videos of places I've been or flats to rent... As we can't afford to both go, yet, I want him to have as much info as possible. My parents gave us a big box of fun food, chocolates, biscuits, and so-on, which isn't a bad thing, although it does rather twist our diet a bit... Reg's parents gave us the usual box of crappy chocolates, coffee flavour for two people who hate coffee isn't bad. His grandmother gave us the usual kilo of chocolates each, and bottle of eau de cologne for me, I have added it to the other 6 on top of the bathroom cabinet, I never use the stuff, except sometimes when the loo gets a bit smelly. We have been busily recycling the chocolates, giving them to other people as much as possible, and have reduced the pile in the living room to a couple of boxes of chocs and a box of marzipan.
My best presents were a collectors edition Discworld Calander, and the DVDs 'Persepolis', 'Howl's Moving Castle' and 'Help!' (which came with a reproduction of the script complete with the original notes and doodles) The worst was a swanee whistle that smelt unbearably of naphtaline.
The grown ups didn't really do presents this year , but my nephew did give me a nice holiday fleece top and some chocolate covered cherries and some bath stuff, liquid soap and a squooshy sponge and something called body souffle and a candle that no one in their right mind would even think of burning, it has the wick in a very odd place and is shaped like an angel( no not that odd a place). Just being able to be home with every one was the best thing that happened this year. I would have had such an impossible time even surviving if it wasn't for the support of my family.
To be soppy, I could say that the best present of all this year was that no one died / had been admitted to hospital in the run up to christmas or had just been diagnosed with some deadly life threatening disease. Considering our track record since 1999, that's doing really good. Believe me! But the selfish part of me is jumping up and down and screaming "Tell'em about what your brother and his partner got you!" So I will . I got the most fabulous string of pearls. Me, my mother and my sister got the same thing. They are gorgeous. I love them. I never want to take them off again. Pretty pearls. And since they are probably the only 'real' jewlery I'll ever get from anyone, I feel justified in crowing about them. Cock-a-bleeding-doodle-do! Funnily enough though, my second most-favourite present this year was the fleece pj's and slippers I got from my friend. And then the lovely hand cream from my sister. After that, it was Vouchers ahoy!
You're entitled to be selfish - scream louder! I have heard from quite a few different sources that pearls get/look better the more they are worn, so don't take them off! Magnificent Mazekin in her pretty pearls. I know what you mean Tamyra, 'bout having family around - unfortunately ours has become a bit splintered over the past few years - half of them don't bother with cards. Things will sort themselves out eventually. You've got my mind boggling as to the odd place to put a wick - any chance you can put a pic up for us? Have to ask IgnorMina - what's a swanee whistle? And Katcal - know what you mean about crappy chocolate! I don't get a lot of chocolate at Christmas - everyone knows I'm fussy and spoil me by not buying me any! They know I stock up when its all reduced PS mum not convinced about my reasoning either! I think I mentioned Thumper too many times!
A swanee whistle is also called a slide whistle, it looks like this: and it makes the same sound that Clangers make when they talk. I have no idea what my aunt did to it to make it stink so much! Oh well, at least this year I didn't get awful pink plastic princess jewellery...
So that's what they're called? IgorMina I hate to ask - but I'm a bit con fuddled here: swanee whistle; plastic princess jewellery; Clangers (are they showing it again on TV)? Does your Aunt know how old you are? (I'm assuming your older than 10).
My aunts only seem to know how old I am when I'm actually there in front of them. When I'm not there they seem to revert to thinking that I'm about 7 or something. I actually consider the swanee whistle to be an improvement! Edit: No, as far as I know, the clangers hasn't been on tv for a very long time.
I got a slooooowwww coooookeeeer. Which is great. I've done chili con carne and corned beef in it and it takes 10 hours to cook anything but all you've got to do is chuck it in and turn it on... I've been getting high praise for my cooking for my ability to switch a machine on. If only other things in life were as easy.
So far, the best present also involved an an award given to Brad for the Best Lie to Cover Up a Christmas Surprise. I had no idea my husband was such as bald-faced con man. Or that I was so gullible!* For two weeks prior to Christmas, there was a huge heavy box sitting in our living room - wrapped securely in several layers of gold paper and much scotch tape! When Brad brought it home, he said that it was a foosball table for his former coworker. ("It was on sale! Only $50!" - "Um, are you sure Dan wants a foosball table?" - "Oh yeah, he mentioned it a couple of times!") Goodwife Inna opens mouth to protest, then shuts it again, resolving to remain in the proper Hogswatch spirit, even if it means putting off buying a new computer desk. I mean, it's not like the old one won't last a few months more, provided you don't lean to hard on it, or attempt to move it, or look at it weirdly. Fast forward to Christmas morning. Inna: "Merry Christmas - this is for you! And this. And this" Brad: "Um, I thought we agreed on a price cap. I only got you this book!" Inna: (feeling like total crap for wasting household money and embarrassing husband) "Oh... " Brad: "Thank you, by the way" Inna: "..." Brad: "Merry Christmas" Inna: ..." Brad: "And that big box over there? That's for you!" Inna: "You got me a foosball table?" Brad: (rolls eyes) "Open it!" Inna: (claws open the paper and finds a new computer desk!) "Arrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyoubigliar!!!!!" Brad: "I can't believe you thought I'd buy Dan a foosball table! I mean, that's the guy who took my old job!" Inna: (beats up Brad, with his consent) :smile: *Despite years and years of accumulated evidence!
I got a helicopter, which is my best present ever, but I crashed it on the first flight and need to replace a rotor-blade before it will fly again.
Typical. Helicoptors need better instruction manuals... 1. Press button 2. when rotors are going fast enough take off 3. Don't fall out of the sky once you are airborne 4. If you do fall out of the sky it is not the manufacturers fault Although as your helicoptor was probably made in China the instructions wouldn't be nearly so grammatically correct.
I spent the last week or so before Christmas working feverishly on a pop-up book that sister H and I were making for Sister A. I knew H was rather pressed for time because she was also making a book for our mum and a CD for someone else, as well as having about five different pieces of calligraphy to get done before Christmas. On Christmas Day, I discovered that she had also been working with A on a book for me! (If you remember Janet and Allan Ahlberg's Jolly Postman books, something along those lines.) The level of care they put into every detail was amazing.
My favourite present would be the Darwin Awards Omnibus that my girlfriend gave me. There are some real gems in it like: --- Note: 6. may offend some peoples sensibilities. 1.The death of a man called Smokey from being shot with 3 cigarette butts to the heart. 2. Six people died trying to save chicken stuck down a well (the chicken survived). 3. The workers who cut a circular hole in the floor while standing in the middle of the circle. Eight storey’s up with no harnesses. 4. The Aussie who put a firecracker up his bum. 5. The man who kicked a male brown bear between to legs to see if it was a boy or girl. It was a boy. 6. And finally the man with a shotgun to the testicles fetish. Bam! --- I also was given a load of DVDs: Hero's S1, Supernatural S2, House S3, Seinfield S8 & S9 and Afro Samurai. Lots of fun.
In all honesty, I can tell you, if someone tried to kick me between the legs if I was a brown bear...scratch that, no matter if I were human or bear, male or female, they would end up like that man did.
Maljonic got me some DVDs, which was lovely because I never buy DVDs for myself because I feel guilty spending money on them.
