Wednesday, October 31, 2007

All I want for Christmas is . . .

Gift cards.

I'm telling you, this year it's gonna be gift cards, period.

Every year, I go through the same nonsense with about half a dozen people. They ask me what I want for Christmas. Then there's the whole ridiculous back and forth-- I tell them there's nothing really that I need urgently, they nag me for a list. I give them a list, and they lose it or don't understand how to go about getting it (some of these people just aren't online kind of people, ok?!) and the next thing I know I wind up with a pair of bedroom slippers that resemble elephants . . . that is, if elephants had gray fur and black, beady, rat-like eyes.

It's even worse in reverse. I get a list, do my research with the consumer review websites to get the best model and deal, bust my ass to get people what they told me they want . . . and some of the gifts never get used.

Sigh. It's enough to make me convert to Judiasm some times. Or Jehovah's witness maybe.

So, this year, I'm going to insist on Borders gift cards only. They are only about as ubiquitous as Starbucks, so even the "I don't do online" crowd should be able to get them. End of discussion.