It's the pragmatic thought...(Q of the W)

     My blog friends Kimberly and Anna have both written amusing posts about gifts their husbands have given them that didn't go over as well as their men hoped.  These posts made me laugh and think about things Brad has given me and what I was planning to give him for his birthday this year. 
     When we were dating, our first Christmas occurred when we'd only known each other for, depending how you look at it, six or two months.  Six months over the phone, and two months in person. So to lower the pressure, or so I thought, we could just exchange treat filled stockings.  For someone who's all about the simple pleasures, this seemed like a easy solution--throw some chocolate, a diet Pepsi, and a People mag in a sock and you have a great gift.

     But over in Indy, Brad suffered through some angst.  He was used to one trip to the jewelry store shopping to find a ta-da fab gift.  However, he knew I thought that was too easy, (not to mention too expensive) and that I wouldn't be floored by sparkle.  So instead he stressed.

     One weeknight he called me, "I can't do this stocking thing, I can't."  You see, he had gone to CVS to buy some hose and stood in front of that display for twenty minutes, his head spinning.  Why hose?  Well, we'd been getting ready for church at his house one Sunday, and he had heard me scream from the guest room--I had a run in the one pair of hose I had packed. He dashed me over to CVS and I grabbed some new ones.  Okay, grabbed is unfair, as I too find that wall of nylon daunting.  (Size, A, B, C, Queen,  color, support, sandal toe, reinforced toe, control top--all caused me to switch full on to tights for most occasions.)
     The thought and effort definitely counted on that one.
     To make a long story short, here's what I wound up with in my stocking that first Christmas together:

two king-sized Three Musketeers

one Vogue Magazine

one Glamour

a note telling me to look in his closet

a note telling me we were going to the mall the next day

     The closet note brought me to a vacuum!  Not romantic?  Sez you! I'd been working on repairing my vacuum, sometimes with his help over the phone, for two months.  The trip to the mall was to Firestone for new brakes, tires, and an oil change.  He wanted me safe for my trips down to Indy.

     All in all, very thoughtful and practical gifts--so me!

     Yesterday was Brad's birthday.  What did I give him?  An IOU.  Yes, Amazon let me down as the gifts weren't delivered in time.  Along with two books, he's getting something he's expressed a desire for in the past, this:

   

     Isn't he blessed with the most romantic wife?  Hearts of Romaine will be dried in here...

     Anyway...all this gift recollecting makes me want to ask: 

What was the lamest gift you've received from any significant other in your life?  Anything you thought was horrid and then came to value?  Anything you just couldn't hide your upset about?  Anything that others would think lame, but instead was your heart's joy (um, like a vacuum or a salad spinner?)

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