christmas morning, i slept in late, leisurely played the stupid game with my family wherein everyone pulls out secret gifts we weren't supposed to buy from closets and under beds and presents them to recipients who dutifully shake their heads and say yearly refrains like, 'i told you not to buy me anything,' or 'you should save your money' while trying to supress the urge to completely rip open the paper around what they're secretly hoping is what they've been hinting at about for the last several months. what a freaking charade. sigh, but without it, christmas just wouldn't be the same. especially because the more i rack my brain to come up with the perfect gift for somebody, the more mild the thank you i get. and when i'm desperately in need for something and take a chance on a potential gift in the shop window, that's when they're overjoyed. i'll never get it.
case in point: i stumbled downstairs to see my brother watching some football recap about the 1985 Chicago Bears (a team he knows a hell of a lot about, considering he was only three during their Superbowl prime).
'you still obsessed with these guys? i mean, you really loved them, but i'm pretty sure you were in diapers back then.
'uh, YEAH. where the heck have you been? i LOVE that team. i'm a real fan. and i was NOT in diapers.'
'yeah, i guess i do remember you running around singing the lyrics to the 'superbowl shuffle in oversized Ray-Ban sunglasses.'
'DUDE, i have that same shirt jim mcmahon is wearing in the interview! he must shop at Target.'
'don't you ever get sick of watching and reading stuff about them?'
'hell no. what's wrong with you? hey, did you know some guy from the newspaper wrote a book about them? hang on, i think it's in the sports section'
'no, i hadn't. is it good?'
'looked pretty solid. here, lemme find that ad for it.' [rummaging through papers]
'okay you do that.' [walking away, smirking]
yeah, i had gotten it for him-- autographed. total last-minute whim purchase, about which i was very unsure.
touchdown!
it totally is better to give than receive, but when those Puma kicks he got for me finally come in the mail, maybe i'll be singing a different tune.
That was a great gift, how did your bro. react?
ReplyDeleteFriend told me, 'if anybody wants to give me a gift that make me happy, just give me sheet music." So I give him sheet music all the time now, and he thinks I spoil him :-D
i think he liked it, but time will tell if he actually gets around to reading it.
ReplyDeleteisn't it great to get just what you ask for?
This year I asked for book tokens and nothing else!
ReplyDeleteI got lots of book tokens in addition to everything else that I usually get for Christmas!
Arghhhhh!
I am sure I will get book tokens every year from now on!
It's like the Liquorice I happened to mention one year! I got so much of the black stuff, I nearly went off it!
It is great to get what you asked for, yes.
ReplyDeleteAnd strangely enough, I was just singing the Super Bowl Shuffle yesterday, out of the blue.
I wonder if Cream is saying that I should hold off on the sheet music? hahaha
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, my friend loves to play the piano so he will enjoy sheet music year in, year out.
I hope.
oh i LOVE this one- this is a total "cadiz-esque" post-
ReplyDeletelove it!!!!!