Christmas 2005 ~ Share your Best and Worst

[Jade Tigress]

Well everyone, it's done. We spent time with our families and friends, presents are opened, the chaos has ended.

So, what was the best and/or worst gift you got, or what funny family and friends stories do you have to share?

For me, the best gift was a new digital camera. Maybe now I can get some better pics posted in the gallery. I have a lot of reading to do though. It has some pretty neat features if I can figure them all out.

Worst, a sweater from my in-laws that I'll probably never wear along with this comment from my mother-in-law (who, by the way likes me) "I thought you needed something elegant to wear this year instead of something slutty." Okaaaaayyyy....

 

[Rich Parsons]

Well everyone, it's done. We spent time with our families and friends, presents are opened, the chaos has ended.

I like the chaos on the day of opening the gifts , not the chaos of shopping in the stores.

So, what was the best and/or worst gift you got, or what funny family and friends stories do you have to share?

Good Idea

For me, the best gift was a new digital camera. Maybe now I can get some better pics posted in the gallery. I have a lot of reading to do though. It has some pretty neat features if I can figure them all out.

Other than the Nieces and Nephews who wanted to play with the present I gave them. I got a nice Drummel and lots of tools/attachments to go with it.

Worst, a sweater from my in-laws that I'll probably never wear along with this comment from my mother-in-law (who, by the way likes me) "I thought you needed something elegant to wear this year instead of something slutty." Okaaaaayyyy....

OUCH!!!!! to the comment.

No bad gifts, I asked for a Drummel and for some pants and got them. I got a jacket so all was good for me.

The worst for me though is the clean up of my Living room and Dining room I used for gifts and wrapping, that have lots of boxes, and paper and clutter.

 

[Lisa]

Christmas was fun this year. Had my family at my place, so it was nice not to have to drive anywhere. All of my presents were fantastic. "Santa" brought me a one hour massage gift certificate, so I am thinking that is probably my best present.

and SLTL...ummm....:erg:....Next year by her a couple of thongs for Xmas and tell her she needs to spice up her life a bit!

 

[Jade Tigress]

and SLTL...ummm....:erg:....Next year by her a couple of thongs for Xmas and tell her she needs to spice up her life a bit!

I love it! :rofl:

My in-laws are nuts though. Almost forgot this little gem: My daughter gave my son (age 12) a package of temporary tattoos for Christmas. My son loves tattoos. He put a skull and crossbones on his neck (limited exposed skin this time of year lol!). Anyway, we get to my in-laws and they're both like "Oh my God is that a tattoo?! That better not be permanent!" Uh, yeah mom and dad, we got our 12 year old son a skull and crossbones permanently tattooed on his neck since the last time you saw him at Thanksgiving. Give me a break. They're just nuts, LOL!

I like the chaos on the day of opening the gifts

Me too actually. But since I'm the mom, I have to clean up the clutter left behind. It's all good though.

I got a nice Drummel and lots of tools/attachments to go with it.

Nice. I got my husband one he had been wanting a year or two ago. He loves it and finds lots of uses for it, especially with his R/C stuff.

"Santa" brought me a one hour massage gift certificate

Now that's what I'm talking about.
Lucky. *said in Napoleon Dynamite voice*

 

[terryl965]

I really had a great Holiday and the family was together without fighting that was a miracle by itself. As far as gifts goes I spent alot of money on things that will never be used and I spent little money on things that will be used to death, that is how it always goes.
Terry

 

[theletch1]

The theme this year for me was my kitchen. I'm a foodie and everyone in the family knows it. The best for me was probably the Alton Brown cookbook (more like a textbook) "I'm just here for more food" or the Hellig santoku knife...both from Erica. My folks got me a marble mortar and pestle for the kitchen as well as a marble rolling pin. I can't think of a bad gift with the possible exception that my sister came home to visit from SC and brought her husband with her.

 

[Kreth]

Well, I had two favorite gifts. My gf got me the LOTR Special Extended Edition DVD box set. My gf's aunt (a bunch of us did the Secret Santa thing this year) got me a nice handheld blender/chopper/mixer. I've really got into cooking this past year, so it will get a lot of use.

 

[arnisador]

I got a wooden training bolo (machete) I really am enjoying playing with.

From my sister-in-law I got a small metal puzzle box that is of little interest to me.

I got no books this year--kind of a disappointment!

 

[BrandiJo]

haha my best would be my ring...my worst would be some large bag type thing that i would never use

 

[mantis]

ur asking gifts, imma shared a summary of 2005
i lost a job (company got out of business afterwards LOL)
i got a better job
i recovered from a serious sickness
got back to MA world! (thanks to you guys, especially Terry, and 7starmantis)
i survived 2 deadly car accidents
gifts? a new xbox, a bunch of watches, and lots and lots of shirts and cologne bottles! (default gifts)
that's about it

 

[Gary Crawford]

It was a tough one for me,first xmas since the breakup. My son spent the weekend with his Mom(since he lives with me), so I did it alone. The high point was when I recieved a package that an old friend in NY sent to me and was delivered to me at work on Friday. It was a replica of a european broad sword.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I got a wooden training bolo (machete) I really am enjoying playing with.

That is cool.

From my sister-in-law I got a small metal puzzle box that is of little interest to me.

No mathematical relationships you could use in class?

I got no books this year--kind of a disappointment!

I buy mine on ebay and at the store

 

[jdinca]

It was a tough one for me,first xmas since the breakup. My son spent the weekend with his Mom(since he lives with me), so I did it alone. The high point was when I recieved a package that an old friend in NY sent to me and was delivered to me at work on Friday. It was a replica of a european broad sword.

Second one for me. Given the rendition of how things went at her place yesterday, I wasn't sorry I missed it. In fact, I was damned glad to be at work, too! :uhyeah:

Best gift was a book from my sifu for taking lecture notes next year, with a personal note written inside the cover. That and the robo-vacuum!

No real bad gifts but I have zero need for a set of wine tasting glasses. They have no stems and I've already got over a hundred glasses as it is.

 

[Cryozombie]

I really only got 1 gift. It was a C3P0 cookie jar. (scratches head) I dunno either. Dont ask.

I did share in some Absinthe my Nephew brought by, and thats a guilty pleasure of mine when I can afford it which is almost never.

 

[Aikikitty]

Okay...

My best---I've had many great, great Christmas presents over the years that were nearly all inexpensive, but meant a lot to me. It's hard to pick just one so I'll just say that I'm really enjoying my new Animal Crossing game for my DS and as a belated birthday present, a friend in my dojo gave me on Christmas Eve a very nice weapons bag (Bujin design) to hold my bokkens and jo's. I love it!

My worst---My Grammie was always very interesting at Christmas. All her family and friends usually got used stuff (although once or twice I got nice jewelry) that she wanted to get rid of, but not thrown away. Anyway, about 5 years ago, I got a small box containing 2 pastel golf balls! No, I don't play golf. :idunno: Maybe she thought I'd think they were pretty?!?

I thought I won that year's "goofiest present from Grammie" contest, but was just barely beaten out by my cousin who got a broken statue from her!

 

[michaeledward]

About 10 or 12 years back, I did some volunteering at an inner city school. I taught piano to a fourthgrader. He was pretty talented, we work on everything from Billy Joel to Mozart.

At Christmas time, he gave me a present. I really didn't want to accept it, but, you can't really decline. I opened the gift and found three pair of dress socks. I was a bit taken aback; socks! I am sure I did not react well, although I hope I masked my consternation about the gift.

After I had time to process the gift, I was really quite embarrassed at my behavoir. It wasn't an especially poor city, but I am willing to bet that this young man received only clothes for his Christmas presents. Probably clothes you need, like socks and underwear.

Since that year, the only thing that has been on my Christmas list, besides a little humility, is socks and underwear. I sometimes receive other gifts, more extravagent gifts. But never anything that is more dear to me than socks.

And I got some this year, too.

 

[arnisador]

No mathematical relationships you could use in class?

No, but I imagine she thought there were. My daughter is enjoying solving it.

I buy mine on ebay and at the store

I have a huge backlog, but my wife sat down with her new sci-fi book and read it that day, and I was a little jealous!

 

[Floating Egg]

Despite the fact that my family and friends know that I don't celebrate Christmas, they gave me gifts anyway. I decided to place them unopened in storage until later in the year.

 

[mantis]

Despite the fact that my family and friends know that I don't celebrate Christmas, they gave me gifts anyway. I decided to place them unopened in storage until later in the year.

check this out
good thing u brought it up
i do not celebrate them either
but i got gifts from my coworkers which i feel really bad about coz i didnt get them anything
i dont know when and where and how i should give them gifts back!!
whatcha think?

 

[shesulsa]

I've had a few REALLY good Christmases. The best was the Christmas of 1995 (10 years ago) the same year I moved from So. California to Portland, Oregon - no family, two friends, that's it. I was a single mom, poor and barely scraping by. I was going to have to tell my kids that our Christmas was going to be postponed. I was just gearing up for it when the phone rang - a neighbor of mine knew of a local charity group of well-to-do widows and widowers without family who each adopted a family once per year who had trouble during the holidays. The man told me my neighbor had nominated me and my family. He drove me and the children to the toy store. He looked at me and said, "Here's the rules - if you have any personal, political or moral aversion to any toy in this store, get over it. If your children want it, they're getting it. Anything they want, as much as they want. You don't get to say anything." So he bought them a cartful of toys, then took us to the grocery store where he bought a stockpile of food and wrapping paper. I cried for a week and swore that I would pay it back and then pay it forward. I consider it my obligation to continue to perform reasonable acts of kindness and I love doing it. I know what a difference it made for me and for my children and I will absolutely never forget it.

The same year, on Christmas Day, I met my current husband. I was so depressed and hopeless before I went to the party - almost didn't go, but resigned myself to one last shot at dating someone. I left feeling really good and optomistic for the first time in a while. Even though my husband's a really great guy, I think it was more because I faced being social without any interest and put on a good face and managed to have a really good time no matter what.

That would have to be my best Christmas.

I've had a few really bad ones too. The worst one was the first Christmas after my father died. We had spent about 6 months straight helping him fight cancer like he hadn't before - many nights in waiting rooms, chapels .... We had no tree that year, no gifts, no home-cooked meal; we were absolutely miserable and lost. He died in late October right before his birthday, several other family member's birthdays, and the holiday season. I was 19. It was an empty year. I suppose that's the year I felt the importance of cultivating the heart and loving relationships. There was no magical stranger to make that one better, no family to ease the sting, no friends who wanted to have a depressed friend over. What a lonely year.