h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hm, what about giving batteries away with a little note saying, "assault not included"?

hehehe, good one too

In my father's case, you can say the gifts are just plain ignorance and cheapness

I think your dad is one of the special people.

oops, simpost!

Perhaps your dad made that jewellery with his own little hands, and presented to his mother one important day? Which would make it doubly important for you.

I was thinking about what kind of case your father's might be. And what it may contain...

*goes back to mode*

Nuts. He's definitely a case containing nuts.

I asked him - there isn't a story to it at all.

*no* story. Of course...

We're talking about the chap who, when his girlfriend was sick in the hospital on her 24th birthday, cheerfully told her: "Well, at least this means there will be no celebration, so I don't have to get you a present!"

belated I *am* sorry for that old girlfriend...

After all, my school graduation present from him was a folding knife, fork, and spoon for camping, "So that you'll have something to eat with when you finally move out from your mother's"

And for my last birthday, I got a book very subtly entitled "The Faithless Vixen" and a note complaining that I *still* get along with Yarreau

He also once gave you a rubber grasshopper for your birthday, but he never explained that one!

That's more explicable. I was still at a rubber grasshopper age

I seem to have been quite lucky in my present history.
Only really odd one was a bright green scarf with matching socks. Quite why one would want ones socks to match ones scarf I still don't know.

And for worst presents a lass I knew at school got a bicycle for christmas one year. However, about 2 weeks before christmas her current bicycle went missing and their garage was off limits and smelled strongly of spray paint. She wasn't fooled (or impressed!).

killed the thread again...

Don't think so, I've just been offline for a while...

I have the hardest time buying presents for grown ups. The ex never really got anything spectacular, I could never think of something he would really love.

And I still have a hard time getting stuff for dad. He did appreciate the gift card at the book shop though, even if I think gift cards can be quite boring...

Mala, your middle sister says to count yourself lucky... she talked to him on the phone yesterday, asking what he was thinking when he sent you that lovely family heirloom as a belated Sinterklaas/Christmas gift. Since he usually sends both of your parcels on the same day, she said, "by the way, my parcel hasn't arrived yet", and he said, "that's because I didn't bother to send you one."

Before anyone thinks we're too hung up on presents - it's just a symptom of a bigger problem

That much is obvious...