This is the first time since I was a kid that I'm looking forward to Christmas. Because I will have two whole days off in a row, hurrah! Bring it on!
It's just the present buying that is a thorn in my side.Specifically, buying presents for my dad, thinking of two things (as his birthday is near Christmas.) Women are easy to buy for. Men are hard. I've asked my stepmother for help every year and every year she says vaguely 'oh get him some socks.'
Men, what do you want?
About pretension
1 week ago
There are only two things I buy for my dad: whisky and books. The whisky is whatever single malt's on offer at the time and whenever I talk to my dad he mentions about ten books he's interested in.
ReplyDeleteIf only my husband drank whisky or read books other than highly specialised ones. I have to buy him very expensive antique china. I sympathise with you, Annie.
ReplyDeleteTo be understood. But I've learned to settle for whisky instead. Sniff.
ReplyDeleteDoes he have a favourite tipple? A good bottle of whatever never goes amiss. Alternatively, take him somewhere nice that he might enjoy (the restaurant in the British Museum is nice and relatively inexpensive).
Artog, oh if only I could buy him books, that would be great. I had what I thought was a brainwave and found him a book on golfing holidays. He flicked through it going "been there... been there..."
ReplyDeleteZ, at least he collects something! That's pretty cool (even if he has expensive tastes...)
LC, aw... Yes, I think booze is the way to go. And food. I'd love to take him out but he would never in a million years let me pay for anything.
In fact thinking about it, he really is impossible. High maintenance. He has everything, for one thing. I’ve tried books, music, box sets… zero interest in any of them. Once I bought him a bonsai tree, which died pretty much instantly. Cashmere scarves, gloves, novelty golf shaped soaps… He loves clothes but is very serious about them, I’d never be able to get him a jumper from M&S. Aftershave would be perfect, he likes to be well-groomed but he has no sense of smell, so it seems cruel. He likes chocolate but is always worrying about his weight (last time I bought him chocolates, he offered them back to me to take home.) Traditional presents like ties and socks seem like an admission that you don’t know or care about someone at all, last time my sister bought him socks, he was cross about it.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing for it but to resort to booze.
It's your duty to buy him booze. I didn't get a single bottle of scotch for my birthday this year and I'm right narked off about it, I can tell you.
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