Unexpected gifts that were absolutely great!

[Flamsterette_X]

This is loosely inspired by matt_mcl's thread on well-meaning but totally out-of-it gifts (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=121931&highlight=Guinness+Book+Records). Today, I was thinking about the unexpected bonuses in life (not my mother, but that's another story), and how we're affected by them.

Let me start by telling you a tale of one unexpected gift. At Christmas of last year, I was expecting a CD from my brother. Needless to say, that is not what I got. Instead, I got a bath bomb (from the escentsTM store at the mall) and a 142 mL bottle of Dave's Insanity Sauce. (sorry, not sure how that translates into imperial measure)

I'm not sure what he was trying to say with the bath bomb: maybe that I don't bathe enough and should use it to make myself smell better? Whatever! At any rate, I haven't used it quite yet. (but I do keep it in my bathroom, just in case I do get the idea to use it ;))

As for the insanity sauce, I've used some of it; he knows I like spicy stuff (hey, he does too), so why he got me that item was easier to understand. It's definitely hot stuff.. the instructions say you should only use one drop of the stuff in whatever you're mixing it with. (they also say it's good for stripping and waxing floors, but I don't know about that)

So what about you? Any unexpected gifts or bonuses in your life that affected you for good? Share your stories here!

F_X

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Two of mine have come from my wife: back in 1994 she gave me the Eric Clapton "Crossroads" box set. Christmas 1995 she bought me the Beatles Anthology laserdisc box set (then $225!). Neither were expected, but were greatly appreciated.

[Eats_Crayons]

One of the best Xmas presents I ever got, was from one of those crappy workplace gift exchanges. You know the kind, you have a $10 limit and you have to get a gift for some random co-worker whose name you draw out of a hat.

Behind our office wa a junkyard. Kittens were born one year and when they were adults, we took care of the abadnoned babies (bad mommy cat!) through the cold, harsh winter. In the spring we captured the females to make sure we didn't end up with a bunch of kittens (too late, both girls were preggers). Happy ending for all but one, the rest were adopted. One cat got a "bad attitude" label because she was nasty in foster care. Her kittens were weaned and adopted to loving homes, but it was recommended that "Earnie," now spayed, should return to the junkyard to resume her preferred lifestyle. I and another co-worker, continued to feed and care for Earnie, who was quite happy in the wild (even happier tale -- Earie went back into a foster program and is now a very happy and spoiled, loving housecat).

For this crappy X-mas exchange, I opened a gift to find a carefully hand-painted picture frame with Earnie's photograph. My co-worker had -- through some miracle -- managed to photograph a happy, rolly polly Earnie (who normally only came out of hiding for me) and keep it a secret for a month.

I have never received a gift that actually meant as much as that photo. (I adopted Earnie's sister and this photo is the only Earie momento I now have).

[DarkWriter]

Last year, my husband stole my engagement ring out of my jewelry box without my knowledge, and had it resized so I could wear it again. He presented it to me out of the blue one cold, depressing winter day. That meant more to me than the first time he gave me that ring. :)

Sheri