# Sod the relatives. What are you getting YOURSELF for christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 28, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769 "2003-11-28T20:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/1 "2003-11-28T20:45:59Z")
I might just get myself a PDA. I’m curious to know what you are going to get for yourelf, We might get ideas from each other. Sorry if this has already been done. ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/2 "2003-11-28T20:54:54Z")
Sod the relatives? Now there’s one thing I _hadn’t_ thought of! Might just keep 'em away next year! I’ve always wanted a CD player for my car (cheap-o, I don’t care…and some speakers to replace the stock 1983 4-inch dash rumblers I have now. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/3 "2003-11-28T21:01:55Z")
I bought myself Grosse Pointe Blank on DVD and a bunch of Terry Pratchett and David Gemmell books. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/4 "2003-11-28T21:02:19Z")
I always seem to buy a lot of books for myself between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It just happens. I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/5 "2003-11-28T21:02:22Z")
I’m giving myself the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ DVD. ---
**Author:** ![vsquist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/58956e/32.png) [@vsquist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vsquist)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/6 "2003-11-28T21:02:45Z")
Hey, are you my father-in-law? He buys himself something big and expensive every year! My mother-in-law never notices until my husband alerts her to it. He ALWAYS notices. I fear similar things may be happening in my house, and I’m not noticing either. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/7 "2003-11-28T21:23:33Z")
I pre-ordered all four of the new “Walt Disney Treasures” DVDs. These I don’t even have to pretend are for the kids. ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/8 "2003-11-28T21:31:27Z")
Interesting, I was just thinking about this earlier today! I was thinking about a digital camera, but I might forget that idea and buy a nice suit. It would come in handy, as my company Christmas party is coming up and also an opera performance for which I bought a box seat. It’s not often that I make “practical” purchases, so buying a suit would make me feel a little less guilty. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/9 "2003-11-28T21:56:15Z")
.38 Super conversion for my Colt Govt. Model and 500 rounds of ammo. Possibly not as much fun as sodding the relatives, but it should also keep 'em away next year. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/10 "2003-11-28T22:07:36Z")
An iPod is high on my list, now that they work with PC right out of the box without any twiddling. Also high on the list is a new leather jacket. ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/11 "2003-11-28T22:44:08Z")
DVD player ---
**Author:** ![Wordy\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@Wordy\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wordy_One)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/12 "2003-11-28T22:49:12Z")
Six days, five nights in New York City. (Paid for months ago, fortunately, as I’m just coming off the happy-birthday-to-me shopping bonanza.) ---
**Author:** ![Loneraven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Loneraven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loneraven)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/13 "2003-11-28T23:15:47Z")
Sparkly shiny glittery red Doc Martens. Profoundly useless as they won’t go with anything, but I _want_ them. Now if only I had £54.99… ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/14 "2003-11-28T23:21:57Z")
I’m splurging big time this year **BIG. TIME**. Shortly after Christmas I travel to New Mexico to fly fighter jets for three days. Thats’ right, I said fighter jets. There’s an outfit near Santa Fe that specializes in training people to fly de-militarized jets like the T-33, L-39, and MiG-15. This is generally for the extremely well-to-do, which I’m not. But I’ve scraped together the bucks to have what should be a cool experience. I’m going to fly their Fouga Magister, L-39, and MiG-15. If I can get some overtime at work the next few weeks I might also take a hop in their T-33. Wish I was going tomorrow! I’ll be posting a thread about this. Anyone in New Mexico want to meet up? I need someone to take pictures! ---
**Author:** ![SJSB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@SJSB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SJSB)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/15 "2003-11-28T23:22:36Z")
I loathe Christmas with a passion, and this year I am determined to do something for myself. I’m getting a tattoo (my first) in two weeks time. My brother is designing it for me as I speak. Screw Christmas! ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/16 "2003-11-29T01:36:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Babbington \* > \*\*I always seem to buy a lot of books for myself between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It just happens. I don’t know why. \*\* I buy books, usually cheap, time-consuming Star Trek novels, just before Christmas - so I’ll have something to do while I’m at home with the folks. Rural central North Carolina is _ **dull** _. [sub]which reminds me… :checks Amazon:[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/17 "2003-11-29T02:52:36Z")
I always have the “one for me, one for you” thing going on with my Christmas shopping. I got a couple bumper stickers off the [atheist.org](http://atheist.org) website for my husband and bought myself a mug while I was at it. (is it weird that I did Christmas shopping at the American Atheist’s website?) I bought my sister-in-law a dish at a Pampered Chef party and bought a bunch of stuff for myself, too. Next stop: the local bookstore for my nephews. I wonder what I’ll bring home to read! My husband is good at the large purchases right before Christmas, too. He just brought home $150 worth of Les Mis tickets for us. Yay! But good grief that’s a lot of money for us to spend out of the blue. ---
**Author:** ![Weatherman\_Skye\_Forrest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dec6dc/32.png) [@Weatherman\_Skye\_Forrest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weatherman_Skye_Forrest)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/18 "2003-11-29T03:20:45Z")
I don’t exchange presents with anyone, per se. I don’t know any children. I buy new clothes at the season sales and attend and host dinner parties, where “gifts” of food to be eaten at the events are more in line with sharing than giving. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/19 "2003-11-29T04:22:54Z")
I just ordered it Wednesday night, and I’ll be getting it the first week of December: the [Limited Internet Edition](http://www.lordoftherings-soundtrack.com/editions.html) of the soundtrack for _Reurn of the King_. My tastes are pretty simple. To put things in perspective, just this morning I got a GameCube and 3 games for my daughters, and a few other odds and ends. I’m not exactly sodding the relatives this year… but I’m sure I’ll find some use for the GameCube as well. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769/20 "2003-11-29T07:04:26Z")
I officially get my [gift](http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/DianneCameron2/stgermain.htm) to myself in two weeks. On Friday the 12th I close on the house I bought at auction. Believe me, after buying that, my family is getting snapshots of my house. StG [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sod-the-relatives-what-are-you-getting-yourself-for-christmas/215769.md?page=2)