My wife received this guy from a coworker. From what I can tell, it’s a wooden Christmas tree ornament of a Boy Scout wearing far too much makeup and holding some kind of “Go America!” pennant. Judging by the box, it was obviously made in Germany.
Of course, my wife is neither German, nor a Boy Scout, nor does she wear too much makeup, so I have no fricking clue why the gift giver thought it would be in the least bit appropriate. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, and it’s the goofiness that gives me fodder for silly threads.
I giant tin fish platter. Sorry, no pics. It went out in the rubbish this morning. In previous years, the givee has bestowed upon us a mechanical Santa Zeppelin, a Christmas-themed dish towel with matching cocktail napkins, and a framed picture of them in their hot tub ( :eek )
Hal, that thing is a Steinbach 2001-series Boy Scout Ornament.
Not that I’m proud to know it, though.
(I used to sell this stuff.) Hideous.
As for the “why???”, well, I can’t help you there!
I was lucky this year, no egregious junk gifts.
From my brother, a Smokey Stover coffee mug, yet he knew I’d love it. Emblazoned with the Foomobile, Smokey offers another terrible pun as he drives in circles around a cube: “Hop in and I’ll drive you around the block.” 1506 nix nix, indeed.
I kind-of like the boy scout ornament. I’m weird though, I like ugly kitschy things. Save it for your Secret Santa next year, and hopefully you’ll get me.
We draw names among the adult children in my family and you are to buy a $25-$30 gift for who you draw. My older brother and his wife are notorious for giving stupid gifts they’ve spent $10 or less on. Last year, SIL gave DeHusband an $8 foot care kit with the price still on it.
This year, my Brother gave DeHusband a cheap dartboard with no darts. (We’ve never played darts but I think that would be a necessary item.) But that’s OK. I was prepared this year. The brother only wants very specific, very expensive sports memorabilia. So I gave the brother a salad shooter/salad spinner combo. Definitely not on his list.
Please, please please be my Secret Santa next year. I would ove a Santa Zeppelin, the only thing I could imagine that would be better would be a Satan Zeppelin. I could offer pictures of Me and MrSin in the hot-tub, hubba hubba.
The family member who can always be counted on for a WTF gift didn’t give us anything this year. They just bought their first house and a 50" HDTV, so thankfully, they were broke.
But one of the grandsons filled in nicely, bless his heart. (He’s working his first job, has a pregnant girlfriend, and is the only one in hubby’s family who brought gifts for anyone.)
Mine is a plasticine thingie with gold flowers embedded in it. If he had thought to pick up AAA batteries, we could have plugged it in and set it on its little stand, which plays music, revolves, and lights up. I love truck stop gift shop gifts!
His gift for his uncle was a purple-blue dragon statue. Very cool. (Maybe we can work a trade.)
The 5-in-1 personal groomer from Remington. I had asked my wife to remind me on a weekend (because I get busy & tend to forget) that I needed to stop by the drugstore to buy an electric hair clipper. Sadly, men in their 40s tend to get hair in spots they didn’t used to, and it was something I finally admitted to myself that I’d have to start using. She didn’t remind me. Instead, she bought it for me as a Christmas gift. “Gee, Thanks, Darlin’…nothin’ says ‘Christmas like being reminded of ear-hair…” :smack:
At least it worked, which is more than I can say for Star Trek Legacy and NWN2, which won’t run on my PC. But, at least she did get me that replacement leather bomber jacket I wanted. I’d lost a lot of weight and the other didn’t fit too well. (Think Bell and Clapper) So, I dutifully waited til Christmas…a full season and a half past when these things get sold “because I had to wait til Christmas”. I tell you, I was shocked…Shocked…that Wilson’s didn’t have anything left in my size. That’s right…I got to get the JC Penny brand…the one with the cloth liner that isn’t Thinsulate…because it was that or… well Nothing. (I guess I’ll always have Personal Grooming. Ho-ho-ho.)
Gee, I’m awfully glad I got her a 60 Gb Creative Zen M with all the bangs & whistles (the one that you have to special-order, because the big-box stores only carry the 30Gb), the cutting-edge external speaker “playdock zen” and the new sweater that she specifically asked for (and in the right size). I’d feel really shitty, given all I’ve received, not to have given a good gift. And I guess this is just another reason why I shouldn’t get the Stihl chainsaw I asked for. Or maybe she’s just working me up to it, starting with personal body hair.
[AlBundy]”I’m truly blessed. Now shoot me. Please. “[/AlBundy]
I got a Pasta Express from my mother. One of those glass jar thingys that you put your spaghetti in and pour boiling water over the top, then after 7-10 minutes drain and serve. I’m not sure exactly how it’s supposed to be more Express than just cooking it the way I normally do. But Mom also got me a new microwave, so I’m not complaining.
It wasn’t really a Christmas gift…it was meant to be a college graduation present, but it was hand-delivered on Christmas Eve and wrapped in Christmas paper. (It was from a neighbor.) From the shape, I guessed that it was the traditional pen and pencil set. It was a Bill Blass pen and pencil set…minus the pencil. There was an empty band in the box where the pencil had been secured, and you could still make out the indentation in the “velvet” at the base of the box. Whoever took the pencil left the instruction booklet inside…complete with instructions on operating the mechanical pencil. :rolleyes: And based on the name brand, I suspect the whole thing was some kind of department store promotion. At least the pen worked.
Odd, but very cool: one my gifts was a 6" praying mantis replica. Not plastic, but made of something resembling rice paper, with legs/antennae of fine wire, and wings made of feathers.
It’s supposed to be a neck massager. It’s about 3’ long and bendy, with a fuzzy blue cover. It runs on 2 AA batteries, but when you turn it on, it sounds like a lawn mower and the vibration is barely detectable. I got about an hour’s worth of entertainment out of it when I introduced it to the cat.
The same relative gave my husband a cheap knife with a plastic handle shaped like and eagle.
I got holy water. No joke. A little plastic bottle of holy water.
I had asked my aunt to get me a little St. Christopher medal for the car I haven’t yet bought. I’m sort of a half-assed lapsed Catholic, and I figure if I get a used car on the cheap, it can’t hurt to have Saint Chris looking out for me from the sun visor. From this she extrapolated that what I could really use is some holy water. You know, to bless the car. And bless my new apartment and cast out any old demons and poltergeists who might be hanging out there.
She meant well, but geez, holy water? And I can’t really throw it out, because that seems sort of wrong to me… I guess I’ll just do what my grandmother and my mother do: stuff it into the back of the fridge and forget about it.
A 16piece dinnerware set. I’m a senior in high school and going to college in the fall. I won’t use or need it for 3 to 4 years, if not longer. Still, it will be useful… eventually.
