What do you like...according to other people?

In My Humble Opinion
21

My mom got me a set of six really nice martini glasses once, because she thought I like martinis. I don’t; they are gross. But I was really into that swing music revival in the late '90s – bands like Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the movie Swingers, dressing up and going out in a suit, and all those hipsters must have been drinking martinis when they were out partying, right? Thanks, Mom, but I prefer dark beers.

I also got Star Wars gifts for years, from family and friends. I like the original Star Wars trilogy well enough, but my interest definitely waned when the newer trilogy came out – and I hated those movies! I think I finally convinced everyone I’m not a big Star Wars fanboy.

22

Earrings.

I have have had multiple occasions when people gave me earrings. I don’t wear earrings.

Upon pointing out to one of these gift-givers that, not only do I not wear earrings, I don’t have pierced ears, her response was “You don’t? Really? Let me see… well, when ARE you getting them pierced?”

Seeing as I made it into my early 40’s without pierced ears I think the odds of my piercing them now are very, very low. Especially since I don’t wear earrings and all…

23

Cows. At least one of my kids is telling people that I like cows. He’s also giving me cow related things. When I mentioned that I wasn’t that big on cows, he was surprised and a little defensive. He said I had started it with the cow socks and the purple cow pajamas.

Well, I had to admit that I’d bought those things, but I’d gotten them because they were silly. I had a lot of silly socks at the time. And the socks not only had Holstein spots, they had individual toes and the toe area was pink, to make your toes look like an udder. You can’t get much more silly than that without a special license.

Every other cow (including stuffed ones) came from him or someone that he passed the information to. It hasn’t reached the critical mass where people see the previously given cows and assume that I like cows. This year I’m trying to actively tell him that I like bells. And now that I write this, I can picture a cow-shaped bell in my future.

24

This reminds me of my dad.

My mother loves emeralds. She decided one year to get her ears pierced and every other year or so after that my father would get her emerald earrings because she never wore emerald earrings, you see, so he knew she didn’t have any.

The truth was that she didn’t wear them because the holes in her ears kept growing closed so she just gave up finally.

Anyway, my dad died shortly before Christmas a few years ago. Guess what was in his truck’s glovebox? Yep. Another pair of emerald earrings.

In a way, it was the most perfect Christmas gift she ever got. It was just so… Dad.

25

While I am the most mild-mannered and semi-apologetic person you’d ever meet in real life, my face is right out of ‘The Sopranos’ or ‘The Punisher’. So evidently everything I do intimidates people and I must moonlight as a Mafia hit man.

(While the pay would probably be better than the pittance I get now… Hey, I kid, I kid!)

26

I think I may have posted this long ago; I once purchased a small bronze statue of a sea captain, although I can’t remember why. By the time all was said and done, I probably had 25 of the goddamned things: porcelain, metal, plastic, ceramic, 2" to 12", hand-painted, spray-painted, paint-it-yourself, you name it. I couldn’t stop the flood until I divorced my ex and her family cut me off from my obvious addiction. No more sea captains for me! ONE YEAR!! I thought I was free of the damn things, but my ex sent them to me in a cruel act even for her. I dumped the entire box in the trash. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell my kids that I was no longer an arrrr-monger, and a few Xmases ago, my daughter sent me one she painted herself. Severe measures were called for, so I phoned her and gently let her know that if I ever received another one, I’d have to disown her.

The lesson for all is to never, ever, EVER even hint that you like something smaller than, say, a Mercedes S class - unless you want to end up owning a hundred of them.

27

Take a fricking guess.

My mother-in-law thinks she’s ever-so-funny.

28

For about four years everybody thought I liked aliens. I think it started with a poster that a friend got me when I was fifteen and it just sort of escalated from there. I got stuffed aliens, alien key chains, alien playing cards, alien t-shirts, alien necklaces, you name it. From everyone, friends, family, random coworkers. Fortunately it sort of died off when I was nineteenish, and now it seems like no one remembers that little trend. Thank Og.

29

Purses and makeup. I actually have a collection of about 15 purses people have given me, and enough makeup to last for about 4 years…if I ever decided to wear it. I’ve used a purse maybe twice in my life, and never wear makeup. Thanks for the thought, everyone, but I don’t wear makeup and carry a purse because I don’t want to.

30

I like really bad cheese from Swiss Colony.

31

Evidently, I am turning into an American Indian. My mother in law is, and I suppose, she wants to take everyone with her. The funny thing is, I have buckets more AI in me than she does. And yet, I have zero desire to wear leather fringe, yellow beads and turquoise.

I deal poker. I don’t play. I don’t watch it. I don’t think about it when I am not at work. Frankly, the thought of playing it annoys the piss out of me. And yet…I get all the poker paraphenalia on the planet. The plates, glasses, snacks, jars, whatever.

Evidently, me telling everyone I know that I hate perfume and that it makes me sick if I wear anything that has a strong scent, means that I need gift sets of 5 different perfumes, perfumed body lotion, soaps and whatever.

Want to show you know me? Gift certificates to book stores, hobby stores, cooking stores. Hell, get me a gross of industrial sheet pans with cooling racks. I’ll love you forever.

Oh, I do like pigs. Real ones. And very, very precious few fake ones. I’m quite particular about the faces on them and the butts. I’m not the girl that wants to have everything pig related, since actually, most pig items are awful.

The corrollary is that yes, indeed, you can buy my husband everything ever made that is related in some way to The Matrix. The books, hats, comics, action figures, special editions, extra special editions, limited editions, director’s cut, you name it.

32

Well, according to my family, I like nothing. My husband, my mom, and my sisters have all informed me that they haven’t bought me anything this year because I “just don’t want anything.”

I told my best friend this and she immediately said, “You’re the easiest person on the planet to shop for.” She’s right, I am. My desires are simple and straight-forward.

Oh well. I’m a big girl with some disposable income. I’ll go shopping and treat myself to the gifts nobody thought to buy me.

33

Apparrently, I too have a dolphin fetish. My husband once bought me some nice, gold dolphin earrings, because as he said, “I know how much you love dolphins.” Ok, dolphins are fine, but I rarely wear earrings and almost never wildlife on them. Then he bought me a T-shirt with dolphins on it. Now everyone thinks I’m passionate about dolphins. They’re cute, interesting aquatic animals, but I’m pretty sure these people who keep buying the stuff have me confused with someone else.

An entire subset of my family thinks I like the color pink. I get lots of pink gifts from them. I loathe the color. Again, they’re probably thinking of another person. I tend to dress in black and white, perhaps navy blue if I’m feeling adventurous.

34

Chocolate-covered cherries, which I loathe.
My dad has been convinced for most of my life that I love chocolate-covered cherries and gives me a box at random through-out the year. He was so pleased with his surprises that I’ve gagged down more of the slimy, sickly-sweet things than I care to remember. Then I’d “save” the rest for later.

35

Daffy Duck.

When I was fifteen I mentioned that he was my favorite cartoon character.

I guess I sounded–unbeknownst to myself–really passionate about it.

It was a Daffy Christmas that year. Daffy T-shirt, a stuffed Daffy, a Daffy picture-frame, a figurine…

All from my mother.

I am not a difficult person to buy for. Even she will tell you this.

Fourteen years later, she has yet to get me anything else Daffy-related. I don’t know what got into her that year.

:confused:

36

God dammit. She did it again… Ho-Farkin’-Ho!

MeanJoe

37

Cordials (cream) or syrup filled? Cause you know, if they’re syrup filled I may know somebody who might like them… just don’t tell my mom.

MeanJoe

38

I think my mom still thinks I like garfield, as I got a garfield xmas card from her this xmas. I did like garfield when I was like… 10. But I’m 27 now, and I don’t really see why she would think I still like that orange lasagna eating bastard. He’s really not that funny.

39

Grandma: “You know who likes brownies? Flander!!! Flander LOOOOVVVES brownies!!”

Now, I don’t dislike brownies, but I’ve probably had 3 in the past 10 years. Plus, no mention of my twin brother’s fondness of brownies. Just one random, stolid proclamation about my taste in desserts.

40

Rugby, according to the rather odd views of most of the people in this thread.