[709]

Given/Got.

Doesn't have to be both. Either or is fine.

Me, for Christmas a few years ago, my stallion of kitchen accessories: a blue KitchenAid mixer. Oh. My. God. do I love her. She is perfect in every way.

Anna is the worst at gifts - I mean, she's great buying for her family, but for me? Holy god. I get things that are her version of me, which generally involves robots (fine) and hair dye (not fine). So when I unwrapped this thing I was just thrilled, and it's just a joy. Use it, and you just feel like your serious. Great fun.

[Matsu]

Given, Feb 14. Got, Mar 14.

[SKMDC]

My wife got me a Nespresso machine, I thought it was cheesy with the capsules and all, but I use it constantly and love going to Macy's to see what new flavors they have.

Coincidently, other than that I would say the KitchenAid I got a few years ago.

[pscates2.0]

Received? Silly as it sounds, I think my favorite gift (in recent years) was the Making of the Empire Strikes Back book I got for Christmas in 2010. I look at it all the time, even if it's just to skim the pictures and artwork. But the reading and insight to how it all came about is so entertaining and interesting. The gift that keeps on giving. If I'm ever bored, can't sleep, have time to kill or the weather is keeping me inside, that's my go-to item.

The breakdown of the carbon-freezing scene - with set photos, script notes, handwritten changes, behind-the-scenes snapshots, the documented(!) discussions between Harrison Ford and Irvin Kirshner about Solo's now-famous reply to Leia, different angles on familiar scenes/shots, etc. - is worth the price of admission.

Giving? I gave my friend an iBook, 8-9 years ago. She was struggling with a falling-apart Gateway, had school coming up, no sort of battery life or reliable Wifi, the usual Windows-isms/hassles (and she's not tech-minded enough to side-step or chase them all day long), etc. I was in a position to do something for her, so I did. One of my earliest switches, in fact.

[Xaqtly]

Eh... it was probably my friend's birthday present this past Feb. My gf and I planned a night out for him, got reservations at an expensive steakhouse and an arcade bar, we got all dressed up in tuxedos and fancy dresses and we rented an Aston Martin DB9. The present was basically to make him feel like he was James Bond for a night.

As he put it, there's nothing like going up to the valet, handing them your ticket and saying "it's the Aston".

Alternatively for my gf's birthday last year, I got her (and me) a 3-day racing school at the Ron Fellows Corvette Driving School, at Spring Mountain raceway in Pahrump. That was awesome for both of us.

As far as gifts gotten, my gf got me a Keurig k-cup brewer and I love that thing.

[709]

I've been thinking about the "Given" thing over the last couple of days. I like to make a lot of what I give, just to make it personal, but I think the best reaction I got was back some years when I bought my lover a 1973 BMW 2002. I knew the guy that I bought it from (he restores that sort of thing and I had to put myself on a waiting list for over a year). My gf and I were out having dinner and a beer, and he gave me the secret phone call. We paid the tab, walked out, and he was parked out front.

She knew him a little from me, so she was all "Hey! Nice to see you again!" Then - "OMG, your car is beautiful" He smiled, laughed a little bit, walked up to us and gave me the keys, and said "You mean, your car." When I handed the keys to Anna she was just dumbfounded. She just couldn't process it until we both kept saying "Get in!."

Such fun.

[edit]: Found an image online. This is it almost exact, but it's a very slightly darker red:



We still have it.

[Brad]

Gotten? Easy. I can't remember how old I was (definitely single-digits in the 1980s), but this would be the Nintendo Entertainment System. I have vague memories of it being a christmas morning and setting it up on the living room TV. Getting the NES probably marked the beginning of my decline into shameless nerd-dom. So, there's that.

As for given, ugh, I'm a terrible gift-giver. I can think of nothing outstanding.

[709]

Originally Posted by Brad As for given, ugh, I'm a terrible gift-giver. I can think of nothing outstanding.

I can't buy a normal off-the-shelf gift for someone - I just can't. Anna, on the other hand, takes up my slack incredibly. She will spend all fucking weekend looking for the perfect thing. I just can't come with her though. She says that it's stressful enough looking for a gift without knowing that I'm distracted and lost in the mall somewhere.

I still prefer to make things, honestly. I took a week to make an awesome tensegrity tower for her dad last year (which I probably couldn't replicate with a gun to my head, even though I'd love to). Spent days and days writing and constructing the perfect Valentine, etc. etc. That sort of thing I really like doing. But buying a gift? I am teh suck even by the basest of measuring.

[tomoe]

Hands down the most awesome gift I've received is this portrait of my cat. My girlfriend commissioned our friend to paint it. The likeness is uncanny. The most awesome gift I've given is a new old stock gold heart necklace (to GF) engraved with a phrase from one of her favorite songs. Here's the painting.

[murbot]

Originally Posted by Brad Gotten? Easy. I can't remember how old I was (definitely single-digits in the 1980s), but this would be the Nintendo Entertainment System. I have vague memories of it being a christmas morning and setting it up on the living room TV. Getting the NES probably marked the beginning of my decline into shameless nerd-dom. So, there's that. As for given, ugh, I'm a terrible gift-giver. I can think of nothing outstanding.

Mine is probably my Sega. In fact I hooked it up a while ago and I've been playing some old games a fair bit. Original Sonic, and of course the hockey games. I have 4 versions of the NHL series. They're better than the new ones in a way.

Actually maybe it's the Walkman I got when I was young. It was about $200 I remember and that was a TON of money for my parents at the time. I lived with those headphones on.

Of course I'm half deaf and am borderline suicidal dealing with tinnitus, so maybe that was actually the worst gift I ever got. Hmm.

[Maciej]

Originally Posted by 709 I've been thinking about the "Given" thing over the last couple of days. I like to make a lot of what I give, just to make it personal, but I think the best reaction I got was back some years when I bought my lover a 1973 BMW 2002. I knew the guy that I bought it from (he restores that sort of thing and I had to put myself on a waiting list for over a year). My gf and I were out having dinner and a beer, and he gave me the secret phone call. We paid the tab, walked out, and he was parked out front. She knew him a little from me, so she was all "Hey! Nice to see you again!" Then - "OMG, your car is beautiful" He smiled, laughed a little bit, walked up to us and gave me the keys, and said "You mean, your car." When I handed the keys to Anna she was just dumbfounded. She just couldn't process it until we both kept saying "Get in!." Such fun. [edit]: Found an image online. This is it almost exact, but it's a very slightly darker red: We still have it.

Wow. That is a spectacular gift, and I'm happy to see she appreciates it for what it is. Love the 2002.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Brad I can't remember how old I was (definitely single-digits in the 1980s), but this would be the Nintendo Entertainment System. I have vague memories of it being a christmas morning and setting it up on the living room TV. Getting the NES probably marked the beginning of my decline into shameless nerd-dom. So, there's that.

I've recently started digitizing old 8mm tapes, and I found this gem:



Apparently this was the year of Nintendo and Ghostbusters toys!



Ayup. Downward spiral starts RIGHT THERE.