Tat for tat

[rootbeer1]

Here’s my conundrum. qbear and I are trekking to Tucson in April to visit my brother and his wife, who have relocated there and bought a condo. This is the first residence they have ever purchased – they were always apartment-dwellers before.

Back in 2002 when Jack and I bought our home (my first), my brother and his wife gave us a housewarming present of a revolving disco light. It’s not a gift we needed, or wanted, or would ever use, but the thought was there. Just not much thought.



Anyway, the light never worked – the tiny bulb was broken when they gave it to us, and it’s an unusual size and wattage, so we were never able to find a replacement. And because we strive to be polite gentlemen, we never let them know that their housewarming gift was really just a big steaming pile of broken crap.

So, when we visit them …

[Poll #655794]

Comments

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

Liquor! Liquor all the way!

[faghatesgods.livejournal.com]

Im with ya on that one.

I'm all for consumables and I love getting them. Gifts, as much as I appreciate them, rarley reflect my taste and are often joke gifts that I consider sucha waste of money and don;t really want to keep.

And of course I fond the whole concept of "Registering" for gifts offensive.

If there's nothign you know that they really NEED then I'd go for a nice bottle of wine or champagne or a well aged single malt scotch

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

I forgot to mention earlier ... they don't drink! So if we gave them a bottle of well-aged single malt scotch, it would always be there, waiting for our return trips. Woohoo!

[faghatesgods.livejournal.com]

don;t drink...

hmm... I'm suspicious of people who don't drink. It's not natural. :)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I voted for a disco lamp ... but of course woulld get them something more suitable and thoughtful than they gave you. My first instinct was to regift them with the disco lamp they gave you. *grin*

I fly to Tuscon on Sunday for a week long run ... I just missed seeing all of the bears at Fiesta ... and now I'm too early to run into you. *sigh* .. Somewhere, sometime ... HUGS!

[poohbearjim.livejournal.com]

Give them back the same disco lamp they gave you, but then have a legitimate gift to give them after the hilarity has passed. (This is all contingent on him having an appropriate sense of humor about it.)

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

OOPS I hit testy when I dindn't mean to, now your poll is going to be off...

I'd have to know how well you and your brother get on? I'd probly go the practical route, or even a gift card to Crate and Barrel or Bed bath and beyond.

Good luck!

Tucson eh? You coming via Phoenix or flying into Tucson direct?

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

We're driving over from Palm Springs, without plans to stop in Phoenix. Sorry!

[kitchenbeard.livejournal.com]

Get them this:

[qbear.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Panties with a convenient wall bracket! I want that for our house!

[kitchenbeard.livejournal.com]

Maria - What are my children wearing?

Playclothes. The children must have play clohtes.

Aren't those the curtains from your room?

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

That odd dark spot makes it appear that one of the von Trapp children was never properly trained.

[dhpbear.livejournal.com]

Aren't those the curtains from your room?

Yeah, I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it :)

[kingfuraday.livejournal.com]

In their defense, you are The SF Gays... is a disco lamp not a fitting, if cliched, gift? hehehe

[squalidbear.livejournal.com]

was really just a big steaming pile of broken crap
LOLOL - don't sugarcoat it for us!

Give them the disco light! Bastards!
Better yet, give it to me and I'll make it work.

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

It's yours if you want it! If we still have it.

It must stem from my childhood in some way, but nothing infuriates me more than being given a broken present. "Here's a present, which shows that I like you ... but it's broken, which shows that it's a cruel trick and I actually hate you."

[squalidbear.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps its just thoughtless that they expected their $2 garage sale gift to work perfectly and never checked it...

[kitchenbeard.livejournal.com]

Wait! I have idea! Plant grass seeds on it and call it a Chia-Disco.

[(Anonymous)]

Why not give them the perfect companion to a disco ball?

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I picked "Mix tape", but, really, my first choice was ugly religious statuary. Any tradition, but the homelier, the better.

[daved010.livejournal.com]

now now... I think you should rise above it. You live in SF, so they gave you a disco light. They live in Tuscon, so you should get them each a complete set of turqoise jewlery and a native american belt (preferably made and sold off the NJ turnpike by ukrainian immigrants.)

The gift that keeps on giving...

[hiker-tom.livejournal.com]

How about one of those electric landscapes where the water keeps flowing and flowing, and little fiber optic stars twnkle forever...and forever..and forever...

You know the ones. They are very popular in Koreatown.

[orange-groves.livejournal.com]

Sorry, the history with my middle brother made me choose the top one.

[foodpoisoningsf.livejournal.com]

Re-gift them the disco light. Perhaps find a new bulb at the light bulb store on Folsom. Because you'll show up with something.

And then you can figure out what they really need.

Trekking? Does your doctor know about this?

[sftekbear.livejournal.com]

I'd say give them a really nice gift and say something passive agressive about their gift to you. :)

[beg1n.livejournal.com]

I answered disco light. But include a nice bottle of wine as well. I think it would be humorous!

[hotelbearsf.livejournal.com]

Since you don't know what their tastes are on household items or decoration, music is always the safe bet.

[canowhupass.livejournal.com]

Gay people MUST like disco balls, right? LOL

So therefore straight people must like ... uh... er... Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton? Wal-Mart gift certificates? White bread, crackers, & Miracle Whip? Taxidermy? Mixing plaids & stripes? Ya got me, I don't know what straight people like.

Survey says: Taxodermy!

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

"I use antlers in all of my decorating!"

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Mail them some sushi.

Some friends of mine had that same light.....it melted and started a fire! I'm not sure if that'll make you want to send it now, or not!