Thursday, December 22, 2005

Now I Know Its Christmas: Wrapping Presents!

Oh my, it was drizzling here in the San Francisco Bay area. I was on my way across the street from my home, to pick up a gift for someone I love a lot. The clerk and I bundled the 8" x 10" box in a large plastic bag. So with present in tow, I and my walker schlepped home. This present has to be wrapped! (sigh).

Later this afternoon, I trekked over to the local pharmacy for paper and some kind of a bow. The group of offerings in 'small quantities' of wrapping paper had nothing really beautiful. So, I graduated to the size useful for wrapping a car. I found a matching 'cascading' cluster of curly 'Q' ribbon, which will look very nice. Assuming completed project survives a 90 minute commute tomorrow, to its destination!

I love the theory of present wrapping. Its just the actual execution that gives me fits. I never get it right. I usually end up with not-enough, at some planed meeting place of folded paper. I over compensate for this and end up with a package wrapped in a way which would make FedEx proud! Mind you, I'm willing to pay $50 for one fine meal at a restaurant, but can't stand the idea of dropping $5 for some bored clerk to wrap a present for me. I mean, I do have my standards.

I love this time of year. I prefer to send out gift certificates, as I usually don't have a clue as to what my friends 'secretly' desire. I absolutely love the responses I get in return. People who aren't very expressive blossom into full-blown novelists, showing me how they went to the amazon.com book section and totally lost their minds!

The most surprising redemption was from a man who is a fly fisherman. I'm less then clueless about that sport. I trolled the net and found a sports, camping and mountain climbing store stocked with all kinds of things I'd never heard of. My friend ecstatically bought, (you won't believe this,) a rooster feather! His wife and I had great fun giggling over that one, before she shared her new found knowledge of fly fishing. There is an art to making your own flys, (the fake bate for the fish, which you try to make look like a tasty bug). What part of the rooster is most prized? The long feather at the back of the neck, extending down the rooster's back. (This factoid will eventually come in handy at a business luncheon, or cocktail party).

I also delight in watching others run the numbers like I do, when I shop. You know, if you spend $25 at amazon.com, the shipping is free. Whoever dreamed that one up deserves a prize! I don't know about you, but I end up with free shipping alright. I need another $3.47, to bring my total up to $25. So I buy something for $30. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant marketing strategy! A friend hung on to the certificate until they'd gathered all of their video treasures together. I got a list of what they'd managed to buy. WOW, so many movies! I was totally impressed.

Yeah, I said I was taking a week off from blogging. I changed my mind. I'd rather talk to you all then attempt to wrap that 8" x 10" box waiting for me with the gift wrapping still-in-the-plastic-tube. (Don't you love attempting to store the unused wrap for the next eleven months?) If I can get a good shot, I'll share a picture of said gift, once I get it wrapped. (This is an example of constructive procrastination. No, the present isn't wrapped, but I did make a blog entry.

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