Gifts
An anonymous Puncher writes:
“My mother has taken up art, painting, sketching and drawing. She works from photos and not real life, but she puts a lot of work into them and loves it. She did a drawing of my daughter, her granddaughter, and it’s awful. It looks nothing like her. Worse yet, she gave it to my husband who hates it. I know it’s ungrateful but I’ve had to endure my mothers dressmaking, cross stitching, knitting, patchwork and now art all my life. Now I have my own home, I’d like to think I get the choice of what goes up. Or do I have to put the picture up and grimace each time I pass it?”
Continue reading "Friday dilemma: How to deal with bad presents?" »
‘Tis the season to be … grumpy. You might be the kind of smiley manic Christmas lover who wears battery-operated Rudolph earrings and has a 24/7 festive smile on your dial.
If so, it might be best to keep away from my house until well after Boxing Day.
Every year it’s the same. We tell ourselves to stay calm, keep cool, and don’t get carried away.
Continue reading "It might be Christmas but being jolly is overrated" »
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Starburster says:
@LJ Dots: to top it off, my parents used to own a Mexican restaurant before us kids were born, so my mum makes the best traditional Mexican beef and chilli con conqueso this side of the Rio Grande. Really… No-one likes Christmas food. So why spend all that time cooking… Read more »
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scumbag says:
The wifey, a bit of a shorty, always gets soaked pushing the boat out from the ramp. So I put a folding ladder on the back for her, and as a reward for being the deckie. This year for Xmas, I bought her a landing net for the big tuna… Read more »
Welcome to the ninth edition of Dr Tinman’s Ignorant Remedies for the Aching Soul. I am Dr Tinman, life-doctor and former submarine captain with a terrible secret. And now, without any delay - except, of course, the time it takes for these words to penetrate your eyeballs and enrich your feeble brain - we move onto this week’s question!
Dear Dr Tinman, I have a friend’s wedding coming up and she hasn’t set up one of those registry things. I have no idea what to get her! What should I do?
Sincerely, Gifted.
Dearest Gifted, How delightful that your friend has such trust in her friends! Unfortunately, that trust appears sorely misplaced.
Continue reading "Dr Tinman: Be a good friend who’s not to be relied on" »
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sunny says:
Dr Tinman “my eighth wedding” !! I think you are addicted to marriages the way some people are addicted to the pokies. With a wife and seven ex-wives you must surely be living below the poverty line, even though you are an esteemed doctor who probably charges a fortune for… Read more »
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stephen says:
I like to give interesting things for a wedding present, things that seem at first thought, slightly useless and throwaway. A book of Poems by Li Po, which I had recommended on this site a year ago, well, I took my own medicine and bought 2 copies - one for… Read more »
Well, ho, ho, ho. Talk about Christmas spirit. The big department stores are accused of exploiting Christmas by charging more than $20 for a photo with Santa.
I, for one, think it’s an excellent idea. Well, they’ve got to do something to make a buck with all those Judases buying cheap stuff online.
In fact, I think they should take this marvellous measure even further…
Continue reading "Christmas takings are more important than giving" »
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Christopher Nicholas says:
Well, the way you managed to pen down the situation and hypothetical ones into words is simply amusing and entertaining, and I totally agree – the fact that people are doing their shopping online means the shopping malls have to find ways to survive. Read more »
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Q says:
The cost of the actual photo is irrelevant. If you were to pay just the cost you would have to provide your own props and costume, dress as Santa, take the photo yourself and you wouldn’t be doing it your local shopping center. How mean of all those businesses to… Read more »
I recently started a new job and at my very first team meeting, I was informed that I would be included in my new team’s Kris Kringle for the impending enforced Christmas “celebrations”.
As you would expect, yay. Is it possible to yay in an even lower case? yay. There you go.
Now, I know that this groan-inducing ritual must happen in offices all around the world (well, except for maybe the Middle East, India and most of Asia but lets not get pedantic) at this time of year – the exchanging of unwanted, thoughtless gifts between team-members who haven’t gotten to know each other well enough over the course of the year to know what to get each other.
Continue reading "For Kryin’ out loud, Kris Kringle is a Kolossal Kringe" »
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Read More says:
Hi there! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone 3gs! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the great work! Read more »
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toms says:
An fascinating discussion might be priced at comment. There’s no doubt that you should write much more about this subject, it will not certainly be a taboo subject but typically people are not enough to communicate in on such topics. To an additional location. Cheers toms http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/15108899 Read more »
For sale: One cute animal that will help you save the world… or will it just make you feel better?
Charity gift packages that offer you the chance to buy a friend a goat, some chickens or even a pile of poo for a poverty-stricken family in the developing world might make us feel warm and fuzzy, but they can also be misleading.
On the plus side, they offer a tangible way of giving someone the gift of charity donation for a present. Buying a “goat” might come with an e-card, a receipt and a funny picture of the creature packed with his suitcase and ready to go. In short, a relatable image of what you may have contributed to.
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Scrub Nurse says:
I also used to give monetary donations to the Salvos and also if I was throwing out clothes that were still good like woollen jumpers and woollen blankets, I’d give it to them rather than one of the others, because of all the great work they do. That was until… Read more »
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TDMJ says:
http://www.givewell.com.au is an excellent Australian site that provides much of the information you might seek about reputable Australian charities, how they’re run and how funds are used, etc. ... I’m not associated with the company but after along career working with various charities, I’d definitely hesitate to give to any… Read more »
In the run up to Father’s Day the electrical stores are spruiking like it’s Christmas. You can be sure that along with any of the hot deals from digital cameras to TVs will come one innocent –sounding question.
At the very point of sale when you’re about to hand over the cash for dad’s gift you’ll be asked “Would you like an extended warranty with that?”
It sounds simple enough. An few extra years’ “protection” for a hundred bucks or so, depending on the price of the item.
Continue reading "Are we being served? The rort of extended warranties" »
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C A Woodbridge says:
I will never buy an extended warranty offered by harvey norman or Domain ever again. Arranged through IC Frith Insurance brokers and with their nominated repairer R& I Electronics between them they have seen more of my TV than I have and continue to take it back for repairs time… Read more »
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Ron Boaden says:
A couple of points here. Firstly, the reason Exteded Warranties can only be purchased at the time of sale is due to a stupid Govt. regulation that states that (for some obscure reason) if it is offered after the sale, it constitutes insurance advice, which can only be offered by… Read more »
I can’t decide which takes the cake - the grey vinyl lap top bag for a women who doesn’t own a lap top, or the magazine filled with pictures of kelpies for a wife to browse during labour.
Neither were as cruel as the all-expenses-paid trip to Morocco where the she was promptly dumped. Or as indiscreet as the yoga mat recommended by his “friend” the yoga instructor - who he’s now dating.
It’s incredible what some men think is an acceptable gift for their partner.
Continue reading "You got me what? Men and the terrible gifts they buy" »
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Louise O says:
A friends husband brought her an ironing board for her birthday - thankfully she hit him with it. Read more »
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Holly says:
Else, you win! Read more »
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