Dear So and So

[Owlie]

Dear personal statement--
Why are you so hard to write? I hate writing about myself--it seems like bragging. And then I have to edit you to suit four different schools, then write another one for the fifth? I'd crawl into a hole now, but I have two weeks until the application deadline.

[Emily_A]

Dear website client,

I'm sorry I got snippy with you on the phone. I felt bad about that for the rest of the day. But I have to say...My time is as valuable as yours, and I know you were lying when you told me that you followed the written directions and that you still got an error message. It's obvious that you never even looked at them. I'm not stupid. I strongly suspect that you are, but I still shouldn't have let me tone of voice betray that suspicion. Next time I will be nothing but cool and professional...as I imagine banging my head against a wall.

Thank you.

[Cataboo]

Dear sister,

We all make amazon wishlists to make christmas presents easy, and I always put $10-$20 biking or kayaking accessories I could use on it (new handlebar tape is always good), because I don't want anyone to spend too much money on me. The fact that nothing on your wishlist is under $100 is mildly irksome, but I really don't understand why you've refused to buy me anything off my wishlist for the past 3 years now for birthdays or christmas. You buy from our brothers wishlists, so you're already buying things from amazon, if you pop something in for me it's free shipping! So instead you buy me random things that I do appreciate but don't really need or have a use for. Then you tell me "Well, I didn't understand anything on your wishlist." This morning you called me to ask "Is there anything you want for Christmas other than that bike stuff you have on your wishlist?" REALLY? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BUY ME CHEAP BIKE STUFF?

Your ungrateful and perplexed little sister

[channlluv]

Maybe she's looking to buy you something more expensive to show you how much she loves you.

Roxy

[bmccasland]

There's more expensive bike stuff - a gift certificate to TE? Not available on Amazon, but easily obtainable.

[jessmarimba]

She sounds like she feels that holidays are for acquiring "fun" stuff, not "useful" stuff. And since she doesn't understand that useful bike stuff means fun for you...she doesn't want to get it. Maybe? I'm trying to see her side!

I certainly enjoy shopping for my sister more than anyone else, since she's easy to get fun stuff for. And we don't do wishlists.

[Cataboo]

(((( Beth & Harold ))))

She sounds like she feels that holidays are for acquiring "fun" stuff, not "useful" stuff. And since she doesn't understand that useful bike stuff means fun for you...she doesn't want to get it. Maybe? I'm trying to see her side!

I certainly enjoy shopping for my sister more than anyone else, since she's easy to get fun stuff for. And we don't do wishlists.

I do put fun stuff on there! Cute bike baskets or cute grips or things that I don't really need, I'd like... but I haven't managed to put it in the budget as something I really need. Colored tires. So they're more "luxuries" vs things I actually need.

We started doing wishlists a few years back when it was becoming obvious that everyone wanted to buy each other gifts, but that we weren't spending enough time together or didn't have a sense of each other's hobbies enough to really figure out nice gifts. There were more and more gift cards and random cool things that we didn't have use for.

I'm not entirely certain my sister has hobbies, she's got ugg boots and perfumes on her wishlist. My youngest brother likes video games, computer parts, and bluray movies. My older brother has taken up hunting and likes high end cooking stuff. I'm usually happy with bike, kayak, ski, or book stuff... My niece makes one of all the toys she wants, and my brother in law makes one. My mother is always a problem. So we just keep amazon wishlists to make it simple and theoretically that means each of us can just log in, spend about 5 or 10 mins and order things in one big lot. If you have enough things on your wishlist, it's always a surprise what you get or don't and it's all stuff you'd like. I try to figure out some small item for each person that's not on their wishlist, but is more thoughful.

We've done the gift card thing before - but it is kind of nice having something actually to open christmas morning.

[lph]

Giftgiving can be really confusing. My MIL is so obsessed about giving the perfect gift (because otherwise "no-one will like her", you see ) that she almost chewed my 13 yr.old sons ear off for not having created a wishlist yet. Nevermind that it's his first year with grades at school, lots of homework and big end-of-year tests that he takes very seriously, plus he works 2 hours every day delivering the newspaper, plus we're going abroad (to JORDAN! ) for the christmas holidays as of tomorrow and won't even be seeing them until we get back in 2 weeks - nope, wishlists Must Be Written Before Christmas Or Else.

[channlluv]

There's more expensive bike stuff - a gift certificate to TE? Not available on Amazon, but easily obtainable.

I was thinking, Cataboo, you could ask for her to sponsor your next triathlon entry. Those are $$.

Roxy

[Owlie]

I don't know, I have a hard time buying for people who have hobbies that I don't understand. I'd rather get them a gift card for a related store (or Amazon. You can buy nearly anything on Amazon!) than try to make guesses. Granted, a wish list takes some of the guesswork out of it.

Dear former(?) favorite jeans:
You're possibly the oldest thing in my closet. Why do you still fit nearly perfectly, but have a hole in a very awkward place that is impossible to patch without it being obnoxiously visible?

[Cataboo]

Maybe she's looking to buy you something more expensive to show you how much she loves you.

Roxy

When she doesn't get things for me on my wishlist, she usually only gets me $20-30 things - last year it was a $30 costco softshell. Which was nice, but I sort of have a gazillion softshells already. She did spend more on my birthday.

I did put a couple $50 items on the wish list, but I know she's got a lot of medical bills for her daughter & her husband lately. So she can't afford to show me how much she loves me!

When she called this morning, I told her I wanted the patagonia nano puff pullover and would order it and she could give me some cash towards it for christmas - 'cause even at 45% off it was $82 and I didn't want to ask her to spend that much on me. She is starting to understand good outdoor gear, because I let her & my niece borrow a lot of mine last winter to go tubing and because of all the snow.