gifting

We have a lot of *things* coming up that warrant buying gifts for each other. Graduation... anniversary, and "Push Presents." Haven't heard about the 'push present?' It's supposedly a gift that the father is supposed to give the mother on the occasion of their child's birth. Incentive for pushing? Well, from what I've read it's only the dad who gives the mom a present, but I figure that he's been putting up with my whiney, hormonal butt for 9 months, so he deserves a present as well.

Luckily, I know what I'm going to get Dr. Zach for his graduation: vanity plates. Oh yes, and it's okay because he's heard me talk about it, no spoiler here. I think he even knows what I am going to have it say. Maybe? Well, that's what he's getting for his truck for graduation.

Zach's plans for his graduation gift? He wants an Alienware computer. His favorite games are the "Total War" line- and they've recently come out with... Empire? Total War-- and our computers, all 3 we own, aren't capable of running the game because it's so intense. You'll know Total War if you watch the History Channel- have you seen those shows where they talk about ancient/historical battle tactics and then computer animation actually illustrates what they're talking about? That's Total War. It's literally where you play historical campaigns as a historical power and use your armies and navies to defeat the other countries... you get it? Well, he's in love, and I have to admit, it's fun to watch the armies run around and the opponents move to come out of their stronghold to engage and then retreat again. Yes, we are really that nerdy. For the record: this computer will run about 4 grand, after Zach builds it custom with the specifications he wants. Wowzer. 

My ideal graduation present? Or what I plan on getting with my graduation presents? A Breitling watch. My dad has a Breitling he bought in Australia when we first moved over- or before we moved over... or something, I can't really remember, but I know he bought it in Australia. I remember this little shop that we used to walk to in downtown Melbourne so he could look at them. They're extraordinarily expensive watches- they're on par with Rolex, Cartier, TAG Hauer... but they're originally designed for pilots, they've got really awesome names, they're huge, big, heavy and chunky and so beautiful. Of course, I've always loved men's watches because they're nice and big and they cover my whole wrist, but with a Breitling, I couldn't wear a man's watch because the faces on these watches- or rather the whole structure that holds the face is bigger than my wrist is. But luckily, they make some women's watches and some of them aren't too bad- I don't want diamonds, I don't want mother-of-pearl. I want something that looks like a man's watch. A real, good, sturdy piece of machinery. Also their service plan is to die for, it'll be the last watch I ever buy. Guarantee. {I am my father's daughter. When we go to the Galleria, we always go to this one shop that sells the Breitlings and we spend between 30 and 45 minutes looking. We have a lady there who knows us and is our 'helper' and she takes watch after watch out of the case for us to look at. Last time we were there, Dad, Zach and I each tried on multiple watches... but that's a story better left for the next paragraph... }

This is what I dream of buying Zach for his 'push present' but I know we won't be able to afford it. Like...ouch. Let's say it'd be closer to 10 grand than to 5 to go and get that. This is the Breitling Blackbird. It is the most beautiful watch on the planet. {Story continues... } when we looked at watches with Dad at the Galleria over Christmas, he was pulling out the Airwolf models to look at becuase they're cheaper and he finds them a little more within his reach. So I asked Zach which one he liked and he pointed to the Blackbird, and so we asked our lady to take it out so Zach could try it on. He put it on his wrist, I asked her what the model name was and when my dad heard her say "Blackbird" he let out what can only be described as a yell of joy and he leapt across the aisle at us exclaiming about it being the one he "really wants," but never dared to ask her if he could look at it. My poor mom, who does not get nearly as excited about watch window-shopping as we do, got the most pleasure out of his little spectacle, and got quite a giggle out of watching Zach and Dad with that Blackbird. *whistles* Talk about a watch. 

Dad has done his work well, Zach and I are sold on his watch brand. We have already discussed that we don't want to go near the Rolex. It has such a negative connotation to me, it just seems like such a yuppie businessman's watch... my dad said it best when he described them: he said they're the watch that uncouth, desperate to be noticed, wannabe people buy when they get money. Zach and I are more inclined to like the TAG watches, but Zach said so many of the people at the Vet School have them, that he really wants to get something different, something that's just a nice but is a little more exclusive in its fan base. I won't repeat what Zach said about Cartier watches, because it was anything but nice (but I agree)... we like things that are different, things that not everybody has. And I love that Zach is such an individual, like me, that he'd rather find something special and let everyone else go with the others. 

So, as I ponder and contemplate the present I can *practically* get my husband for his patience present (good name, huh?), you dear readers, know where my heart lies for my sweet hubby. He won't need a new stethoscope, he doesn't need any more scrubs (woo hoo, what fun, huh?), he doesn't need a lot of stuff that I can think of. I was thinking about a new iPod, but my touch is such a hassle sometimes that I don't think he'd really like it very much more than the one he already has. Especially since he only uses it in the car- he never takes his iPod anywhere, he just leaves it in the car. Hm. At least I have a couple extra months to think about what to get for him...