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Open Thread – 26 December 2006

Information December 26 2006
 — By CJ

Well, Christmas has come and gone. I love this time of year. Here’s the chance to tell your favorite Christmas story. What was the best thing you got or gave yesterday? Any funny “not another necktie” stories? As for me, I got an electric guitar with amp AND Guitar Hero II for Playstation 2 that I can’t put down.

(19) Readers Comments

  1. sue

    12/26/2006 at 6:26 am

    Personally I don’t wear neckties, so I really don’t have any of those stories! I guess my best gift was the new commercial grade, extra large capacity mixer that my daughter bought me. I was so happy to see that puppy because Christmas Eve, my old one gave out. I think the 20 batches of cookies last week for the guys was just too much for it so the whipped cream I was attempting for dessert put it over the top.

    I think the best thing I gave, reaction wise was a bag of cherry hershey kisses and a box of devil dogs in a Christmas pkg I sent to one of my young guys over in Iraq. The thank you I got from him was priceless.

  2. 12/26/2006 at 7:04 am

    One of the best Christmas gifts I got this year was a phone call from SNAFU in Iraq. As Sue knows, I’ve been stressing out the last few days, because I hadn’t heard from him in over a week. Another would be, being able to spend Christmas with my youngest son and his girlfriend. I hadn’t been back home the last 2 Christmases to be with my family, so it was great having family here with me. Actual gift wise would be the beautiful diamond earrings that SNAFU sent me for Christmas. He totally took me by surprise.

    Probably the best I gave, would be the packages I sent to SNAFU. Being able to still send him a bit of home at Christmas and knowing that he would be able to have that small bit of comfort from home while he’s in Iraq and would be able to use and enjoy what I sent him.

  3. 12/26/2006 at 8:49 am

    I bought myself a new backrest, sissy bar, and flag for my scoot. “Ohhhhh, THANK YOU, LL, you’re the BEST!” Actually, the best gift I got was a gift card to the local spa for a full body massage. I’m stressed and that thing is gonna get used in a couple of weeks, trust me!

    The best gift I gave…well, actually, it was reindeer antlers with bells on ‘em to a friend in Iraq. I’m eagerly waiting for pictures. And I also sent him some Borden’s Egg Nog in a can which he said he was craving egg nog, so it worked out perfectly. I think that gift was the one that gave me the biggest warm fuzzies. My kids would argue that their gifts were pretty awesome, but they just got “stuff” versus love and good wishes from a million miles away. Wait, I take that back, my kids DID get love and good wishes, but not from so far.

    Ok, you know what, it’s just too early in the morning right now. I plead forgiveness on the discontinuity of my thoughts.

  4. 12/26/2006 at 10:56 am

    Oooh, LL. You made at least one soldier happy. I remember when Emily sent me my EggNog for Christmas I was elated. I couldn’t wait to crack it open. mmmmmmmm……………egg nog

  5. yankeemom

    12/26/2006 at 11:30 am

    My bestest gift is my BabyGirl soldier being able to come home – she’s asleep in her bedroom right now.

    The bestest gift I gave that gave me the “warmest fuzzies”, as LL says, was the time spent last week visiting our wounded Iraq vets and older vets at the VA Hospital here. Wait ~ maybe that’s another gift for me – they give such wonderful hugs and smiles.

    Okay, my husband really really loved his Mutron 3 envelope filter thingie for his guitars. I have no idea what it is, my not being talented that way, but he’s wanted one for a long time and he’s very happy.

    And Terri – I’m so glad you heard from SNAFU!!!!

  6. 12/26/2006 at 4:50 pm

    Yankeemom your post made me smile. MY babygirl managed to make it home for Christmas too! Funny tho – mine was snowed in – her flight cancelled…and it didnt look as if she would be able to get here. After that call I emailed a friend “at least MY girl is in the same country as I am!”…Next day she made it here – and then today??? Stuck here at home, cos her return flight was cancelled! We laughed when I told her I really couldnt pretend to be disappointed at THIS cancellation.lol.. Her local airport “snowed in” again…so back here , and now she is ON a plane – rescheduled flight – again! but just been told they may get a free return flight back here if they can’t land!!! So although my girl has not returned from the sandbox (more like the snow zone!) I am thankful for her here this Christmas. Can any mother ask for any greater gift? And the present from me to her that she and me love the most? A rolling pin…..really. She had mentioned the other week that she was trying to make pastry the way we did all her young years but she had no rolling pin…Mum on a mission….lol….Now though….she left it here to be packed and mailed, because even on internal flights she says she probably would not be allowed to carry that on.. …so only a few innocuous non-threatening adaptable presents on the plane and the rest to be mailed. Ahhhh the joys and blessings of Christmas… :)

  7. 12/26/2006 at 6:08 pm

    My most recent was from yesterday. Chloe (my 4 year old and the Patriotic Peewee on YouTube) said when blessing the morning meal on Christmas Eve – “Please bless Jesus that he will like our presents.” Kids%u2026%u2026..gotta love them!!

  8. 12/26/2006 at 6:22 pm

    Gift I gave that got the best reaction? I giant inflatable baseball to my sisters. It was an impulse buy at the last minute as I was in the toy department at Walmart looking for a gift for my cousin’s daughter who we weren’t expecting back in Texas for the holidays. For $5, they will get lots of enjoyment out of it – they plan to take it out to the ballpark this summer, and play with it in left field (I wonder what the players will say??).

    Funniest thing from this Christmas? Being a newly graduated teacher, I had children’s books on my list. I didn’t get any of the ones on my list, but my cousin’s almost-one-year-old “gave” me a copy of Walter the Farting Dog”. I had never read that one, so I decided to read it then. One of my uncles was in from Houston and had three of his four sons (college age, roughly) with him. I was sitting next to Matt, so he was reading over my shoulder. Collin and Scott seemed interested, too, so I started reading aloud. I soon had all three of them standing over me (sitting on the ledge in front of Grandma’s fireplace), looking at the pictures while I read the story….

  9. 12/26/2006 at 11:08 pm

    My very best present this year?

    I gotta tell ya. That is an easy one.

    And I got it before Christmas day. My wife said, %u201CHoney, I have a hair appointment. I will be back in a few hours.%u201D OK I thought, cool, knock yourself out, go get your hair done.
    So I am sitting on the computer and what am I doing, reading over ASP, One Marines View, Black Five, Sand Gram and Michelle Malkin, (my favorite five), and writing responses to the various post here and there, and I notice the wife%u2019s car pull up through the driveway going toward the garage at the back of the house. I don%u2019t pay to much attention to that but I note it.
    Now, at this point I have to point out, that I had just been talking to my daughter on line and looking at her in her barracks in Hawaii just a few hours before, or so it seemed in my mind. So when I looked up and saw her come through the back door, all I could manage was a %u201CWhat are you doing here?%u201D 3 seconds latter I was holding her in my arms and crying on her shoulder. My Marine was home. My precious little girl. My Hero.
    You want to talk about Christmas Presents. Pair of gloves – $12, New Leather Briefcase – $60, Marine Home For Christmas %u2013 Priceless!!!!

    For some of my other thoughts on this subject:
    http://www.onemarinesview.com/one_marines_view/2006/12/women_fighting_.html#comment-26905109

  10. Miriam

    12/26/2006 at 11:15 pm

    For me, my brother managed to call and wish me a happy birthday…yes, I’m a Christmas baby (almost). My niece and one nephew managed to get on the phone too, so I could hear all the lamentations of no snow and the doggie poop that had to be cleaned up.

    My niece declared she was going to be a “giver this year and not a getter” and what was my e-mail so she could send me an e-card (not that it’s arrived yet or anything). :D She wanted a cell phone for Christmas. At 10 years old, who’s she trying to kid! Her dad better not give her one until she’s 21 or he’ll be paying a fortune in cell phone minutes.

    My parents, on the other hand, had to call from their emergency pre-paid minute phone because all of the regular phone lines in Florida were jammed.

  11. Bob The Liberal

    12/27/2006 at 12:54 am

    My new most hated phrase is “I got this new computer for Christmas…”

    Followed closely by “USB connection to the modem…”

    I work for a Cable ISP.

    Someone kill me please? It’s been a long day.

  12. sue

    12/27/2006 at 6:04 am

    Not acceptable Bob!! We would miss you too much!! Tomorrow is another day!! It will get better!!

  13. 12/27/2006 at 9:20 am

    Bob, I didn’t know you worked for a Cable ISP. Hey, listen, I’ve got this new laptop….you said you didn’t want to hear about computers….

  14. 12/27/2006 at 9:23 am

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY (belated) MIRIAM!!

  15. sue

    12/27/2006 at 12:23 pm

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIRIAM!!! So glad you are with us!!

  16. Bob The Liberal

    12/27/2006 at 12:26 pm

    CJ – Here, let me give you Dell’s phone number to fix that.

    We have a saying here. We support jack and sh**

  17. Miriam

    12/27/2006 at 11:37 pm

    Thanks one and all for the birthday wishes. Bob, I’ll trade you for “I’VE GOT TO GET MY TEETH CLEANED BEFORE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR OR I’LL LOSE MY BENEFITS!” :::sigh:::

  18. Carole

    12/28/2006 at 8:28 am

    Happy Birthday Miriam.
    Bob, I don’t think my best gift will upset you — it’s just a peripheral (although it does require a USB connection). My daughter decided to “bring me into the 21st century” — she got me a flash drive.

  19. Donna

    12/28/2006 at 9:40 pm

    Happy Birthday Miriam!! Better late than never they say!! :)