Christmas presents

[pbj]

So, through a series of deaths and continued inability to produce offspring, I find myself in the unenviable position of being the only one around to buy presents for.  Last year was particularly embarrassing in the sheer quantity and quality of gifts I took home, and I fear this year will be a repeat.  As much as it distresses me to admit it, I do share similar tastes with many of you.  Protests of "please do not buy me anything" will continue to fall on deaf ears.

What's everyone requesting for Christmas this year?

[jennifer]

   I always ask for stuff from the radio shack, and usually got speaker wire and such....But now that they are closed, This year Im going to ask for the big red "R" sign off the side of the mall.

[pbj]

Yeah, did the Radio Shack thing once.  I believe they had some cold touch soldering iron for $5-10.  I asked for two. 

Got a lecture as I unwrapped them about how nobody needed two soldering irons.

[SavannahLion]

Unfortunately, I've pretty much alienated nearly all of my gift givers over the past 10 years and the remainder are too young (my kids) or too broke (the only cousin I haven't alienated since I was the only family member to show up at her wedding two states away). The last one I alienated is my brother in law when he purchased me a $50 (!) Gift card to a movie chain that takes about six hours to get to. So I gave it back to him the following year with a gentle explanation that I wasn't about to drive to the other side of the state to redeem said card. I guess he was offended since every year since, he asked to visit only with my spouse and has excluded me from every activity.

So I'll be buying my own gifts by pretending my kids picked them out I guess. I ordered an HDCP stripper and and a standalone HDMI recorder from China. Should get here sometime around the new year. I might give my other brother in law a 24 pack of beer so he can give me half to drink at the party.

[pbj]

$50 gift card you can't use.  That's epic.  Probably regifted it to you in the first place. 

[dkersten]

Everything on my list is too expensive for anyone to buy, so I treat myself and let them get me something I probably won't like but will smile and say thank you when I open it.  I already treated myself to my first X-Mas present.. a new GTX 980Ti graphics card.  Now I have my eye on the new Predator X-34 34" IPS widescreen QHD monitor with g-sync, but I am waffling on the $1250 pricetag.

The GF is moving in, I finally got an injection in my back that helped, my kids are all home for the holidays, my second novel will be published in the next couple days, and when it comes down to it I already have more than I could ever ask for.  Unfortunately when I tell others I already have everything I want, they don't listen.  So bring on a dvd I will never watch, a gift card for a store I never go to, and that shirt I will wear once and put in my closet.  Life is good.

[HaRuMaN]

Some random tools I need, some ps4 / xbox1 games, some vinyl, a drone with camera (a $50 one, not one of those crazy expensive ones), some books, a new turntable...

[knave]

I inevitably buy most of what I want throughout the year...sometimes I hold off on a few things that are easy for Family to get. Tools, clothes, books etc.
Technology is usually not a good option because Family will not choose exactly what I want...nor do I want to explain how to order hobby items from obscure websites.

When in doubt I ask for gift cards...Home depot, Harbor Freight, Steam, Restaurants or if they have to wrap it BBQ supplies...it is unromantic but it beats an ugly sweater that I will have to return or donate.

[SavannahLion]

$50 gift card you can't use.  That's epic.  Probably regifted it to you in the first place.

I dunno. They're from the beach, right on the coast in one of those million dollar two room houses overlooking the surf. It's more like they're probably a bit out of touch with the world around them. He's on call 24/7 at a tech job and surfs in his free time, she's a teacher who doesn't like kids. They don't imbibe, think the future is in electric cars, like seven grain bread and eat fish tacos. As far as I can tell, they fall just shy of the idea that everything North of the Grape Vine exists exclusively to support the L.A. basin.

[BadMouth]

I always ask for things that I want, but could not bring myself to buy because of the price.
Not necessarily expensive items, but too much money for what it is.
I love me some thick smartwool hiking socks, but would never pay $20 out of my own pocket for them.
Hey you're going to spend $40 regardless, so what does it matter if it's two overpriced items or a pile of cheap stuff?

My parents have always been obsessed with buying me winter coats. 

As for what you should ask for:

Look at all the oddball tools Kreg makes (Last year I asked for big 250 count boxes of Kreg screws in various sizes)
Cheap streaming devices for spare or oddly located TVs.
Dremel cut-off wheels
I bought this indoor/outdoor thermometer and love the thing: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GLDQFPY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

[CCM]

So I gave it back to him the following year with a gentle explanation that I wasn't about to drive to the other side of the state to redeem said card. I guess he was offended since every year since, he asked to visit only with my spouse and has excluded me from every activity.

The gift card was a crappy gift, but it seems like you went out of your way to create unnecessary family drama.   You kept it for a year, just to give it back to him?  Why not just give it to someone else that could use it?

Anyway, back on topic...

I am asking for quad rails and a new scope for my AR.

 

[harveybirdman]

I wouldn't mind getting a rom burner for the Rayforce conversion I'd like to do someday.

[johnrt]

Peace on earth. 

[vwalbridge]

I want johnrt to give me his DK cab when he is done.

Also this...

[pbj]

This thread is depressing.  Don't any of you enjoy life?  :-P

I like the drone idea.  That's a dumb toy I can send someone loose on. 

[vwalbridge]

I want pbj to build me a bartop arcade that plays virtual pinball for a Christmas present.

[HaRuMaN]

This thread is depressing.  Don't any of you enjoy life?  :-P

I like the drone idea.  That's a dumb toy I can send someone loose on.

this is the one I have on my wish list, not too expensive, decent reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D3IN11Q/

[pbj]

I want pbj to build me a bartop arcade that plays virtual pinball for a Christmas present.

We can make this happen.  Have one of those tinker toy kits shipped my way.

[johnrt]

Ok then!

Yesterday I ordered one of these for myself:
http://www.amazon.com/PAC-MAN-Premium-LED-Desk-Clock/dp/B0161ZWIIO/

[vwalbridge]

Ok then!

Yesterday I ordered one of these for myself:
http://www.amazon.com/PAC-MAN-Premium-LED-Desk-Clock/dp/B0161ZWIIO/

For $80, does it at least play pac-man too?

[johnrt]

Ok then!

Yesterday I ordered one of these for myself:
http://www.amazon.com/PAC-MAN-Premium-LED-Desk-Clock/dp/B0161ZWIIO/

For $80, does it at least play pac-man too?

Of course not. And do you really think I got away with $80? I'm living in no man's land so I had to pay additionally 27 USD for shipping.

[knave]

I forgot about Coffee! I love to get coffee as a present...New stuff or my usual. I will brew it and appreciate it. 

Board/card games can be good too, Easy for folks to find/order and you are likely to get what you asked for.
Fluxx is popular at our house.

[pbj]

That pacman clock is pretty cool.....

[yotsuya]

I like that Pac-Man clock as opposed to the Bradford Exchange one I've seen.

[Howard_Casto]

+1 on the Kregg stuff.  I hope Santa brings me a pocket hole jig. 

The thing about asking for fun stuff is, at least in my family people can't seem to understand why a grown man would want something fun.  It's like whimsy is supposed to die at adulthood or something.  Screw that!  I'm chocked full of whimsy damn it! Chocked full!!!

Normally if I ask for something straight forward like a video game the family will get it for me, but that's about it. 

Something that I've been getting into recently because I'm a massive dork are novelty watches.  They have those watches with the hidden face, Doctor Who pocket watches, a BTTF flux capacitor watch ect..... They are cheap and easy to buy. 

I really want some flash carts for my consoles but I fear asking for one would be as complicated as asking for an unlicensed nuclear accelerator to the family.

The erector set robot that came out this year is pretty fun.  Reminds me of Johnny 5. 

Drones are awesome as well.  Or should I say rc quadcoptors as they aren't drones. That's a small pet peeve of mine. 

Oh and there is a "life sized" Yoda robot that's pretty fun and I'm not even into Star Wars that much. 

[pbj]

Good call on that robot.  All it needs is a Kathy Ireland mask and it's good to go.

[Howard_Casto]

Just as long as it's Kathy Ireland circa 1998 and not 2015. 

[Token]

My Christmas gift is the Ultimarc order I placed the other day. I-PAC Ultimate, buttons, and LEDs. I'm sure my wife will pick up a couple other small items, too.

We have five kids, so Christmas is more about them.

[pbj]

We have five kids

[Token]

Yeah. I've heard it all. We ain't Catholic. Or Mormon. We don't homeschool.

After we did our part to ensure the survival of our genetic code, we adopted three more.

[Token]

If anybody ever had a valid reason for making a four-player MAME cab, it was me.

And I didn't.

[harveybirdman]

If anybody ever had a valid reason for making a four-player MAME cab, it was me.

And I didn't.

I like your style Dude

[Slippyblade]

After we did our part to ensure the survival of our genetic code, we adopted three more.

Rep for you!  Wish there were more willing to do that.

[Howard_Casto]

Just remember to help control the pet population and please have your children spayed or neutered. 

[Generic Eric]

The erector set robot that came out this year is pretty fun.  Reminds me of Johnny 5. 

Meccano?

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah.... meccano is actually erector, they re-branded a couple of years ago.  There's a 4 foot model and a 2 foot model and from what I've seen they are extremely impressive in terms of what they can do. 

[yotsuya]

All I ever ask for are Amazon gift cards.

[thomas_surles]

I asked my wife to get me one thing from my list.

Turbo graphics 16
sega cd
3do
sega saturn
neo geo cd
or any everdrive.

so it will probably be an ebay gift card.

[Locke141]

My wife used my Amazon account to order my gift. It has to be shipped to the courier my new job uses, at a cost of $7 per LBS from my pay check. The office will sent me an email when it arrives with a description of what it is. So now I have to jump throw hoops to not find out what my gift is. Still I'm excited.

For my wife, a tanzanite  bracelet was lost in the move that I got her as a birthing gift when my son was born. I'm having a friend bring an identical one from Tanzania when she come for X-mass.

For my self, I ordered a pandoras box 3 kit, that I'll probably give away after the build is finished. 

[pbj]

Tanzanite?  Damn, son.