Christmas number 29
This was Christmas #29 for me and I find it somewhat funny to think about Christmas presents over the years. Every year we get presents for Christmas, but how many presents to we actually remember getting and loving? Most of those are from our childhood, supposedly when presents were a big deal. But sometimes…just sometimes…you get a present that is a big deal even when you’re an adult.
The one Christmas present I remember getting that literally changed my life was my Nintendo. I got it when I was in fourth grade and it actually wasn’t much of a gift because I had to pay for half of it. I saved up $50, which was a feat when you’re 10, and dumped it all into that Christmas. Then without much surprise, the NES was under the tree Christmas morning. I still have that NES and it still works and still gets used. It has been a very well loved machine that I have to blame for my gaming addiction.
Outside of the Nintendo Christmas, presents seemingly blur between birthday and Christmas. I remember toys that I think I got for Christmas, but they might have come on my birthday. Hard to say. Another big present I remember getting was a slot car set. I wanted one so bad because a friend had a huge set. Well, I got it and it was loved for about a month, then it just sat there. Slot cars are really a team sport and being a solo kid I put more effort and care into my model train.
I remember getting a lot of GI Joe guys and toys every Christmas from relatives, along the lots of LEGO sets. All of this was great until Santa died and presents became less and less fun, at least those that came from the parents. But I admit, during my teens I was probably very hard to buy gifts for - or at least I made them think so.
By that point it was all about video games and not much else. And at that point in time the whole pop culture trinket market wasn’t quite as robust as it is today.
But sharing your Christmases with someone special changes everything. I’ve already stated how cool my wife is, and this Christmas she proved it yet again. Along with the requested video games, DVDs, and other Christmas list items, there was a small box of which I had no idea what was inside. Honestly, this Christmas I had forgotten most of what I had asked for. I figured I blew my wad on the Xbox on my birthday, which I accepted, so most of the Christmas gifts were legit surprises. I unwrapped the small box to findSpace GhostI was truly floored. It was a Space Ghost Christmas ornament. It wasn’t anything fancy or anything I could get much “use” out of, but it was something that was so personal and seemingly so rare that it just lit me up. Cartoons, and Space Ghost imparticular, have influenced my life just as much as video games. I owe a lot to Space Ghost, believe it or not. But Space Ghost got canceled years ago and alas there isn’t much out there for Space Ghost anymore. So to see something new with Space Ghost was just a treat.
It was the one gift I didn’t plan on getting. A true surprise. And those are always the best gifts to receive.
I don’t remember a lot of childhood presents except for my microscope and pellet gun I shot a window out with on Christmas day. I do remember the ones from more recent years - especially the ones that I still use like DVD sets and clothes.
Anymore, Christmas presents are clothes. That’s not really a bad thing, since most of the clothes I have are very old (I don’t go shopping much), and only get replaced when they finally wear out.
My parents weren’t sure what I wanted, so they gave me cash. The cash came with a catch. I was not permitted to use it for bills or other run of the mill expenses. Nice! I went shopping on the day after Christmas to take advantage of the sales. I later thanked my parents for the new Levi’s jeans and Keurig coffee maker.
Your article makes me want to go back and dig through all the video of Christmases past. I’d love to take those old 8mm video tapes and get them digitized (and edited down some) and put onto DVD.
G+
Jen got her Keurig maker this Christmas too. It works really well and I had some of the hot chocolate that came with it and it’s (unfortunately) really good. But it’s also a great hot water maker too, for the Swiss Miss mornings.
I don’t mind clothes either because every year it seems like I need a new hat or scarf. The problem is everyone gets me a scarf, so now I have like four of them. If clothes is the “I don’t know what to get you” gift, then just had out a Kohls gift card or something. Straight cash is always good.
From my chidhood present do remember receiving a NES and SNES (not the same year Duh!). The game I remember receiving that I played like crazy for the following year was Final Fantasy 3 (ff6 in the real timeline)
But that was the time where I could waste countless hour on a game and didn’t mind. A luxury today I don’t have anymore …
Today, I get mostly cloth and home stuff I’ve putted on blankless. A website we put our gift we want on a list and friend and family can claim the one they want to give us.
I didn’t worked that well with my tech noob parent, hope next year they will understand the concept of claiming the gift :P
Great blog by the way, I stumbled on it recently from what your office looked like post !
Welcome Chris. Hope you make the Toast a somewhat regular blog visit. :) And now there’s two Chris-es that post here, so lets hope we can keep you both straight!
It looks like your parents hadn’t noticed your swords and daggers faze durring your teen years. You could have come downstairs to find a 2 foot pewter gargoyle holding a knife. I can go by C squared if you like, it’s a nickname i got at work.
Big G- I recently found that shopping at Goodwill is a great way to get some nice button down shirts (Ralph Lauren, Van Huesen) for $2 to $4. Do some digging and you find a lot of nice stuff for very cheap. I have been dressing a lot nicer since I started getting clothes there.
That reminds me I need to hit up the thrift store again. I love looking for new shirts. Even if the thing only lasts one season, it only cost me $3!