12 Responses:

1. merovingian says:

   15 years ago at 8:29 pm

   My partner's birthday is Groundhog Day, so I always give at least one.

   I suspect if it were the same one every year I'd be sleeping on the couch soon enough, though.

   • kfringe says:

     15 years ago at 8:37 pm

     Your partner has no respect for tradition.

   • kowh says:

     15 years ago at 9:10 pm

     The trick is to make sure it vanishes a few months previous, so they'll think it's a replacement for the one they lost. That way you don't even have to buy a new one.

     • wikkit42 says:

       15 years ago at 9:26 pm

       Genius! It'd take me a few years to catch on.

       (you have any connection to dnet?)

     • saveyoursanity says:

       15 years ago at 11:20 pm

       Alternatively, just buy them something they use frequently enough that they'll break it by the time you need to give them a gift again.

       My parents have received 3 coffee pots from me due to this.

       (They drink a lot of coffee.)

     • hafnir says:

       15 years ago at 1:48 pm

       I have one friend whose birthday is Groundhog Day, and another who receives the same gift for Christmas every year. Clearly these concepts must be combined.

       Although actually, my cat's birthday is April Fools and she gets the same gift every year - a bottomless foodbowl for the day!

       So if the gift is consumable, you can give the same gift over and over!

2. mc_kingfish says:

   15 years ago at 9:35 pm

   If you give a scarf, it means 6 more weeks of winter.

3. alexeilebedev says:

   15 years ago at 11:02 pm

   make sure to at least re-post this 1 year from now

4. rbradakis says:

   15 years ago at 6:42 am

   I love it.

5. letters_in_sand says:

   15 years ago at 8:26 am

   perhaps a desk set, a la dead poets society. then you can get twice the movie-referential goodness in one holiday.

6. vincentbondy says:

   15 years ago at 8:50 pm

   The real trick is to give the gift, steal it when the recipient is sleeping, then give it to them in the exact same way for at least a week.

7. positricity says:

   15 years ago at 11:14 pm

   We have this. In my case, it's an airsoft gun. When it comes out from being unwrapped, the giver is in trouble unless his gift is also open.

   Its companions include our Nerf and Super Soaker crap from the same era. Or a .177 Pellet Magnum, my iteration of which is nicknamed "Amon Ra."

   Hand off to the right, dodge to the left.

   The last time we played with more than 3 people it was after a LAN party at my friend Ian's (now Microsoftie) house, at 7 in the morning. There was some Matrix and Star Wars escapology being attempted. Sadly, the Force does not exist, and "Nerf Time" is mostly when the wind smiles favorably on you.

   Eventually, if anyone comes back to the Northern, VA area, they're going to face my paintballs. Or shoulder, or back, or chest my paintballs. I've been working in IT since 11th grade, which means I have issues.