Christmas Shopping Madness

[Kwahati]

I'm just curious if anyone else is getting caught up in holiday shopping ridiculousness. I was of the impression there was no "must have" gift this holiday season. I read an article about that there was no "must have" gift this season in the Post and I believed it. Silly me. Apparently there was some trouble with the production of the extra parts for the rock band video game (specifically guitars and drum sets). So my roommate and I spent some time looking for that, but after about a week of looking, had no issue buying it at a perfectly reasonable hour of the day. Disaster averted, no Christmas shopping madness yet. Then my female roommate doesn't know what to get my male roommate for Christmas. I come up with the grand idea of on of Guitar Hero's Les Paul style guitars. Turns out you can only get those with Guitar Hero 3. Turns out, those are sold out pretty much everywhere... We go out looking for it and, at our second store at the mall, find the exact thing we're looking for (GH3 with the black Les Paul). Once again, disaster averted. Still no Christmas shopping madness. Then I get asked by one of my computer users at work if I know anything about the Nintendo Wii. Yeah, I know about it. I own one! She asks if I know where to get it. Surprised, I tell her you should be able to get it from any game store. The thing came out over a year ago, the demand can't be that great, right? Wrong. The damned thing is sold out everywhere. Huh. Who'd have thunk it? I am in the unique position of being able to laugh at that situation. People scrambling around, getting to stores butt-ass early in the morning to try to get one of these things, but I've already got one! I'm left out of this holiday shopping madness...until: My male roommate's mother calls him and asks if he knows where to find a Wii because she would like to give one to my roommate's little brother and sister for Christmas. Turns out, we have heard something about that they're going to be giving out vouchers at Best Buy that will allow you to come back the next day and pick up your Wii. Good system. No scrambling around, not getting up at the butt-crack of dawn. Okay, we'll see if we can get the kids a Wii. So we go to Best Buy and ask about this: Yes, we're told, they will be giving out vouchers at 1am and they're expecting a crowd, so show up early. We get there at 11pm in the freezing rain to find there are only a couple of other people there. Eventually, I am able to get the attention of a person inside the store who comes to the doors to see what the hell we want. Turns out, the plan changed, they'll be passing out vouchers at 6:30am, two hours before store opening. Okay, we'll wait I guess (same thing we did when the Wii came out originally...better than a year ago!). So about a half hour later (standing int the freezing rain which is now falling harder) security shows up and informs us that we cannot wait outside the store. We will not be allowed to gather until 6:30am. So now I'm up (as we have been all night for fear of not getting up on time) well before the butt-crack of dawn, to go make a mad dash across a parking lot at the stroke of 6:30 (still in the freezing rain) and try to get a Wii. What in the hell am I doing? I'm getting to old for this crap. Anybody else dealing with this sort of thing? Or did you all avoid this by paying the horribly jacked-up prices scalpers are charging on ebay?

Just looking for some stories or laughs to make me feel better...

Thanks, J

[Randy B]

I'm just curious if anyone else is getting caught up in holiday shopping ridiculousness.
Just looking for some stories or laughs to make me feel better...

Thanks, J

You're gonna hate me.

In my family, we decided a long time ago that there are to be no presents for those individuals above highschool age. And only immediate family. So I only have 3 persons to purchase for, two nieces and a nephew. And I found a board game that they would all enjoy and so one (count'em) present to buy this year. One visit to Amazon about T-giving and I'm done.

BTW one thing I have done a few times is to print (on my own printer) a "certificate" good for one shopping spree to the local book store (they all love books) with "Uncle Randy". And since they generally get around to redeeming them in the summer, I can even defer the costs that long too. :D:

(hides behind a very thick and sturdy wall to avoid the large, heavy, sharp objects that are now being propelled in his direction.)

Randy

[Big Wallaby]

Not propelling anything your way, Randy, unless I see a bear behind you. I think that's brilliant. In this day and age, too many spoiled kids out there, so if you and your family are training your kids to be thankful for the (I hate to use this term for this, but it's what the rest of the world would call them) "lesser" gifts, then you're giving them a much, much larger gift down the road.

[DisneyMom]

As much as the Wii looks like great fun, thankfully my kids(18 and almost 20) are set for Christmas with Disneyland annual passes, Guitar Hero 3,and will get
some clothes, and maybe something like a gift card to Barnes and Noble...
I like Guitar Hero 3 because it is the only game they'll have without the violence....
A side note, because I didn't know where else to put it...
Hubby and I went to Hollywood to get some new Disney Soda Fountain pin releases yesterday. They always have a multitude of costumed characters there on Hollywood Blvd. for photo ops, but darn it, we didn't bring one...Too bad, cause there, in front of us, was someone in a South Park's Mr. Hanky, the Christmas Poo Costume! And you thought YOUR job sucks!

[lady ulrike]

I am sending pics of my daughter to parents and grandparents, and that covers most of my list. Mainly cause I'm really broke and can't afford to buy much of anything for anyone.

[Princess Susi]

You are gonna hate me too. We have done NO Christmas shopping. We will pick up Disney goodies for my folks and the kids next door this week at DL and that is it. We did not even decorate at all this year, just not in the mood after a very sad year for us.

I like Randy's idea of a certificate for B&N. That is what I ask for every year, a B&N gift card. My parents sent Ralph and I each one. We are going to DL for our Christmas present to each other. That is enough money to spend at Christmas!
sues
btw: Good luck in that rain! That sucks. I could not do that! :)
Happy Chanukah!!!!!

[DisneyMom]

Lady Ulrike, I'm thinking thoses photos would be the best Christmas Gift for your relatives.Really Christmas is for kids, and I do feel for all everyone at this time who feel all the pressure. Years ago, when it was just me and the kids, I found a fake plastic tree someone was selling for 10 dollars on the corner, trucked it home, tied McDonalds Happy Meal toys on it for ornaments, and set up a little race car set underneath it for the boys. That was it, no other money for anything else,thank goodness the boys were happy, so I was too.
I hope that everyone here will have a wonderful holiday and not feel the pressure that comes along with it. I'm thinking the ones that love you and your family are just happy that you love them too. :)

[Princess Susi]

Lady Ulrike, I'm thinking thoses photos would be the best Christmas Gift for your relatives.Really Christmas is for kids, and I do feel for all everyone at this time who feel all the pressure. Years ago, when it was just me and the kids, I found a fake plastic tree someone was selling for 10 dollars on the corner, trucked it home, tied McDonalds Happy Meal toys on it for ornaments, and set up a little race car set underneath it for the boys. That was it, no other money for anything else,thank goodness the boys were happy, so I was too.
I hope that everyone here will have a wonderful holiday and not feel the pressure that comes along with it. I'm thinking the ones that love you and your family are just happy that you love them too. :)

*cue up the Charlie Brown's Christmas music.....*

Thank you Disnemom for a heartfelt post...Remembering what Christmas is about gets lost sometimes in the mad dash to be the first to have <insert latest must have here>. Home, family, a cup of hot cocoa, green bean casserole(!) friends, (kittycats chewing on the light cords :shock: like in Christmas Vacation movie, just kidding on that one), and love for everyone important in our lives is for me the best Christmas. If I can continue to post here and have you all in my family, and Ralph and I can continue to keep love alive, that is what matters!
Happy Holidays everyone... :D:
Awwwwww...DisneyMom. you made me get gooshy and sappy on all of ya...... ;)


Take that Grumpy Pirate!!!! I know you hate *sentiment*, but I will be giving you an invisible hug with the rest of my family here! Have a sneaky pirate Christmas!!!!!! ;) HUGS all around! If I could see each and every one of you (except maybe, "Timmy, I pretty much hate you all"...:hysteria :) I would give each of you a big Susi hug, and then you get one frpm Ralphie too. He loves hugs more than anything else in the world. Except me. And who knows, in the spirit of the season, I might even hug Timmy..... ;)

[hobie16]

Until yesterday I had everyone covered except my wife.

Me: Honey, what would you like for Christmas?

Honey: I'm sure you'll find something nice.

Me: (Under breath) Why can't women make up their minds?

So yesterday the ladies were discussing singing and how it would be neat to get a karoke machine. Bingo! Between Musicians Friend and Amazon I'm done.

HUGS all around! If I could see each and every one of you (except maybe, "Timmy, I pretty much hate you all"...:hysteria :) I would give each of you a big Susi hug, and then you get one frpm Ralphie too. He loves hugs more than anything else in the world. Except me. And who knows, in the spirit of the season, I might even hug Timmy..... ;)

If you and Ralphie can't get through to Timmie with a hug you might try a noogie.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

We Kind of do the same thing that Randy B does. The kids (grandkids) get the toys and stuff, years ago we decided to limit gifts of clothing to the kids, as that is usually a disappointment to them. WE give gift cards to the adults and DW likes to make other things. THis year she embroderied towl sets and stuff like that. The only thing I bought for Setepson was a t-shirt: 'More Cowbell!"

(next DW IS going to make "Bunny Jamies" for the grand kids like in "A Christmas Story")