I didn’t really ask for any big gifts this year. I mean, sure, I wanted a stand mixer and a stock pot, but these are not the kinds of gifts built for air travel. However, I didn’t know that my parents were getting my brother a laptop.

    My parents got me:
  • an iHome (!)
  • the ultimate Brenda sweater: grey cashmere, scoopneck, with scalloping
  • Veronica Mars DVDs
  • a book
  • the promise of a cheque to pay for a stock pot
  • the always-suprising movie poster calendar
    • Brother got me:
  • Clone High DVDs
    • Grandparents got me:
  • Tommy Hilfiger sweater (because they don’t know I never wear Tommy Hilfiger stuff except my summer bathrobe and that blazer Alex bought and then gave it to me because he realized it was womens’)
  • cheque for $50
    • Dan and Tim got me, respectively:
  • a pale blue fleece blanket
  • red mixing bowls which are remarkably similar to the red mixing bowls I already own, but can be exchanged for other cookware (updates pending
    • Alex got me (which I opened a few days ago):
  • Dawn Powell book
  • Orange bird wallet I liked at Propaganda (trust me it’s awesome)

Things I got for people:

    Mom (with brother):
  • Running mitts
  • Cutesy Santa ornament and snowman
    • Dad (with brother):
  • B.B. King duets CD
  • Both Kill Bill movies; they don’t come as a set, but I taped them together
    • Brother:
  • Propaghandi CD (not the new one, which he already bought)*
    • Alex:
  • Taupe/brownish cardigan
    • Dan and Tim, respectively:
  • no idea yet
  • one idea, maybe
  • both: baked goods!

My family Christmas Eve consisted of a taco dinner that included homemade guacamole (mine) and homemade refried beans (my brother’s), then driving out the south end of our subsection to check out the really gaudy house, which had 14 of these awful inflatable decorations and played music. This was my mom’s idea. My mom’s idea of a good Christmas Eve was to check out a house’s decorations for their ironic value. My heart grew about three sizes. My brother said “I am your son!”

Awesome.

*I got this from a CD store in a mall, and the punk section had Hot Hot Heat in it. In whose world are they remotely punk rock? That dude looks like Canadian Idol who would never have won in a less dorky country Kalan Porter.