The holiday detritus thread: herein you may discuss the various tchatchkes, mass-produced seasonal foods, bizarre greeting cards and other special items you have received

Got one of these as a *gift* from wife's teaching assistant:

http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Travel/Tours/England/York/TerrysChocolateOrange.jpg

It's kind of good. I keep picking at it.

That and the cinnamon rugelach from Zabar's, but those are almost too good to fit this thread.

i love those chocolate oranges.

my grandmother sent us two boxes of eclairs or cannollis or something, apparently ordered from QVC, and they came packed with several pounds of dry ice. my dad and i were far more entertained by the dry ice sublimating, or whatever it does, than interested in the desserts.

ooh, she also sent some pork ribs. mom: "pork ribs? we don't eat pork! she RAISED me that way!" dad: "i like pork ribs." mom: "she's trying to get you to agree to move down to live near her."

My aunt, who is still obsessed with her late Yorkshire Terrier, sent us a second Yorkie-themed gag card. This one says "Raiders of the Lost Bark" The last one was "Yelp!"

I have never been much for gift-giving, and actually tend to really dislike gift receiving - but this year I got two totally unexpected gifts from friends that were just so... perfect and made me realise how well they know me, and they just made me so happy.

One friend gave me an absolutely gorgeous bright purple scarf with gold accents from Nepal! And another couple gave me a video about crime-solving mathematicians and a book about stonehenge by Rosemary Hill! I want to cry, I feel so happy, because it's like... they all got it so right. I can't believe it's taken me nearly 40 years to understand gift-giving. It's not about the object, it's about showing how intimately you know that person, to understand what will make them happy.

But I feel like a bit of a bum in comparison.

tchOtchkes

my parents got me a 2-volume Taschen book about modern architecture by some german dudes

Awww Kate, that's sweet :) I was happy that one of my brothers took my gift in that spirit...he wants money and video games and seasons of TV on DVD, but I didn't have much money this year so I did my shopping at used bookstores and found a totally random book that I thought he'd like. And he really did!

More pajamas, scarves, and fleeces...from my wife. I was hoping for something more personal but oh well.

tchOtchkes

― a mountain climber who plays an electric guitar (gabbneb), Thursday, 25 December 2008 14:38 (1 hour ago)

It's a yiddish word. There are like 5 different spellings. Asshole.

yeah, and no one uses the other ones

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that's the christmas spirit.

man i could do with one of those choco oranges right now

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this is productive

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Did you mean: chachkees

I got a set of jumper cables, an ice scraper/snow brush, a can of HEET, and some 2-cycle oil.

sweater, socks, $ for laptop, BOTTLE OF VANILLA VODKA (this after years of being guilt-tripped as a potential alcoholic)

if any thing can stop alchoholism it's flavored vodka

http://guitarnoize.com/images/blog/boss_sl20.jpg

I express some interest in learning more about WWI and now suddenly I have FOUR books about the war. Also a DVD of 2001, the No Pussyfooting reissue, an Achewood t-shirt and various other stocking-stuffer things.

Most awesome: I had complained about how cold my right hand got when I was doing stuff on the computer on cold days that involved mousing-and-clicking, so my daughter sewed me what she calls a "hand hoodie" -- elastic wristband, nice warm corduroy cloth that rests over the back of my hand while it's on the mouse. Works really well!

http://www.giftsolutionsbykim.com/2007-Gourmet-Delight.jpg

nom nom nom processed cheese and meat box.

Someone got us a 30 oz tin of

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/library/cheese.jpg

Cougar Gold, a hard cheddar made at Washington State University. It's pretty good.

lol old-fashioned CRACK

crazy/pathetic "happy holidays" letter from my cousin who lives in a kentucky trailer park

^^she puts down our other cousins for living in white-trash florida. OK.

box of petite fours
Michael Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road (2 chapters in...it's fucking great)
coffee mug with a picture of Obama and some doves on it
4 pack of Dogfishhead 120 min IPA
bottle of Faustino I rioja

wait, it took us until 2008, almost 2009, to get a Muomas display name? Good work Nicka.

ha thanks! I almost made it a whole new login but I am lazy.

I totally forgot my sister got me a kickass Cosby sweater. I forgot because I'm wearing it.

BOTTLE OF VANILLA VODKA (this after years of being guilt-tripped as a potential alcoholic)

Me too!

Maybe our friends and families have given up on us.

My uncle-by-undeclared-gay-marriage and I are the only ones who stayed in town for Christmas (we're doing Christmas back home next week cuz y'know family of hospital/retail workers), and he left a gift for me on the counter this morning with a note saying he didn't want me to wake up Christmas morning without a gift.

I thought it would be a "lol I got you this piece of crap at the airport just so you'd have something to unwrap" thing, which I could easily answer with something from the hospital gift shop, but no, it's a very nice and thoughtful tea gift set + gift card.

I am now wracked with guilt.

@ masonic boom and en i see kay - have no shame or guilt. Giving something sincerely & heartfelt when the recipient least expects it *is* the gift for the giver. and @masonic boom, yes! this is exactly what xmas should be about IMO! Good for you for "getting it" it's not just dashing in somewhere (anywhere) and buying something (anything!) in a rush to get it over with and cross someone off the list. I (and most people I have asked), said they would rather get NOTHING than be gifted with some unthinking useless bauble. It isn't the cost of the gift either, it can be a silly trinket, but if it speaks to the recipient, then it's the most valuable thing that could have been given and received.**

**NOTE TO READERS*** have been at a friends drinking champagne and so am all giddy, sappy and know-it-all about xmas, but even 100% sober I really feel this way about the spirit of xmas. (no spirits comments pleez *giggles*) I hate the commercial crappy bigger better more expensive one-up-manship of the holiday. I am a sucker for a gift that has been selected just for me and is obvious that someone knows me or has listened to what I have said or pointed out during the course of the year.

Honestly, I began to think about divorcing my soon-to-be ex-husband after the 4th xmas in a row it was painfully obvious from the gifts he gave me at xmas, that he was clueless about who I am and what I like and wanted. It may sound crazy but I can tell from a gift if someone really knows who I am and gets me.

Dark chocolate covered cherries, stilton and brandy cream all making a showing at various stages the last few days