Phew!!

In between Christmas dinners, physio sessions and daily addiction to TV soaps, I've finally managed to complete my Christmas shopping. I don't know how on earth I managed to NOT start in September in previous years, because I feel exhausted after three months of the intense frenzy and panick of searching my brain for ideas. I must be getting older. Before you ask, I have found something for my brother, and it is football-related!! How original. So I'm merely putting off for another year the painful task of finding an original idea for the men in my family. I would bet my own weight in dark chocolate that I will be just as stuck this time next year. Unless Sam finally signs that contract with Real Madrid...
Ebay has definitely been an extraordinary experience. I think it's the magic of typing something in the search browser and realising that pretty much everything is buyable. The fact that you can spend hours reading about all sorts of objects for sale, and they're yours at the click of a button. We were discussing "ebay methods" yesterday at yet another Christmas meal we were invited to. Talk about varying table conversation topics - what on earth were we talking about five years ago? How did the world ever exist without the internet? Anyway. The dilemma was whether you should bid early on and thus not be drawn into a bidding contest in the last few seconds, or whether this just pushed up the price of the item. Personally, I like the thrill of watching the item for hours, if not days, and then snatching it off at the last minute by putting a high bid on. It gives me almost more satisfaction than buying the item I want. Somehow, I'm almost disappointed if no one else tried to get the item. Perhaps there is a part of me that wonders if I'm getting some piece of junk nobody else desires.
I've also had my first negative experience on eBay. I bought a football glove signed by my brother's favourite goalkeeper from someone new to ebay and who had no feedback. That was about 10 days ago, and I knew that I would have to pay by paypal, otherwise I wouldn't have time to send a cheque in the post, wait for it to clear and get the item in time before we leave for Switzerland. Unfortunately, at the time of paying for the item, the paypal account of the seller was unable to accept payment, and the seller hadn't communicated an address for buyers to send their cheques. That was on a Wednesday. I emailed the seller every day until the Sunday to try and get an address, and when I finally got an answer, it was definitely too late. I emailed back, asking the seller to sort out his paypal account so I could pay him that way, but he did not reply. By that stage, I had asked ebay for the contact details of the seller and found out that the name he had given me did not match ebay's record. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he suggested to drop the sale, and demanded that I retract the negative feedback I had left him, otherwise he would complain to ebay that I hadn't paid. Highly dodgy, but I did retract my feedback, because to be frank, I didn't want a non-paying strike and people can still read the feedback I've left, even if it's retracted. And it worked - a few days later, I had the satisfaction of receiving an email from another ebayer asking for information about that seller, because they'd read the comment I'd left. Ha ha, I'm feeling avenged!! The Christmas spirit is upon me!!!

Stuck for ideas

What do you buy an 18-year old lad? I've been asking myself the question for the past two months and I'm absolutely stuck for ideas. Matt reckons that my brother is quite groomed so some kind of aftershave would do, but I hesitate. Aftershaves and fragances are a bit of an "easy-lazy" present, unless you know exactly what they want. Otherwise it's hard to show that you've thought about it more than the 2 seconds at the counter, when there is a wide selection and you just have to pick a random box. Sam, my brother, used to be into football, so in previous years I had no hesitation - a football shirt or a pair of goalie gloves would do, but I wonder if he's grown out of it.
This is unfair. Things are so easy on men, there are so many things they can get for us. Just in case my other half is reading this, let me prove my point (hint, hint):
- any necklace or pair of earrings (apart from those in Claire's, too pink);
- nice underwear (must be pretty but comfortable to wear);
- any piece of clothing from Monsoon; I've also discovered Blackberry on ebay, which I recommend;
- Virgin Vie skincare;
- a pretty scarf with matching gloves;
- a book by Meg Cabbot or Sophie Kinsella;
- a subscription to a magazine (I like Essentials);
- a pair of shoes;
- a nailbar/spa voucher;
- an ipod;
- a couple of DVDs you men would never watch, such as Pride and Prejudice, Dirty Dancing, Bridget Jones, Moulin Rouge etc...;
- a pretty watch;
- a hamster (ok, this might not be suited to everyone, but I happen to like hamsters!)

I think I've made my point. There are loads of things to choose from if you buy for a girl, just none for lads. Granted, I could get a DVD for my brother, or a book, but the problem is that, living away in a different country, I've lost track of his taste, plus all the DVDs here are in English so he would never watch them. I could really do with someone posting a similar list for men - surely they don't actually use the talking robots and electric nail-clippers that seem to invade the shops at this time of the year??



PS: Because of its intrinsic beauty and sexiness, Nasty Ugly Walking Stick is now staying at home most of the time, where it can do no harm to my image and ego. I have decided that I have made enough progress in my physio to go to school without NUWS. After all, the consultant never mentionned NUWS, so I am investigating the likelihood that maybe this is a scheme of Jackie the Physioterrorist in order to take revenge on a teacher of the school that she used to go to. Hmm, very suspicious. Just in case you doubt it, look at the picture below!!


(I shall now be referred to as Charlie Chaplin)