It's really important that you don't read this, Hobbes. Got it? Please? Promise me?
Thank you.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
So, It's Hobbes's birthday on the 2 of June, and I will be visiting him in Colorado. But I'm really stumped as to what to get him as a birthday present. He's leaving on a mission at the end of the month, and is so organized that he has a spreadsheet detailing everything he needs to take. Other than a scarf, which I already promised to get him and which will not be taking the place of a birthday present, he has everything he's required to have for his mission.
What on earth do you get someone who has everything they're required to have for the next two years? Music or DVDs he could use for a month, and then would have to pack it away.
The other problem is that I used my cool present card way too early in our relationship and now will never be able to live up to it. Last Valentine's Day, I made him a quilt that was black and orange. There's no way I can outdo that one.
What do I do?
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Where is he going again (I forget)? What they say you need and what you actually need are often 2 very different things.....
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
A nice, personalized journal. A framed picture of the two of you. A series of sealed envelopes with dates spanning the two years with little messages from you on each one.
BTW, you should add more lines between the Hobbes warning and the start of the message. On my monitor, both are visible on the screen at once.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
*hug* It's not a contest - not even against yourself.
Does he have a testimony book? A blank journal, where you write your own testimony and your favorite memories of y'all together in it, along with your major addresses. He takes it with him, and his companions and investigators and members write their testimonies and favorite mutual memories in it. Everyone is in one spot, and he doesn't have to hunt through his own journal to get to it. You could decorate the cover for the extra personal touch.
Added: Jinx, Dagonee. Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Spokane, Washington. The mission area is a small bit of northeast Washington, all of northern Idaho, and a little corner of northwest Montana.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Something small and personal that he can keep in his wallet and take out whenever he needs a pick-me-up. And then something really extravagant and luscious when he returns. <eg>
Posted by His Savageness (Member # 7428) on :
If you were really feeling gung ho you could stuff a jar full of scraps of paper that had scriptures, spiritual thoughts, personal messages and so forth, one for every day of his mission. Of course, it would be a lot of work (there would have to be 730 in total) and it may be too cheesy, but as someone who served a mission I know that I would have liked to have had a thought written for me by a familiar loved one awaiting me at the end of each day.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
What about a small calendar (like the desk-top kind) with a message from you on it every day? I like the journal idea too.
space opera
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Oh, that's a neat idea.
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
I really liked the sealed envelopes with notes in them idea. My mother did something similar for me - cards sealed in envelopes on which she wrote certain phrases (like "when I need a pick-me-up", "when I'm having a great day", "moving to a new place", etc.) - and it really meant a lot to me.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I just remembered something he needs that I didn't see on his spreadsheet (yes, I've read the spreadsheet). Does he have gel? It's a totally unromantic gift, of course. Maybe you could just pick one out that will work for him, knowing his hair type and all, and point him to it; there are bound to be times when his hair is longer than he would like, and the missionaries here have to use it to keep their hair decent when it gets humid; I'd imagine that where Hobbes is going, they can get similar conditions. And most boys don't know where to find or how to use or how much it is reasonable to pay for gel...
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"What on earth do you get someone who has everything they're required to have for the next two years?"
Perhaps you could give him a photo and, say, an article of your clothing?
Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
I've got nothing. All of my favorite gifts on my mission are things that were only nice because of my third-world location.
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
And a kiss to build a dream on. Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
quote: Perhaps you could give him a photo and, say, an article of your clothing?
Annie Pants? Somehow I think they'd frown on Annie panties. AJ
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
I think all of Dag's ideas are fantastic.
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Space Opera, I love your calendar idea!! That gets my vote.
(edit: Or you could combine that with the journal idea, and buy a journal, decorate the cover, and write a message or a piece of Annie wisdom at the top of each page.)
[ May 18, 2005, 01:27 PM: Message edited by: Raia ]
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
One thing I have that I still treasure is a scrapbook. When I met anyone special (and I met a lot of special people), I had them create a page of their own. They usually wrote something to me, but also they each decorated their page with stickers and other small memorabilia. I asked each of them to head up the page with their name, birthday, and the "most permanent address they had" (i.e. if it was someone with a likely temporary address they included their parents address) so I could get in touch with them in the future. Other than those small bits of info, the page was their to do with as they wanted. I got a ton of very creative pages.
My scrapbook was just a very large ledger I bought at a Brazilian stationery store. It got very fat from all the stuff glued to the pages, etc. However, nowadays there are tons of scrapbooks specifically designed for pages with stuff glued all over them. Go to a craft store and buy him a nice scrapbook binder and a ton of loose pages. Tell him to start in the MTC getting friends and companions to fill out pages for him. I guarantee this will be one of the things from his mission he will treasure for the rest of his life.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
Or better yet, get him two. One for keeping his own memorabilia and one for friends to fill out as described above.
(Though this might not be as cool if he's going to Spokane. It was cool for me because even Candy wrappers from Brazil have a cool factor for a young American. )
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
If he's going on a bicycle mission, find out if he's already got one of those detachable LED bicycle headlights. It doubles as a flashlight for reading house numbers, etc.
Also for his bicycle, there are silly valve stem caps that light up when the wheel is spinning. Keep him from getting run over at night.
Even if it's not a bicycle mission, an LED flashlight would be cool.
A fancy mechanical pencil, like a Sensa.
How about a pair of Annie's famous bleach pencil jeans for P-day?
Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
The calendar is a great idea. In my engineer school, we have a tradition : a countdown calendar who finish the first day of summer holidays. It's nammed "un décalomètre", and is a gift from a 1st year student to his "godfather". A very pleasant gift.
You may make such a calendar with a little surprise for each day. I remember receive a puzzle : a paper Millenium falcon with a piece to glue per day. Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Is the article of clothing suggestion serious? I'm afraid I'm rather naive in the conventions of romantic gift-giving. Eek.
I'm really liking the scrapbook idea. That sounds like something I can doodle in to make it more personal. I wonder if they make any blank books with 730 pages? Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Mmmm... Fredricks of Hollywood...
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Annie, think of it like a favor given to a knight going on a quest. A small scarf, or a lock of your hair tied in a ribbon. If you have a scent that you wear that he would recognize, spray some on it so it smells like you. Sign it, and put a lipstick kiss over your signature. It's a touchstone... it should engage as many of the senses as possible to remind him of you.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
...except that that's really not appropriate for a mission.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
*shrug* I don't know anything about that. I'm clarifying how an article of clothing could be a romantic gift, as she expressed some confusion. And I wanted it clear that it could be a romantic gift, as opposed to a sexual gift, as implied by the following post.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's the "engaging as many of the senses as possible" part that would make it inappropriate for a mission-bound lad.
I wasn't criticizing, you know. Just providing information. Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Oh, I didn't think you were. Just wanted to say that I wasn't intentionally trying to suggest something that would be frowned upon.
But, your explanation leaves me more confused... why is engaging as many of the sense as possible what makes it inappropriate? Would just a picture, just a little bottle of scent, or just a piece of fabric or hair also be inappropriate? Once you said it was inappropriate, I thought it would be because he's supposed to be focused on his mission, and a "favor" might make him focus on his potential plans for after the mission.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I like KarlEd's idea of two scrapbooks.
In particular, a lot can happen with the people and places he loves during two years. Maybe a way to come home and get all caught up or see what was important to people AT THE TIME while those two years passed.
You could put things in there from your personal life (and that of other friends) and you could do major news stories too and take notes on how you & friends reacted to them.
I have some friends in Italy right now, and their spouses who stayed behind are keeping Journals of their thoughts & days while the travellers keep their own journals. It actually sounded kind of romantic and interesting.
Good one KarlEd!
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
What's with all the froufrou? Gadgets are what every fella needs, especially when he'll be forced to leave most of them home. Find him a gadget that he can sneak into his suitcase. Maybe a nice pocketknife, like a Leatherman Micra. Save the froufrou gifts for your granddaughters.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
You could always just destroy his spreadsheet and give him the benefit of a spontaneous journey.... Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Now that is a truly tempting idea, Kwea. Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
Annie -- I sent you an email the other day. Did you get it? If not, what email address should I send it to?
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
Does he have a watch that he likes? Even if he does, you could always get him another one.
Does he collect anything? One year I gave Andrew one of those collectible T.V. Guide covers of Prof. Frink that I had framed. It's in his office now and his students love it. What about something like that?
Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
I like the idea of giving him a good swiss-army knife or leatherman. My leatherman served me very well on my mission.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I did, Porter. I replied to your GC email.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Annie - you are so thoughtful! Those journal/scrapbook ideas are good - especially if it is one that you have illustrated. Maybe you could create one that has some illustrations, and some thought starters, and some appropriate quotes from BOM, Bible, and other spiritual works?
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
So I'm confused. Is he, in fact, going to Spokane?
quote: why is engaging as many of the sense as possible what makes it inappropriate?
Because missionaries are like Sith: They ride bikes they wear black there are always two they avoid emotional entanglements.
Okay, maybe I'm mixed up about that last one.
Also, Darth Maul had horns, just like a Mormon.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
quote: Music or DVDs he could use for a month, and then would have to pack it away.
DVDs, maybe. Music, not necessarily. Many domestic missions have cars with tape players, and rules that allow a missionary to listen to classical music. My mission, for example (which was one mission over from his) allowed us basically either classical music (Hooray!) and church pop (Booooo!). Since most of my companions had mountains of music by The Devil (a.k.a. Michael Maclean), my boxes of classical tapes saved my sanity. That being said, if he doesn't already have one, a discman with a tape adapter and, say, a set of Beethoven's symphonies might be just the thing he needs to avoid returning a zombie.
If you don't like that, here's a second idea. Speaking as a missionary that has done this, there is an alternative to letters that can be used to transmit thoughts in an immediate and personal form, and that can be used from beginning to end of the mission without getting old, and that is this: a miniature tape recorder (either one that plays micro-casettes, or a small, portable full-sized tape recorder, whichever you think would work best) and a two-year supply of blank 60-minute tapes. Letters are very nice, but sometimes when my friends wanted to give me an immediate taste of their lives, they'd take a tape recorder around for a couple days while they were doing whatever it is that occupies their lives and tell me about what was happening, then send it off to me. I'd take tapes around tracting, introduce them to my comps and the friends I'd made on my mission, leave it going candid-camera style while we were cold-contacting, and send it back. It may be the only chance he gets to hear your voice until '07, and it can give him a much better sense of your life than a letter, and vice-versa.
Anyway, those are my ideas, to be thrown on the pile with all the other great ideas already presented. Good luck deciding, and have a nice time in Colorado. Oh, here's another idea: if you want to give him a way to remember his Colorado heritage, you can't go wrong with a copy of Team America: World Police on DVD. Suerte.
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Suerte.