December 20, 2006

Gifts


Christmas has never really been about the presents for me. As a young kid, maybe it was and that isn't how my memory held the holiday over time, but presents just weren't ever outrageous and unexpected. In fact, there wasn't a whole lot to want, when I was young, that I recall. There were the sought-after items, certain dolls, then a bike, then a guitar when I decided to blossom briefly into a musician, and books - always books. But these days, there are just so many toys - even for big kids. It amazes me. Hot cell phones, hot music players, hot desk stereo units, hot this, hot that. And that's where I find myself this year - the proud, glowing recipient of a new music toy (and it's hot!) I don't know how Craig dreamed it up, but he started planting the seed a few weeks ago that I could either pick, for Christmas, from him, a new 'big girl' coat (he must be bored with my unsexy Old Navy black quilted faux snow ski coat) or a new iPod. Need I even announce my decision?? I bought myself a long wool coat from Banana Republic as fast as possible so that I could make sure he wouldn't change his mind about the iPod!! And so we traveled to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue (above shown) (the store is underground once you enter that huge curtainwall cage) to purchase my teensy, light-as-a-feather nano, holding only 2,000 songs, so that ideally I can keep the organization under control. He thereby gained sole ownership of the ancient (less than 2 years old, that is) big iPod, which has so much Pearl Jam and White Stripes in it already that now all it needs is a good purging of KB music to make more room for Craig Rock. And that is just what shall happen. In the meantime, we are both music-ready for holiday travel, and music-ready for London travel in January! I'm also several chapters into Howards End, and am taking On Beauty for the vacation, speaking of things to satisfy travel time. Ahh, vacation. So long awaited, so well-deserved. I finished up other holiday shopping tonight, as well...it's funny...we left work at the same time and rode on the train together, and at 86th and Lex I told him I was heading to Modell's (on 3rd between 86th and 87th) to find some sports clothes for Mom and Dad. So we parted in the subway station and I emerged from the stair which would route me east on 86th, whereas he took the stair leading him to Lex to travel north. I paused at the corner there of 86th and Lex and peeked around the building to see his head bobbing as he walked north before darting across the street to the 86th Street Best Buy. May not make much sense to the casual non-New Yorker observer, geographically, but I want to remember our little intersection there forever - where we've got a Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Bank of America (across 86th at Lex), Orva (department store - weird department store where I wandered in tonight and bought navy blue Chuck Taylors and dark blue cords - both hugely on sale, where clothing is priced just what I'd expect it to be priced in New York...I saw a t-shirt tonight...a t-shirt...for $92...holy...), Victoria's Secret, Foot Locker, Steve Madden...just enough shops with big enough names to make 86th a popular shopping hot spot, yet the stores kind of aren't that great reminding one that it is, after all, the Upper East Side near the subway station. Anyway, I had ducked into Best Buy to purchase Craig his gift: an iPod portable dock system which he wants to sit on his desk at work. It's pretty cute. And I stood in line at Best Buy for 3 eternities, talking to my Dad on the cell phone the whole while, sweating pools in my scarf, coat and layers to buy this dock. But it was worth it to get Craig something he really wanted. We are definitely at an age where buying things for each other gets more challenging - yet, the nano purchase turned me into a 12 year-old and I think he's glad about his dock (though, certainly not twelve, seeing as he still hasn't even removed it from its packaging and when we bought the nano last week, he had to command me not to open it until we got home...I kept fiddling with the tiny coffin it came in all the way to the train from the Apple Store and all the way home!) Enough about the iPods and nanos and docks. I sometimes wish my children will never know what electrical outlets are so that I can shelter them from all of this tech. But in other news, we've got all of the presents stashed in his carry-on, tomorrow morning we'll pack our suitcases and then a little after 1 p.m. we will head out of the apartment to travel to Newark to fly out. Denver is all shut down from a blizzard today - Craig hopes the storm isn't on its way to sweep Chicago, since that's where we're scheduled to land tomorrow night. I'm just thrilled. Every bone in my body is aching for flatlined brain activity, couch-sitting, finger foods, sips of sodas or wine or cocoa or whatever Christmas beverage, mindless television, good family conversation and as much sleep as I can stuff into 8 short days. We head to Ann Arbor on Amtrak after Christmas. My parents will pick us up and we'll be in south east Michigan for a bit. Then back to New York. I just love today, tonight, the anticipation, the hours I spent earlier weaving in and out of stores, putting my debit card to good use for gifts (ok, and Chuck Taylors and cords for me), sleeping in tomorrow, my last New York bagel for a while in the morning, a frantic to-do list in the later morning and just the whole thing. See? My scroogeness has collapsed.*

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