imaginary friends to fill the void that is your gaping gash.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
I think you're overthinking. An iPod or Playstation is not unromantic the way, say, a Dyson or a super-fancy dryer wouldbe.

Even if the Dyson is engraved?

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by leagleaze
You're right, I am overthinking. It's because I am nervous. People knew that we would start planning our public commitment ceremony after our first anniversary and now keep asking me about it. When will it be, where will it be and most importantly will they be invited?

It's all very nerve wracking and making it hard to think straight about the anniversary itself. (Pardon the pun.)

To answer your question, memorable. That doesn't really scream IPod and I don't think I'm into the berries or pajamas.

(I don't mean to insult anyone's gift suggestions - they are all good ideas just not quite right.)

I can't remember house or apartment. I'm recycling an old idea, but it's worked for me in the past and would make me happy: a prolific, perfumey rose bush. Better than a dozen roses because it will give you hundreds over the years. Sticks around for the long haul, etc. Just make sure that you're the one that does all the work in getting it into the ground and watered.

ETA: tell everyone else that you were committted months ago. It's none of their business, and you have every right to fuck with them for even asking/putting pressure on you.

[robustpuppy]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
Even if the Dyson is engraved?

I wanted the fucking dryer.

[leagleaze]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I can't remember house or apartment. I'm recycling an old idea, but it's worked for me in the past and would make me happy: a prolific, perfumey rose bush. Better than a dozen roses because it will give you hundreds over the years. Sticks around for the long haul, etc. Just make sure that you're the one that does all the work in getting it into the ground and watered.

Apartment. No place to plant it and we will be moving in the next year.

That is a neat idea though, I'll keep it in mind for when we are living somewhere more permanent.

[ABBAKiss]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I can't remember house or apartment. I'm recycling an old idea, but it's worked for me in the past and would make me happy: a prolific, perfumey rose bush. Better than a dozen roses because it will give you hundreds over the years. Sticks around for the long haul, etc. Just make sure that you're the one that does all the work in getting it into the ground and watered.

You seem like a good friend/gift giver. I am horrible at this but frequently steal your ideas. Thanks!

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
I wanted the fucking dryer.

Now you've done it. Cue the dryer sock.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
Waitaminute, if i cease going to movies, I can cut into your bank account and penalize you for scalping? Word.

Speaking of scalping (not the NFH kind), I was able to land tix to one of the new Crowes shows but not the other thanks to Sebby. Apparenlty you had to pull a PensKe and have like ten windows up to get em both. I dont know how they do it or if that woudl have worked. But clearly, some scalpers knew the password "salvation" and fucked us who put ina good faith effort. So now, I may be forced to spend an extra one hundred and fifty to see the other show Iw ant tosee? I hate these fucking people. And this money goes in their grubby, greasy pockets. There is no service here. I put in the effort and I got screwed.

So I wastalking to my sister about this and she said that U2 Madison Square Garden sold out in four minutes and that the scalpers are charging like 1400 bucks for two shitty seats. Sebby said something similar is going down in Philly and that the Philly DA is looking into this. What legal grounds are we talkign here? Clearly this is some kind of organized crime of some sort, but I dont know much about this. But it screws so many people and puts so much money in the hands of people that didnt earn it that its clealry some kind of robbery. What kind of legal action can be taken?

Well, you can rest assured, with our DA on the case, the scalpers will be quickly apprehended...

...and then taxed and forced to utilize union labor until their profit margins are destroyed and they are forced to declare bankruptcy. Then they will become part of Philly's most vibrant industry - litigation!

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by ABBAKiss
You seem like a good friend/gift giver. I am horrible at this but frequently steal your ideas. Thanks!

I love giving gifts. I love buying stuff for other people or doing stuff for other people. I'm sure there's some sort of selfish and pathetic "pay attention and love me" aspect to it, but it seems to make other people happy and it makes me happy, so I go with it.

ETA: and maybe, one day, someone will give me the gold plated silent, waterproof vibrator...

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
Luckily, I can say with all honesty that I do not know how to 2-step, even with someone else leading.

I can 2-step.

Yay!!!

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Wait a second ... Corey Feldman wrote the book about steroids and Jose Canseco was traumatized at the Neverland Ranch? Or was it the other way around?

Does anyone else think that the controversial lesbian kiss on "The OC" is simply paving the way for the controversial gay kiss between Ryan and Seth?

When Jim Nantz eats dinner with his family on Friday night, does he glance around with a happy smile and say, "And don't forget, we have to watch America's most-watched new drama tonight -- that's right, it's an all-new 'Numbers,' right here on CBS!"

Speaking of bad career moves, there's comedy, there's high comedy and then there's every scene with David Caruso on "CSI: Miami."

The best part about a stewardess asking if you want to pay for headphones to see "Shall We Dance" is when you get to quickly respond, "Oh GOD no."

Seriously, have trick candles on a birthday cake ever been funny? I mean, ever?

Don't you wish there were odds on this Michael Jackson trial, just so we could wager on things like "6-to-1 that one of the Culkins will be a mystery witness for the prosecution"?

If the Sports Gal ever wrote a Ramblings, it would definitely include lines like "Julia Stiles can't even look pretty when she's playing a queen."


My top three random NBA wishes for 2005: 1.) Sam Mitchell gets hired to coach the Trail Blazers; 2.) Tayshaun Prince's sister marries Ron Artest to become the Artest formerly known as Prince; and 3.) Darko's championship ring shows up on eBay.

Leftover Grammy questions: Did Jamie Foxx clear it with Sam Jackson before shaving his head? Is Stevie Wonder secretly excited that he's the last famous blind singer? Was there anything better than the Kanye West "I can't believe I just lost Best New Artist to Maroon 5" face? What's the difference between J-Lo's rear end and Kelly Clarkson's rear end? Is Bono officially in the David Robinson/Tony LaRussa Pantheon for "guys who just don't age?"

Shouldn't Matt McConaughey be legally required to say "All right, all right, all right" every time he starts speaking in public? If I bought a black hat and an ugly shirt and grew a bad goatee, would this make me eligible to become a popular country music singer? Do you think the guys from Offspring are bummed out that Green Day made such a huge comeback while they're probably playing at the Somerville Holiday Inn this weekend? And isn't the best way to win a few Grammys just to fake your own death?

Wait, does Matthew Fox's improbable comeback on "Lost" mean that he's too successful to show up for a "Party of Five" reunion?

Speaking of reunions, I wish there were cameras on hand for every parent that watched the "Happy Days" reunion, then tried to explain to their kids that Henry Winkler was once the coolest man on the planet. I just picture the kids pointing to the TV and saying: "Really, that guy? Are you sure? Every kid wanted to be like him? Really?"

Forget about the sex charges ... shouldn't they have incarcerated Jeffrey Jones just for inadvertently ruining the rewatchability of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"?

The highlight of my week in Jacksonville: Driving around on Monday morning looking for coffee ... and seeing the Dunkin Donuts sign from about 500 feet away. Made the whole week worth it. I felt like I was in a commercial. Even got a monosyllabic foreigner behind the counter who screwed up my change, just like old times. And when did they get those new lids that protect you from getting splattered with coffee when you're driving? Really, nobody had the courtesy to tell me about this? I could go on all day.

Craig Ferguson's accent is like dating a woman with one leg ... you can pretend that it doesn't matter, but it does, and that's just the way it is.

I'm not saying he needs to leave this minute; but at some point, we're going to need a taser and a crane to drag Darrell Hammond off the SNL set.

Burning questions: Shouldn't NBATV buy the rights to Fox's "Who's Your Daddy?" concept? When are they making an "Escape from New York" prequel with Snake Plissken called "Escape from the Neverland Ranch"? Did anyone else gasp when they saw Ed Burns's old girlfriend from "The Brothers McMullen" in that car commercial? Was anyone else shocked that Steve Young made the Hall of Fame? Why did NBC go to commercial right after Larry Bird ran back out on the court during Game 5 of the Pacers series? Who was John Dory, and how did he get a fish named after him? When they launch the Train Wreck Channel, will "Boat Trip" be prominently involved? Was there any doubt that the O's would be dumb enough to trade for Sosa? And why isn't Joel Goodson mentioned in the same breath as Lynn Swann and Willie Mays?

The only thing worse than being a guy in his 30s who still plays video games is being a guy in his 30s who still ogles video-game cheerleaders.

When it comes right down to it, "Grand Theft Auto" is like a pack of cigarettes -- I'm terrified to even keep it in the house.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by leagleaze
You're right, I am overthinking. It's because I am nervous. People knew that we would start planning our public commitment ceremony after our first anniversary and now keep asking me about it. When will it be, where will it be and most importantly will they be invited?

Use my old method. On the anniversary day, the first time she mentions it, give her an unfocused, vaguely hostile scowl, mutter something like "has it only been a year?", and wander away. You save so much money over the years on gifts that way . . .

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by leagleaze
I could use some advice on gift giving. My first anniversary with Mrs. Eaze is next week. Mrs. Eaze is taking me somewhere for the weekend as her gift to me. I want to buy her a present but I really don't know what to get. I explained my problem to her, but she begged to differ when I said she was hard to buy gifts for. She said she is easy to buy gifts for and I should know what she wants already. I agreed with her that I knew she wanted a playstation or an IPod, but that those would be better birthday or christmas presents because they aren't particularly romantic. She agreed that these gifts are not particularly romantic but she had no advice for me on what to get her. She's not into jewelry so that's out.

(1) Wherever she takes you to, arrange to stay an extra couple of days.

(2) In-home massages for both of you. Etc.

(3) Art. If you know here well enough to buy art for her, it is a strong relationship indeed.

(4) Theatre or Symphony (or what have you) subscription -- it is the gift not just of tickets to something she enjoys, but a commitment to a given number of real "dates" each year. (This may be a better fifth-anniversary present).

(5) Hottub.

[Spanky]

I thoroughly enjoyed that. Thanks

[tmdiva]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
Leftover Grammy questions:

Did anyone else watch this besides award-show-addict me? Some random thoughts:

Can't (really) sing: Jennifer Lopez, Mavis Staples (any more).

Can sing: Jamie Foxx, Marc Anthony (though he needs to gain some weight).

Who the hell is Keith Urban?!? Got a little crush on him and his tight jeans now; he kind of matches my Bjorn Borg/Peter Horton girlhood crush type.

I would have LOVED if they'd shown some black audience members (non)-reacting during "Sweet Home Alabama"--that was seriously the whitest thing I've ever seen.

Melissa Etheridge has never looked better. I'm thinking she should consider keeping the shaved head.

Joss Stone is about 10 feet tall. She's a pretty good singer, but spent way too much time during her performance wandering aimlessly with her hair in front of her face.

Usher's a pretty good dancer, but he has an alarmingly pointed head.

Kanye West is very cute, but gives the worst red-carpet interview I've ever seen. Nice swirly pattern carved into the hair.

Green Day was tight.

What am I missing?

tm

[mmm3587]

Originally posted by leagleaze
Mrs. Eaze is taking me somewhere for the weekend as her gift to me.

Totally missed this part. Sounds like she has good taste in giftgiving, by my standards.