It's the thought that counts.

I am so sick of this saying. Thak got me the most hideous pair of boots I have ever seen in my life, and honestly, I'm kind of hurt over it. This is the first time in YEARS he's gotten me a gift. Every year, he agonizes over what to get me (and this is for Christmas, birthday, anniversary, everything) and ultimately, settles on nothing. This year, he got me something. The anticipation was insane. Oh my god, my husband got me a present. This is going to be insane. Then I opened it, and it was absolutely hideous, looked nothing like anything I would ever wear, and honestly, I was really disappointed because he hadn't listened at all when I told him what I wanted. We had even walked through the shoe department at the PX and I had commented on how ugly their entire selection of boots was, how they must have the worst shoe buyer in town, and so he bought me a pair of boots from the PX. First gift he's gotten me in years. I think I'm allowed to be a little hurt over that.

My friends are assholes, ok. Assholes. I was in total shock after I opened this gift. I literally dropped the box after I opened it. If someone was obviously very hurt and shocked over something like this, I for damned sure wouldn't tell them to just be grateful that they got something or that their husband is home. That is such a load of bullshit. I have not gotten anything IN YEARS. We have spent more holidays apart than most people. This does not excuse him from actually thinking, and getting me something that is as much for me, as the things I get him are for him. There are only about a million things I would absolutely love, and not all of them cost much at all, but no.... I get the ugly transvestite farmer boots.

But it's the thought that counts!! This is what everyone says. Let's examine that for a minute. In fact, it's rather true. A good gift shows that the giver thought of the recipient and picked out something that would suit them. When your own husband buys you something that would suit a cross dressing hog farmer from Juarez who turns tricks on the side, it makes you wonder what he really thinks of you. It's not like he's used up all the good ideas... First gift in years, and it completely blows.

I will be so glad when this day is over and I can take these awful boots back to the PX. In fact, he will carry them in, put them on the counter, and handle the return himself. I'm not even touching this box. I put it outside because I don't even want them in my house they're so hideous.

So yeah, come to think of it, it is the thought that counts. It's not good enough to just give NOTHING for years on end, and then pick out any old random thing when you finally do decide that nothing isn't the right answer again. I honestly think an ill thought out gift is WORSE than nothing. When he gets me nothing, I can tell myself that he simply ran out of money, or that they ran out of what he wanted to get me. When he gets me something awful, it's like he didn't even bother to try.