More on Presents

In my opinion the best Valentine's Day present I ever gave Dave was a heartfelt rendition of John Prine's In Spite of Ourselves. We first heard the song one Saturday night a few years ago - a friend got married and prepared a CD of love songs for everybody on the guest list. Dave and I, after a few glasses of champagne and a little dancing, came home from the wedding and put in the CD. I'm not sure if it was alcohol induced but when In Spite of Ourselves came on, we laughed and laughed and played it over and over until we knew all the words.

Fastforward one month- instead of grading papers, I sat in my office revising the words to the song to fit Dave and me. I think one part was, "Even though your back's all hairy, you still manage to drive me crazy. You're my baby, I'm your honey, never going to let you go."

Fastforward another month and there I was with my friend Lori, in a practice room at the Hughes Fine Arts Center. She, bless her heart, had figured out how to play the song on the piano and, by doing so, became my official accompianist. I had a cheap tape recorder, my sheet of handwritten notes, and good intentions... just not the voice. After several singing attempts and another attempt at bribing Lori to do the piano playing and the singing (she declined), I finally managed to get through the song and be somewhat satisfied.

A few weeks later, on Valentine's Day, I presented Dave with the typed up lyrics and played the song for him. His only reply, "Geez, you must really love me to put this on tape." Yes, yes I do.

Now, just in case something happens to me all you blog readers need to promise this tape will not suddenly surface at my funeral or anywhere else for that matter. All that would do is prove my 6th grade music teacher correct - no matter how hard I try I certainly can't sing in tune. But, I can, once in a blue moon, give a pretty darn good present.

Heartfelt Presents

I've always hated the birthday present pressure, the Christmas present pressure, and the Valentine's Day present pressure. It's just so hard. Seriously, unless you read the book you purchased for your booklover friend, how do you actually know she'll love it? Who's to say that the little money ledger purchased at the Dime Store for a dollar is really perfect for a bookkeepr/business owner mom? We're taught that the thoughtful presents count the very most, but who doesn't actually want a new car with a big red ribbon around it for Christmas?

Yet, I think one of the very best presents I've received from Dave probably cost him less than $10. This particular present consisted of four uniball gel pens. Now this might not sound like a romantic gesture to you, but to a doctoral student writing her comps, it was absolutely perfect. It was so perfect in fact, that when the last one dried up a week ago I shed a tear.

I know, I know... you're saying "Get over it; go buy yourself a couple dozen pens already!" But the point is, Dave knew I really didn't need much at all, he knew where all my time and energy was being focused, and he put it all together. Who can't love a present like that?

So - what are some of your favorite, heartfelt presents? List them here - and maybe we'll turn the tide from the commercialism of all the celebrations to "thoughtful attention paying."

He lifted me up...

Quite a few years ago, when I was nine months pregnant with Lucy, Dave achieved all-star status as a husband... and all because of Leg Lifts by Origins. Throughout the entire pregnancy I had a bad case of restless legs and the only thing that seemed to help was a liberal amount of Leg Lifts rubbed onto my calves. This was all fine and dandy until I got to 36 weeks and found myself rapidly running out of the magic potion. As I was already 1 cm dilated I thought things would be fine and just vowed to use a little less cream each time. Then came 37 weeks, 38 weeks, 39 weeks... and 40 weeks. No baby in sight, hardly any cream left, and no Origins store within five hours of us. I was way too cheap to buy a whole new tube and pay shipping and handling when I didn't think I'd need it after the pregnancy was over, so I just kept suffering. But after one particularly intense leg rubbing experience, I was in tears - there was no relief from the small amount of cream and I was overdue. That night, while I restlessly slept, Dave went online and ordered Leg Lifts - and had it overnight expressed to our house. So, for the next ten days until Lucy finally made her appearance, I used up tons of cream and thanked Dave each and every time.