Christmas Shopping

Every year I vow that I am going to get my Christmas shopping done early and each year I am out with every other carbon-based life form the weekend before Christmas trying to find the perfect gift.  The perfect gift has of course been out of stock since the day before Thanksgiving meaning I am left going through gift permutations trying to piece together something that come Christmas morning looks like I put a lot of thought into it.  Through the years I have learned some valuable lessons.  No matter how good the idea sounded at the time; anything purchased at a truck stop or convenience store will not go over well when unwrapped.  And even though your wife has said for months that the vacuum cleaner is in need of replacing; that is not a hint that she wants to receive one as a gift.  After going to countless stores and finding nothing that I would dare wrap under the tree I did the thing I should have done from the beginning.  I went down to Chase Field to the team shop and bought her a Diamondbacks shirt.  I know I would love to get a shirt from the team shop and everyone always says we are a perfect couple so it goes without reason that she will be thrilled with the gift as well.  Christmas shopping should not be this painful.