Mine’s better than yours

Cris surprised me the other day with what she would call “my delayed birthday gift.”

This is so awesome! I’ve always preferred “practical” over “sentimental” when it comes to gifts. This by essence is extremely practical, but the back-story involved is very endearing. So I’d say she hit two birds with one stone. I guess it’s because we think the same way – for the amount of money it would take to buy her, say, perfume… she’d probably prefer I used the money on a book instead.

As much as I promised to her that I’d never blog about her, I just have to make an exception because what she did was just adorable.

Basically, I like looking at stuff in the hardware store whenever I have the chance, or when I have nothing else better to do (whichever comes first). Anyways, I took a liking to the toolbox pictured above (because I’m a pack-rat). And I’m very particular about storage containers: their use, their design, how practical they are to own, etc. ¹ Aside from my desiccant cabinet, which I use for my Camera stuff, I actually use sealable food containers to store some of my electronic equipment to keep them airtight and minimize them from oxidizing when not being used for long periods of time.

My frustration has always been my personal toolbox. You’d be surprised how often I access it – hence I’ve always wanted something that looks both great (because it’ll probably be exposed most of the time for easy access), and is very functional.

I set my eyes on this container in the hardware store because it look pretty neat. mini-compartments here and there, a detachable mini-compartment, along with your standard spacious interior. Simply put, it was awesome. And I guess she noticed how I was impressed by it. This was a bunch of weeks ago. Of course, there’s no need to reiterate the fact that she got it for me eventually, but it is worth mentioning what she had to go through in getting it.

First is the fact that she’s not technically inclined whatsoever. So the prospect of her trying to inspect the unit – then ultimately asking the salesperson “ummm, how do you open this thing?” is very amusing.

Second is the fact that she (and I) didn’t realize that the main toolbox (the top-part in the picture) was part of a set (pictured). And if that wasn’t enough, she decided that she didn’t want the wheels to get dirty before I got it. So she ended up carrying the thing the whole time – alone. For those who know her, you can immediately imagine a woman of her stature (and height) lugging… no, carrying that huge thing around the mall the whole time… alone.

So here’s what I have to say: I’ve got the most awesome girlfriend in the world! My girlfriend is better than your girlfriend! ² For the uninitiated, this is a play on the popular saying: My dick is bigger than your dick! Hahahaha.

In closing, I thought it worth mentioning some tips women could use in getting their men gifts. I’m sure men would agree with me here; we tend to prefer stuff we really could use over anything else. So get us what we want – not what you think we should have.

If you find us drooling over something mundane, the likes of which you cannot wrap your mind around, be thankful; you’ve just found a gift you could give which required 0% effort and understanding to find – and we’ll love you for it.

A generalization that occured to me is this: If the gift required even a semblance of an explanation, chances are, you were thinking too much. You know how that goes:

Girl: Open it Guy: Oh, it’s a insert unproductive, but meaningful object here, thanks dear. Girl: Yeah! I figured you might like it because…

That last sentence right there! The only time that sentence would be valid is if you heard him complain of something which you know your gift can solve/address, or if it ends with phrases similar to “because you said you wanted it,” or “because you were planning to get it.” Hahahaha.

Again, either way, we would still love you for the gift – no matter what it is. I’m just saying that a useful gift, wether thought-out or not, is equal to a gift that is full of meaning/sentiment but isn’t that useful. The only exception from the “usefulness” clause is if it’s some cool toy, or hobby related.