About a month before Christmas, the cryptic phone calls begin. I hear my wife whispering on the phone, and if I enter the room, she gives me an icy stare. Is she speaking to some illicit lover? Is she plotting my demise with a hit-man? No, it’s the kids asking her the ever-more-difficult question: What can we get dad for Christmas?
It’s a tough question and I sympathize. I generally have very few, if any, needs (at least that can be bought and packaged). And as a serious aficionado in my hobbies, it’s almost impossible to buy me any related gear; it’s either too esoteric, or two expensive (a Leica M9 would be nice!).
So I have to give them credit for creativity: Here’s a roundup of this year’s Christmas presents:
- IKON S3S razor
- Two artisanal beer soaps made from my favorite beer
- A bottle of 12 year old Suntory Yamazaki Japanese whiskey
- $100 from my MIL
- The Joe Beef Cookbook (Joe Beef is Montreal’s latest, “hottest” restaurant)
- Handmade scarf in the new Point-Claire tartan
- A new Briard puppy (a joint gift to my wife and myself)
And best of all, the kids were here for four days of eating, kibitzing, and conversation.