The Man Who Has Everything

I am truly thankful that my husband appreciates the little things that make life good.  I love that he is happy and content and doesn't spend his days longing for things that are out of his reach.  I'm sure he wouldn't turn down a vacation or a fancy car if I somehow won it in a contest, but he loves our life, and he loves me, our families and the dogs as much as anyone could hope to be loved.

That's fab and all but this makes him IMPOSSIBLE to buy for.

Any occasion: Christmas, birthday, anniversary, you name it.  I can't please him 'cause he's already pleased.  You're probably thinking "that's awesome!  I wish I had this girl's problem".

"But wait, there's more!" (This comes from the year I got him a Ronco Nu Wave Rotisserie - he actually loves it, but he picked it out).

As an added bonus, if there is something he really wants, it is often something small and he has a terrible habit of just buying it for himself.  If there's a new CD he likes or he needs a book on home improvement, he just comes home with one, and I can only buy this man so many Baltimore Orioles shirts before he starts to think I'm a serious slacker.

We've been together for eight years now, and it hasn't gotten any easier.  I repeat the same things over and over (tools, clothes, music, video games) and then even those patterns start to fall apart (he doesn't want a new XBOX because he doesn't want to buy all new games and he doesn't need an IPod anymore because he bought himself a cheaper MP3 player so he wouldn't worry about damaging it at work).  I thought about buying him a new grill but he says his old one is really just fine (and it is the one I got him four years ago, so really it is fine).  In addition, he knows everything he's getting because he was with me when I bought it since I don't drive and we are almost always together when we shop.

Online shopping would be great if I knew where to begin, but I really need his input because the things he does express an interest in receiving are often things I know nothing about.  When it comes to tools and car stuff I'm Jon Snow, so if he isn't super specific the things I buy him stay in the box like all his gifts from last year.  There is a new travel coffee mug, a Garth Brooks CD box set, some tool type thing and a nifty (in my eyes anyway) keychain that can open a beer, fix a golf divot and screw and unscrew things all sitting in our office untouched.  He used the socks, slippers and underwear though.  That's something.

I have gotten him a CD, a skinny Craftsman screwdriver with a weird handle (at least I think that's what it is), an Orioles shirt and a pair of slippers.  He knows about all of it.  He has worn the shirt and slippers already because I am also terrible at a little thing called "waiting for Christmas".

I never learn.

On the flip side he's a really good gift giver.

It kind of makes me want to punch him in the nose.

Someday I hope I will find something that is a complete surprise that will make him jump for joy with excitement.  I'll be on the lookout for that thing.  I hope I'll know it when I see it.  What will actually happen is I'll say "hey babe isn't this awesome?" and he'll say "yeah, I guess" and I'll be back to square one.

I love you Andy Reynolds, but please stop being so difficult in your perfectly wonderful contentedness.

Do you have someone in your life who is hard to find the perfect gift for?   Are you that guy to someone else?

Discuss!