Et tu, Scott? or Why Women Shouldn't Run the Gift Exchange

Scott and I were driving to the far side of town, in a frenzy of last minute Christmas shopping. HIS last minute shopping, mind you, because I finished mine before we moved in August. (I'm annoying like that.)

We were shopping for his office gift exchange, which operates like a White Elephant or Yankee Swap. On the way, we discussed various items that might be nice and still within the budget of ten dollars. Time and again I attempted to steer him towards gender neutral gifts, such as BBQ tools and hot sauce, or at least a DVD that might appeal to a man.

Finally, Scott asked me why I was so insistent on this point, to which I replied that guys always get short-shrifted with the whole gift exchange thing, because women always buy for other women, and the guys get stuck with potpourri and body lotion or Christmas decorations.

I personally witnessed a man at my former place of employment end up with an item we "affectionately" called Strip-Search-Santa, and I will note that he never even took it home; it just drifted around the office all year long, assaulting the eyes of everyone unfortunate to run across it. Mind you, a woman would have thought it was cute; a man, not so much.

The following year another man was blessed with a pink Disney Princess Tree, a gift all the women thought was absolutely hilarious, but again, men don't share the same sense of humor. At least he had a small daughter he was able to take the tree home to.

Scott nodded knowingly as I relayed these horror stories. "Yeah, I'll never forget the year I got CANDLES in my gift exchange, I..." He stopped in horror, with the sudden realization that he had already revealed far, far too much.

"Hey....HEY! Are you telling me that those candles you gave me that year...the candles I thought were so beautiful and thoughtful...were a RE-GIFT???" I shouted in disillusionment.

He hung his head and shame, then took me shopping for new lingerie to make up for his faux pas. The truth is, I still really liked the candles. I just wanted new lingerie. Shhhhh....

; )