Christmas goodies

So, I know it's not about receiving, it's more in the giving that one derives Holiday pleasure, but I gotta tell you about one of the gifts my wife got me.

Back in September or so, of this year, the wife and I were in the Fremont area and stopped into an antique store (consignment shop?). I think she'd been in there a few days earlier and wanted to show me some Scottie dog drinking glasses. One look, and I was in love. They were about 5" high, with a frosted base, and 1,2, and 3 gradients etched into the sides. The coolest part is that near the top, on both sides, was the sandblasted head of a Scottish Terrier. I loved them. How much?, we enquired. $40. Hmm... for six glasses. I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much on something so unnecessary. We left, but I was kicking myself in the ass, wondering if I shouldn't go back and offer $30. The idea of being rejected, and the abuse my ego would take in the process, was the only thing that held me back.

About a month later, a friend and I were in the same neighborhood drinking, when I asked to stop by to see if they were still for sale. We got to the store about 5 minutes after they'd closed, but I couldn't see them through the window. I was sure they'd been sold to some lucky customer and they were enjoying them that very minute. I was crushed.

I spent the last 3 months silently regretting my decision. When my wife's friend was in town in October, I was telling her about the glasses and she asked how much they were. When I told her, she said we should go down and get them. I didn't because I was sure they'd already been sold, and I didn't want to eat my pride in front of the store sales people.

I searched on eBay to see if there was anything remotely like them on sale, but there was nothing like them out there. This only exacerbated my feelings of regret.

Christmas comes and I'd opened my stocking stuffers and smaller presents, when the wife handed my a somewhat heavy, medium-sized box. I peeled off the wrapping and saw my name on the label. Hmmm... it took me a second to realize it was a box she'd reused to wrap whatever was in the box. I reached in and found something wrapped in tissue paper. I pulled it out and set it aside. I reached into the box and pulled out another cylindrical object, also wrapped in tissue paper. I couldn't imaging what these were, so I pulled off the tissue paper of the second object, and while I did, I could see the head of a Scottish terrier, sandblasted into the side of a glass! Yes! Yes! Yes! My wife got me the treasured glasses.

As it turned out, while my wife's friend was here, she convinced my wife that $40 was nothing and that she should go down and buy them. When the friend was telling me that I should go down and buy them, they'd already purchased them, and she was teasing me... Absolutely one of the biggest surprises (and best gifts) I've had.

I immediately took them into the kitchen and washed them. They are now proudly displayed in our liquor cabinet, and they look great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!