Best Christmas Present

[ugadevil]

I'm not sure if there's a thread for this already but I couldn't find any when I searched. If there is a thread, please move this one accordingly.

Now that we're a couple weeks removed from Christmas/various holidays...I was curious as to know what everyone's best gift was this year. It could be a gift you received, or a gift you gave since the best moment of the holidays could be when you give a gift that someone else really appreciates.

For me, the best gift I received this year was from my girlfriend. It was two tickets to The Masters for this year. I've never been and can't wait for April.

[billybreen]

For me, the best gift I received this year was from my girlfriend. It was two tickets to The Masters for this year. I've never been and can't wait for April.

That's a really, really good gift.

I tend to buy myself everything I want because I have horrible impulse control, so Christmas tends to be a tough holiday for my family. And no one has the inside track on Masters tickets :)

[BlueDevilBaby]

Tickets to Duke/Cornell!

[hc5duke]

My wife made me this poster:
http://www.choibean.com/random/awesome_3.jpg (http://www.choibean.com/random/awesome_2.jpg)
It's LEGEN - wait for it, and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of this word is (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Stinson) - DARY!

[allenmurray]

My 8 year old son gave me the most horrible looking watch you can imagine. It has a bright red, fake -eather band, and a "spinner" (like those on car wheels) flip-top over the face which is studded with rhinestones. You have to open the top to see what time it is. If you saw it on a episode of Saturday Night Live as a parody adversisement for the new TV show, "Pimp my Watch" you would think it was too far over the top. He chose it himself and paid for it himself. I cherish it, and have worn it to work, which gets me very strange looks. Very strange looks.

My other son gave me tickets to the women's regional in Greensboro on the assumption that we will be watching the Duke women win the regional and move to the final four. Very cool.

[hurleyfor3]

You mean Masters badges, right? I wasn't aware ANGC issued individual day tickets, except for the press and practice rounds. Did she find someone who would let you keep the badge?

[pamtar]

My wife gave me Jeopardy! for PS2. I'd say I've spent more time playing that than I have wearing the underwear.

By the way, I whoop arse at it. However, I did like Alex with the mustache better than without.

[riverside6]

My wife made me this poster:
http://www.choibean.com/random/awesome_3.jpg (http://www.choibean.com/random/awesome_2.jpg)
It's LEGEN - wait for it, and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of this word is (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Stinson) - DARY!
That is indeed awesome.

[ugadevil]

You mean Masters badges, right? I wasn't aware ANGC issued individual day tickets, except for the press and practice rounds. Did she find someone who would let you keep the badge?

They're for the practice round. I know it's not the official tournament, but it doesn't matter to me. They could not even be having the tournament and I'd pay just to go walk the course.

[EKU1969]

My son gave me a free round at Washington-Duke...haven't played there in 20 years, but the best part of the gift...he is going to play with me, now that's priceless!

[TillyGalore]

Cal Ripken's wife designed a pillow in needlepoint that highlights Cal's accomplishments on and off the field. QVC was hawking it before Cal was inducted to the HOF and my mother bought one for me for Christmas. :D

Yup, that IS my favorite present! Am trying to figure out where I'm going to put it so the cats don't get their claws on it.

[Cavlaw]

Speaking of pets in the Triangle, is anyone down there looking for a new vet? :)

[gadzooks]

My kids got a ball pit (http://funzones.stores.yahoo.net/noname83.html) from their favorite uncles, and as I expected, it was an enormous hit. I really wish I had an adult-sized one, but it's almost as much fun watching them play in it.

[devildeac]

Framed picture of the 2004-05 Duke men's BB team-signed by JJ. From my wife. Awesome woman.

[wilson]

My brother built me a bar on my deck.

[wilson]

I tried to paste those directly in here, but couldn't really figure it out. I'm happy to repost if anyone cares to provide instructions. I do assure you that it's safe to download the pics.

[DukeUsul]

Feeling our unborn baby kick for the first time.

No really, it was the Wii with Guitar Hero III and Super Mario Galaxy.

[DevilAlumna]

My brother built me a bar on my deck.

Hey, he does nice work! Does he travel? (And what did you end up getting him? IIRC, you were looking for a gadgety tool of sorts.)

And since you've got the bar all nicely stocked with snacks and 'alternative beverages,' when's the DBR party? :D

[wilson]

I got him a laser tape measure (which he ended up exchanging for, in his words, "a really cool level"...no problem at all for me) and one of those miniature radio control helicopters. Also, his birthday is the 23rd, and I got him an Optimus Prime t-shirt. All three went over quite well, though I can't spend as much of my grad student's budget as I would like on gifts.

[Exiled_Devil]

I got an Iphone, but that happened in November and I bought it for myself. My wife looked at it and said "that's your Christmas present'

This year I am more excited about the gifts I gave - my wife wanted to start a family picture wall and asked for framed photos. I gave her 12 of them, and hung them on the wall wrapped. we had a great time unwrapping them.

I also got my nieces and nephew an XO computer from OLPC - I admit, I did play with it for a day before we wrapped it.

Exiled

[Bostondevil]

I got a Mike Vrabel Patriots jersey!

Yeah, I know, not Duke related but, if I could have any professional athlete's career it would be Mike Vrabel's. I think raising the 4 sons has given me the mentality of a linebacker but every once in awhile who doesn't want to catch a touchdown pass? Vrabel has 10 career receptions, all for touchdowns, 2 in the Super Bowl. Yeah, I'd be Mike Vrabel.

[billybreen]

I got an Iphone, but that happened in November and I bought it for myself. My wife looked at it and said "that's your Christmas present'

My wife got an iPhone from me, so I like to think that's her favorite present.

[devil84]

I gotta agree with DukeUsul: Guitar Hero III for the Wii rocks -- we got it for my son, who has had a blast with it. I haven't played it, yet. I've been too wrapped up playing Super Mario Galaxy with my daughter. My family also got me Nintendo DS with Brain Age and a few other games -- my kids and I have had a great time trying to get the best Brain Age. It's not always 100% accurate with handwriting and speech recognition, and even one or two glitch-based errors can really make your brain age much higher than it should be!

I got my husband a Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS. It's cooler than I thought it would be! Even though we know the way to his parent's house in Ohio, it was still a great help to find restaurants along the way. Even without the traffic alerts, it's been very useful. My daughter wanted a futon for her dorm room, and we used it to find several stores, then we found one on craigslist and it made it easy to find the person's house to look at it.

DukeUsul: feeling your baby kick for the first time is WAY cooler than the Wii! Another great Christmas present you'll have to wait for: having your teenage child home from her first year of college and actively helping with selecting, purchasing, and wrapping presents for everyone. I think my daughter was as giddy with anticipation on Christmas Eve as she was when she was five. It was a great break with her, as we were more friends and peers than mom/daughter. She went back to school last night...I'm gonna miss her (and who am I gonna play Super Mario Galaxy with now?!).

[DukieInKansas]

Definitely low tech, but I have been looking for this style for years. Also received multiple bottles of wine.

The best gift was having my sister and her family in town for a week - time with family is the best. :)

[ugadevil]

No really, it was the Wii with Guitar Hero III and Super Mario Galaxy.

Spent many hours playing Guitar Hero III on Wii over Christmas break. Happy to say that we beat the game on easy and medium after many tries. Now I listen to songs on the radio and wonder if I could play it on guitar hero. And don't worry, when my brother and I beat Guitar Hero, we moved on to the cousin's Rock Band.

[Chard]

Watching my little one at her first Christmas opening presents. Priceless.

Oh, and the framed print of the Big House score board after ASU beat Michigan.:p

[YmoBeThere]

I tried to paste those directly in here, but couldn't really figure it out. I'm happy to repost if anyone cares to provide instructions. I do assure you that it's safe to download the pics.

If you sign up for a picture site such as PhotoBucket they make it real easy to do. Once you have an account, you can upload your pic to your album. If you are using PB, you can then copy and paste the IMG Code that they give you and voila, genuine embedded pictures and not attached links.

Oh, you may want to resize the pictures at the photo hosting site. Otherwise they may come through quite large in their native size.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc233/wovenweb/DSCN0316.jpg

[dukemomLA]

My daughter and son-in-law (both Duke'01) are expecting their first child in mid-June (Duke, class of 2028). So...I'll be a grandma (OMG). We're 90% sure it's a girl and I thought her name should be Cameron. (Actually that was their choice several years ago....but since Cameron Diaz, they've soured on that idea).

My 2nd best gift was that our house in L.A. didn't burn in the wildfires, or slip downhill in the mudslides, or be damaged in the 80mph winds.

I'm easy these days. Give me a great game to watch, a good book to read, a garden to hoe, a mountain to climb, a campfire to light, not more work than I want and I'm good to go.

[dukegirlinsc]

Cal Ripken's wife designed a pillow in needlepoint that highlights Cal's accomplishments on and off the field. QVC was hawking it before Cal was inducted to the HOF and my mother bought one for me for Christmas. :D

That is AWESOME. I'm a huge fan of the entire Ripken family. Cal is hands down one of my favorite athletes of all-time. I met him when he opened up the Ripken Expierience here in Myrtle Beach, and his humilty made me respect him even more.

[dukegirlinsc]

My parents got me a Blackberry Pearl, and the boyfriend took me to the Duke/Davidson game back in early December. WOOOO!

[bluelou]

my girlfriend absolutely loves her pearl.

and did I mention I have the best girlfriend ever? She gave me an iphone (that she WON in a holiday raffle, and gave to me since she knows I'm kind of a techno-geek).

And better yet, tickets to the south regional in houston for the men's tournament.

I'm not worthy....

[tecumseh]

I'm easy these days. Give me a great game to watch, a good book to read, a garden to hoe, a mountain to climb, a campfire to light, not more work than I want and I'm good to go.

Speaking of books I got the History of CIA OK I gave it to myself but so far it is a most enjoyable read

[dukestheheat]

An Indo Board.

'what is that?' I can hear this all over the place right now!! haha.

i kiteboard in the ocean and for the freezing winter months or no wind days i bought an Indo Board mini-pro for keeping my board skills sharp. i have absolutely loved this board, my present to myself, and i'm getting rather groovy on it i will add.

check out their website at: www.indoboard.com

it's great fun and adds balance and maybe, just maybe, I can drag more of my Duke brethren and sisterren (that's not a word but since i'm dth i can make up one word per day; y'all didn't know that?) into the great sport of kiteboarding, beginning first with Duke's Scuba Chick DevilAlumna!

dth.

PS Oh, I forgot to mention that my company sent me, for a Christmas present, a iPod NANO.