JCC What Presents Did You Give and Get?

I got a brand new Toshiba laptop with Windows 8 (don't really see why so many people were fussing...the absence of a start button isn't all that glaring), Dark Knight Rises, Amazing Spider-Man (I think my fiancee got this more for her than for me, though), a brand new computer desk (though I love my old decrepit one!) and lots of Batman clothes.

I gave a set of custom wine glasses, an ipod Touch 5th Gen, ipod case and accessories, an Il Decantino wine decanter, very expensive gift certificates, Dark Knight Rises DVD, Dark Knight Trilogy blu-ray, an HDTV and wifi Blu-ray player (these last two were for my parents who still had one of those huge box sets) and for my daughter...so many Minnie Mouse toys (she's in love with Minnie Mouse), a huge sandbox that we built in the backyard, an awesome swing set, and a Disney Princess play area thingy.

Since her birthday is in a week, we also have hidden a Minnie Mouse play area thingy and a whole new bedroom set for her.

Still though, no present makes her quite so happy as unwrapping gift-wrap...

 

I won an iPad at my work's Christmas party last week, so yes, I regifted it and gave it to my wife. She loves it!

 

you are a very wealthy waiter, valyn. i gave dani an awesome present (i was her secret santa but i think the cat's out of the bag), spent about a hundred bucks on each of my kids (video games and headphones), and spent no more than 40 bucks on anyone else (gift cards, booze, etc.). this still pretty much broke the bank because i am poor. my mom got the kids really awesome presents though like she always does because she's awesome.

no idea what i'm getting, but if the last three years are any indication probably a lot of socks. a little worried about my secret santa.

 

I got a record player! and underwear.

I gave my dad a cigar and a 4-pack of Sierra Nevada Narwhal, my sister a t-shirt she wanted, my step mom a puzzle, and my mom a book.

 

My dad and I finally settled things a couple nights ago that we're basically not getting each other anything due to a general lack of money on both our parts. Spent ~$60 on my mom and brother combined, and gave a friend a Spike action figure that I got from Comic-Con years ago for donating blood, so it didn't cost me any money.

Only thing I've gotten thus far has been some spices and a grater from a friend who I was hanging out with tonight (or i guess last night, now) and was also spending some time teaching me how to cook. I really don't expect much of anything else, really.

 

Valyn I've deduced that you're a chronic liar. There's no way you can afford all this stuff all the time. And that's an outlandishly expensive christmas list you just made.

 

Got an Amazon UK gift certificate. That's all my SW books sorted for 2013!

 

Highlights include around $1K in cash, some nice Hugo Boss cufflinks, and the book "James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters". Win.

Clearly I am not making out like Valyn is.

 

Going to go open presents shortly, but I got my son a bunch of video games and movies. First year without a toy. Kinda makes me a little wistful. Oh! And I got him The Killing Joke graphic novel! He's gonna love that.

The ex got an x-hose (get it? Hahah) and some other stuff. Too broke to buy major electronics this year.

 

Massive credit card debt?

 

I work 2 jobs and am working 6-7 days a week, I invest money, and I enter writing contests....

Edit:

My second job is at a very expensive Disney resort where people can afford to leave 50%+ tips

 

Plus cost of living in the orlando area is fairly low. My mortgage payment is about $800, gas is cheap and we both drive fuel efficient cars (prius and elantra), and our parents babysit for free so we can work all the time. And my fiancee has her own bakery business

 

Am I too late for the Valyn brag, boast and bull**** about how my money he spends thread?

 

I don't see what the heck is the problem. If you don't believe me, whatever. It's not like I have pics in the Post a Pic of Yourself Thread of some of the trips I've been on. And everyone--just about everyone--who lives around here has been on cruises. It's a fairly common thing among all my friends, coworkers, and local relatives. You drive to Miami or Cape Canaveral, and you go aboard Royal Caribbean or Carnival. They have all sorts of cruising packages, many of which don't cost more than a couple hundred (depending on the ship you want, the days you want to want to be gone, etc). Jesus Christ. You can go on a cruise for less than the cost of a freaking Wii U/360/PS3.

And you guys are getting all Grinched out because I work 60+ hours a week? If you're so upset, maybe you can get jobs in which you work every single day, and rarely get time to sleep or do anything else for yourself...

Seriously, how lame is it to attack someone for working hard? I work all the freaking time. And twice a year, I'd like to take a week off and go on a vacation because, guess what, for the other 50 weeks out of the year I'll be at work!

Grow up, people. Working hard and earning money for hard work isn't exactly a new concept in America.

 

Apparently not!

I moved out to my own place this year so I got a bunch of house stuff. Blender, chopping board, scales, glasses, a moustache front door mat, a mini barbecue. Also some clothes, books and cash. Very good haul this year.

 

Here's a fun gadget. You can see how well you'd do in the Orlando area.

EDIT:

one of my friends is a bartender for two locations in Disney World and he earns several hundred more than I do a week. One of my mom's cousins is a server in Epcot, and he earns about $300-400 a shift. He's single, owns his own 2-story house in a gated community, and drives a new BMW.

Disney the sole reason why the service industry does so well in this area.

 

Serving at Disney World

Anyway, moving on past the Grinches, we put together my daughter's Disney Princess House before she woke up...and now that she's up, she only cares about the little plastic spoon that came with the kitchen part of it. =/

 

My Christmas is only half over, since my aunt's family is doing their celebration on the 26th. So far, highlights include having my gifts of guitar strap locks, a blanket, and a set of Legos be well-received, and getting a particularly lovely edition of The Hobbit.

Edit: Oh! And my sister knitted me a scarf! I can't forget that.

 

According to that link my salary would be cut about $45k moving to Orlando.

 

What makes it particularly lovely?

 

Maybe I should have specified that the service and hospitality industries are where the money is at in Orlando. Which is why I can't find a high income job pertaining to my MBA. Last year I was offered a job that pertained to my degree, but salary started at $37k before taxes (good for Orlando). I make over $40k after taxes as a server...so unfortunately, financial reasons kept me in the industry I despise.


Back in 2008, when I was on the fence about accepting the serving job in Disney World, Siobhan (then one of the Magic Kingdom's Snow Whites iirc) convinced me to do it because of the money. R.I.P.

 

My gift from tom essentially transformed me into this girl:


I figured out it was from tom because I know Ellensburg, WA is not the North Pole.

And I gave Dave a sweet Fantomex figure. +2 Fantomex.

 

For my dad: Cloud Atlas novel
Mom: Love Actually and Arthur Christmas
Sister: SJU sweatshirt and 8 Mile
Godfather: Sweatshirt

I got a coffee pot, Drive Angry, Touch of Evil, Mirage, Pan's Labyrinth, The Sea Inside, Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed III, Borderlands 2, etc.

 

Congrats on your Orlandish Christmas, Valyn.