OT Worst Christmas Present Ever?

[The. Wanderer]

We stopped pressies at Christmas and Birthdays years ago, on the grounds that we just go and buy whatever we want as the need arises. It's truly liberating!

As an aside however, we were idly talking about pressies over our morning bath, and decided that the second-worst present to receive is a paper back book either of jokes, local interest or trivia, coz you take a look as you open it and think 'I actually do want to start reading that right now, and I can't coz the house is full of guests!'

The worst present is getting that same book when you've treated yourself to a copy two weeks earlier! :-)

[Frank Erskine]

I got a book called 'The book of Senior Moments' from my brother and s-i-l. Exactly the same as last year. And they're YOUNGER than me...

[Alan]

In message , Frank Erskine wrote

What about a present where the box it came in probably cost ten times that of the contents?

[stuart noble]

Applies to most things I would have thought.

[<me9]

Was it not /two/ years ago -- and you passed it back last year?

Season's greetings to all.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But are you absolutely certain?

I find everyone is these days.

[John Rumm]

Well the day is not over yet, so there is still scope, but I am hoping that the early mornings realisation that the drain was blocked and SWMBO expected me to go fix it will probably take some beating for fun Christmas tasks! (24 drain rods later, (and I will spare any further description), and I just had my second shower of the day)

[Richard Savage]

My parent's previous house was an end of terrace (of three). The sum of all the drains passsed (pun intended) through their property. You could, almost, set your calendar by the regularity with which the penultimate chamber blocked on Christmas Eve. The other two properties used to put sanitary products down a drainge system that was built way before such items were invented. The neighbours never ever offered to help despite the blocking items being demonstrably from them. He did threaten to block the drain upstream of his property to no avail.

Happy Memories!

Seasonal Greetings

Richard

[Rod]

No competition from me. A few days ago, realised that stopcock under sink was leaking. (Had already changed the washing machine tap, and it must have been using the stopcock that made it leak. Or at least escalate a weep into a leak.) Then realised that the whole cupboard, and the one next to it, were sodden.

Managed to get replacements day before yesterday. Am now fitting them - and the job *MUST* be done ready for dinner... (Just as well it is only the two of us.)

[damduck-egg]

likewise,but usually have a low value item for each other almost as a joke.

This year I got a tomatoe sauce dispenser in the shape of a red plastic tomato, as once graced the tables of thousands of greasy spoons before impregnable sachets were imposed on us.

She is quite taken with the large bright red oven gloves I gave her. Wether that will last when I also present her with the leather apron that came with them and confess they were intended as welders gloves and bought dead cheap at Aldi some months ago we will see later.

G.harman

[Anne Welsh Jackson]

There was the most god-awful noise in our street, at quarter to three this morning. Upon investigating (well, you've got to, haven't you!) I discovered that someone was having their drain "jetted". At _that_ time, on christmas morning, I'm just glad that I'm not paying the bill!

I also wondered how many kids had been awakened by the noise, so soon after Mum and Dad finished wrapping the presents, and placing them under the tree...

[Frank Erskine]

Well I *think* it was last year - but I still have the original copy..

Swaps anyone?

[Rod]

Got the old unit out, the tap changed, then ran out of time. :-( Now cooking dinner in a kitchen with a sink suspended in mid-air.

Those taps with horseshoe thingies - I wish they wouldn't make the bolts out of steel. It rusts. Badly. Takes ages and enormous effort to remove. Not enough space for an angle grinder. :-( O well, the new ones have brass bolt and nut. :-)

[robgraham]

Gloves ... good one. Missed those and will look for them in future - in fact come to think of it Lidls are having a whole lot of welding stuff shortly. Nothing like buying now for next year .... and forgetting all about it until discovered in 5 years time!

Rob

[Lobster]

Well I've been given one of those bloody contraptions which is supposed to solve global warming by converting your newspapers into papier mache logs.

Can anyone confirm, is it as crap as I believe it is...?

[Owain]

Probably, but if you stand it in a washing-up bowl and fill it with apples you may be able to convert it into a cider press.

Owain

[John Rumm]

Quick, stick a multimaster on your pressie list!

[Rod]

Damn! I *knew* there was a reason not to agree to a 'no presents' rule. :-)

[Colin Wilson]

I've brought this up on the local freecycle group - my mother always used to give free aftershave / perfume samples, nothing else, just free samples.

Sad to say, I think someone managed to top that, by getting a half empty bottle of Baileys from their mother in law the previous year.

[The Medway Handyman]

I once had one so firmly rusted in I had to take the sink out to remove it :-(