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Apr. 4th, 2006 11:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhienellethI have this tendency to overspend on gifts. I mean, hello, I bought my husband a new computer for his birthday!
But I also bought two of my best friends $150 cookware sets for Christmas two years ago. And the Christmas before that? Henckels knives. When I am passionate about something, I tend to want all of my friends to, well, not necessarily be as passionate, but to appreciate it. The greatest thank-you I can get is when my friend L pulls out her cookware or uses one of her knives and says "Wow, this really was a great gift. I can't believe the crap knives/cookware I used before. These are so awesome." Yes! They are!
See, that's all I want. The very best for my friends and loved ones. So occassionally it makes my checking account a little lower than I want it to be. A small price to pay, I say.
Which explains why I just finished spending almost $200 on a kick ass used espresso machine/grinder set as a housewarming gift for my friend Chris. (Remember Chris? Back when this LJ was new, he was the friend who put my computer together the last time I upgraded. He was the tech support guy who argued with the Fry's Electronics morons who gave us the wrong chip to go with my motherboard, for two hours before they finally gave us a new, correct one.)
He and his wife are moving into their first house this weekend. Last summer, they received a $60 Krups espresso machine for a wedding gift. Chris was so excited about this, and I had to bite my tongue because I knew that a)Krups might be a "famous" storebrand coffee name, but their espresso machines suck. What they produce can't even be called espresso, IMHO. Er, no offense to anyone reading this who may have one. I am passionate about my coffee! And also, b)without a decent burr grinder and freshly roasted beans, the espresso machine, no matter how good, is useless.
Sure enough, he comes to me several months ago and asks what he might be doing wrong, as his "espresso" is consistently tasting like hot chocolate rather than coffee. Now, maybe there are people out there who like their coffee to taste like hot cocoa. Chris is not one of them, and neither am I. I ended up writing him a three page e-mail explaining why a good burr grinder is so important, freshly roasted beans, etc, etc. I think it intimidated him a little bit, but he thanked me for the info. Then, last weekend he was at our house and I was making a latte for our friend Jared, who had a long drive on very little sleep and a lot of jetlag ahead of him. Chris watched the process with interest, then kind of shamefacedly admitted that he hasn't used his Krups in months because he just can't get the espresso to stop tasting like hot chocolate! He was watching me because he's just sure it's some simple little thing he's doing wrong. Um, no. Sorry, Chris. It isn't simple or small. It's your entire set-up and process!
So today I purchased a used Gaggia espresso machine and Gaggia MDF burr grinder combo from a fellow coffeegeek for *cough*$200*cough* as a housewarming gift for Chris and his wife - who I sure hope likes coffee, come to think of it. Now, realize that brand new, this combo would cost a minimum of $500. The grinder alone is a $200 machine. I got a good deal. But yes, $200 is kind of excessive for a housewarming gift. At least when you make as much as Mark and I do.
But I can't wait to give it to Chris with a pound of freshly roasted beans and show him how to use it.
Yes, I probably need help. Professional counseling. I need to learn to control my impulsive gift giving decisions. But I just get so excited thinking how this person will love and adore whatever fantastic thing (to me) I'm buying for them!
But I also bought two of my best friends $150 cookware sets for Christmas two years ago. And the Christmas before that? Henckels knives. When I am passionate about something, I tend to want all of my friends to, well, not necessarily be as passionate, but to appreciate it. The greatest thank-you I can get is when my friend L pulls out her cookware or uses one of her knives and says "Wow, this really was a great gift. I can't believe the crap knives/cookware I used before. These are so awesome." Yes! They are!
See, that's all I want. The very best for my friends and loved ones. So occassionally it makes my checking account a little lower than I want it to be. A small price to pay, I say.
Which explains why I just finished spending almost $200 on a kick ass used espresso machine/grinder set as a housewarming gift for my friend Chris. (Remember Chris? Back when this LJ was new, he was the friend who put my computer together the last time I upgraded. He was the tech support guy who argued with the Fry's Electronics morons who gave us the wrong chip to go with my motherboard, for two hours before they finally gave us a new, correct one.)
He and his wife are moving into their first house this weekend. Last summer, they received a $60 Krups espresso machine for a wedding gift. Chris was so excited about this, and I had to bite my tongue because I knew that a)Krups might be a "famous" storebrand coffee name, but their espresso machines suck. What they produce can't even be called espresso, IMHO. Er, no offense to anyone reading this who may have one. I am passionate about my coffee! And also, b)without a decent burr grinder and freshly roasted beans, the espresso machine, no matter how good, is useless.
Sure enough, he comes to me several months ago and asks what he might be doing wrong, as his "espresso" is consistently tasting like hot chocolate rather than coffee. Now, maybe there are people out there who like their coffee to taste like hot cocoa. Chris is not one of them, and neither am I. I ended up writing him a three page e-mail explaining why a good burr grinder is so important, freshly roasted beans, etc, etc. I think it intimidated him a little bit, but he thanked me for the info. Then, last weekend he was at our house and I was making a latte for our friend Jared, who had a long drive on very little sleep and a lot of jetlag ahead of him. Chris watched the process with interest, then kind of shamefacedly admitted that he hasn't used his Krups in months because he just can't get the espresso to stop tasting like hot chocolate! He was watching me because he's just sure it's some simple little thing he's doing wrong. Um, no. Sorry, Chris. It isn't simple or small. It's your entire set-up and process!
So today I purchased a used Gaggia espresso machine and Gaggia MDF burr grinder combo from a fellow coffeegeek for *cough*$200*cough* as a housewarming gift for Chris and his wife - who I sure hope likes coffee, come to think of it. Now, realize that brand new, this combo would cost a minimum of $500. The grinder alone is a $200 machine. I got a good deal. But yes, $200 is kind of excessive for a housewarming gift. At least when you make as much as Mark and I do.
But I can't wait to give it to Chris with a pound of freshly roasted beans and show him how to use it.
Yes, I probably need help. Professional counseling. I need to learn to control my impulsive gift giving decisions. But I just get so excited thinking how this person will love and adore whatever fantastic thing (to me) I'm buying for them!
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 07:26 pm (UTC)If we were to ever win the lottery, my husband has stated that he would control the funds in high interest accounts, etc, because if left up to me we'd end up giving it all away. I countered with this is fine, so long as he designates a specific amount each year which I may do with as I please - giving it away, buying extravagant things for people, etc.
Not that we'll ever win, but we've had the conversation whenever Powerball has reached the $200 million + range. :D
no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 07:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 08:06 pm (UTC)God, yes, I avoid the B&BW and VS stores like the plague. Though they never seem to be short of petite blond college girls shopping their sales. Or, as you stated, the high school crowd.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 08:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-05 12:39 am (UTC)Generosity is a good thing *nods* Hope he likes the gift ;)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-05 01:00 pm (UTC)