It’s pretty much too late for this post, since here we are at December 21st already. But I’m posting it anyway, because some of you might have Amazon.com’s Prime (2-day) shipping, and if you have never had Prime, you can get a free one-month trial, and gosh this would be a good time for that. It gives you free 2-day shipping on anything you order, whether you’re shipping it to your own address or to a gift address.
And also, I suppose you could still get to a store. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha haha!
So, guys are really hard to buy for. I’ll show you what I got for Paul, and maybe the guys on your list would like some of the same things.
(image from Amazon.com)
The next volume in the Hikaru No Go graphic novel series. This is a series for teenagers, so if you have any teenagers to buy for I recommend it for them, too. I buy the books in groups of four, because they qualify for the “4-for-3” deal—so instead of costing $8 each, they’re $6 each.
(image from Amazon.com)
Perspective for Comic Book Artists is a book Paul got out of the library and kept talking and Talking and TALKING about how awesome it was. He and the kids were trying it out, and they immediately started producing some really awesome looking 3D drawings. In fact, this would be another great gift idea for a teenager, and why does my husband like so many teenagery things?
(image from Amazon.com)
How Round is Your Circle?: Where Engineering and Mathematics Meet is not a book I would have just GUESSED he wanted. He had to do some pretty serious hinting involving a URL.
(image from Amazon.com)
Paul’s been complaining about not being able to find a small notebook that has GRAPH paper in it. Voila: the Moleskine squared notebook.
(image from Amazon.com)
Recipes for Disaster: An Anarchist’s Cookbook is another one I wouldn’t have guessed he wanted, but he said he thought it looked like a fun read. I felt weird ordering it, like my file was being flagged by some government program just for purchasing such a book.
(image from Amazon.com)
A Man, A Can, A Plan is an easy cookbook marketed to men. We got the second book in the series as part of a package I won from The New Girl, and Paul REALLY liked it and wanted to make a bunch of stuff from it, so I ordered him the first book on the sly.
(image from Amazon.com)
Paul is always bitching about how his measuring tape doesn’t have METRIC on it, and considering we live in a country that uses VERY LITTLE METRIC, I think he just sounds like an ass going around saying things in centimeters. But whatever, I bought him a metric measuring tape because I love him or whatever.
(image from Amazon.com)
He looked at my Victoriana calendar and said wistfully that he wished there was a MATH calendar. Well, there is: I got him the The Mathematics Calendar 2009, and may they be very happy together.
(image from Amazon.com)
Paul has a subscription to Make Magazine, but his subscription started around issue #10 so I’ve been buying him individual copies of the backissues he missed. Amazon.com has them for about $10 each, which is about what you pay per issue if you subscribe, too.
(image from Amazon.com)
Paul LOVES Altoid Sours, and they used to be available at Target in 2-packs, but now our Targets only sell the mango flavor, and what Paul likes is the tangerine and the lemon. So I found them in a bulk pack on Amazon: 16 tins for around $25, which compares acceptably to the 2 tins for $3 price I used to buy them for. It comes in two boxes of 8 tins each, so I give him one 8-pack for Christmas and the other for his birthday.
(image from Amazon.com)
(image from Amazon.com)
Finally, here’s something I bought SUPPOSEDLY for Rob, but I bought it because Paul was slavering all over it and saying how AWESOME it would be…”for Rob.” So “for Rob,” then, we bought the Rubik’s 5×5 ($9 down from $30!) and also a copy of the book Speedsolving the Cube, which is the kind of book that allows your serious geek to “impress” people by solving Rubik’s cubes rapidly with a formula.
As you’ve been my number one book and gift idea person this year (hoping there’s a new Lynda Barry under the tree for me, wooo!), I’m making note of these gifts, especially the books. While my husband-shopping will be finished tomorrow morning at approximately 9:15 a.m. – yes I AM going to the store tomorrow, but it’s because there’s a game system and new game already being held there for me – I’m always looking for gift ideas for him. So yet again, thanks for the fabulous tips!
Wow, I forgot about the free trial to Amazon prime, it would be a good time to check it out…except unfortunately I’m still stuck on ideas for some picky people so probably won’t make it in time! I bought most of my gifts there on Black Friday, was so nice to not have to get up early or battle traffic! (Which is what I’ll face if I attempt to go to any store now!)
Those tangerine sour altoids are so yummy! I didn’t even know there was a lemon flavor, I’ll have to look for it. Or, you know, take your advice and put some in my cart next time I do an amazon order!
Except for the graphic novels and the Altoids, you could buy everything on this list for Andrew. Paul and Andrew really should be friends. Swistle, have you ever checked out thinkgeek.com or woot.com? They could be good places to get Paul something techy that he might not expect. I got Andrew a remote control helicopter from Woot this year. I think it was $8 plus $5 shipping. (The only downside is Andrew checks woot.com daily and was home when the package from Woot arrived.)
Totally getting How Round Is Your Circle for my dad’s birthday. He’s into things like that and the Rubiks cube.
Does Paul really never read your blog?
Or did you already exchange gifts?
Because…isn’t the surprise spoiled otherwise? ;)
Oh the math calendar would have been so much fun for my husband! Too late though… and I wish I would have known about the prime shipping. I went to order something on Friday, and it wasn’t going to ship until Jan 6 because I wasn’t doing 2 day shipping. So I didn’t order it. I was so bummed. (Them, actually… two items)
You are full of great info :) Merry Christmas to your whole brood!
Bethtastic- He’s not supposed to, and agreed not to. So we’ll see if he seems surprised on Christmas!
We have the 5×5 cube- got it for David last christmas. And yes, he’s one of those weirdos that can solve a regular cube in less than a minute. SRSLY. He tried to teach me the technique once, and it nearly ruined our marriage. So now my role in the cube-ownership is to mix them up whenever I see them all solved and then set them where he will see them. He CAN’T walk by a mixed up cube. =)
man, i want a geek. these are awesome presents. :-)
Wow, he’s getting lots of cool presents!