The year was 1997 or 1998, Steph and I were celebrating one of our first Christmases together. I don't recall what we did that year for Christmas, I probably worked over Christmas and Steph probably went to Huron to be with family...I was working in TV at the time and spent every holiday on the air.
My gift buying for Christmas has never really been a strong suit...it is something that is handed down from a father to a son, I think. I also think Penny would agree with me that Bob isn't the world's greatest at this annual challenge for a man. So back to the late 90's...Steph was playing a lot of volleyball at the time and I always noticed that she was the only one on the floor that didn't wear those really big knee pads...sooo that is something every woman wants for Christmas, right? She also used to steal my baseball hats all the time and when a girl wears you hat, they change the size and get make up on the brow. It's kind of pain, right?
So I walked out of Scheel's with a pair of insulated Russel sweatpants, a set of volleyball knee pads and a Minnesota Gophers hat. I ROCKED, RIGHT?
Let's just say, she was a bit disappointed...not that I didn't put some thought into it, but she has never worn knee pads while playing volleyball, and a hat? The sweats got worn, a lot. 1 out of 3 isn't bad, but I have never lived down the volleyball knee pads.
Right now as I sit in my hotel in Montana, I have all of her shopping done, the gifts are lying on the bed...and my goal this year was to make her forget about that first Christmas. I bought everything except one thing at totally "Montana" stores, stuff you won't find anywhere else. Some of it handcrafted...that is the end of my hints, so after Christmas ask Steph how I did this year, I think I have erased the "Ghost's of Christmas Past"!
By the way those volleyball knee pads came in handy when she was doing all the tile work in our house...I knew they would come in handy.
