Thursday, February 5, 2009

Gift-Idea—Freebies

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Calvin has been attending a grape conference for work. Conferences mean free pens and notepads. The potato conference means free pens, notepads and, on occasion, hot pads. But the grape conference means free fancy hors d'oeuvres, shopping bags, mini-planners, a travel toothbrush kit, a sporty water bottle, pocketknife and pens and notepads. Calvin was dumping his loot on the kitchen table and I had a clear visual of what he must have looked like as a little boy emptying his trick-or-treat bag. With each advertising item he pulled out he’d say, “I thought you’d like this . . .” and then show me some unique feature. I started laughing at his enthusiasm and ever so quietly reached for the camera. He was completely absorbed with all of the surprises he’d brought home and didn’t see it coming . . . that is until he heard the lens extend. Then he looked up with his hand still in the bag and said, “Not on your life. No way are you putting this on the blog.” And then he saw how hard I was laughing and joined in. I said, “You’ve got to admit this is pretty funny that two adults-well-beyond-the-normal-excited-for-freebies-age are so excited about a bag of pens.”

And that is but one reason we’re a good team, we both consider freebies as gifts and I agreed not to put his picture on the blog . . . tonight.

21 comments:

Nicole said...

Jane, I love free stuff! I loved going to career fairs to get free stuff. I can't just take the stuff from the table. I have to talk with the person at the booth then I feel I can take the stuff. One of my teachers gave extra credit for the student who came back from the career fair with the best loot.
-Nicole

Jill said...

I can't resist free stuff either and would be particularly excited about the notepads and pens.

Michelle said...

Love the free stuff - usually are the best pens I own! We have to see a Calvin picture though - please!

Julie said...

I think I'm going to become a 'freegan'. Free and nearly free stuff make my heart race and bring on a big smile. What is it about office supplies? I think everyone loves them. Cool!

Mama Tales said...

Jane, I love my conference pens and Dan also brings them home as a surprise. I even look at who they came from occasionally and I virtually never BUY a pen anymore. Fun post.

Cupcake Dessert said...

i love stuff like this!! for my birthday last year we went to a motel as a freebie guest stay for my work and they had a basket of freebies and i think i loved that more than the gift hahaha

Kathy’s Korner said...

Fun post! I wonder in how many homes that scenario is played out? We are all just kids at heart!!! What fun and delight!

Rebecca said...

oh, I could see the interchanged conversation pretty well Jane! That was funny. Where have I been...grape conference! Potato conference used to have cooler freebees; I still have one of their hats!

Deidra said...

What a bag of loot! That's awesome. I've started to love the free bags even more than the stuff that comes in them. I now have a stockpile of re-usable bags to use at the grocery store, and I didn't have to buy any of them!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it fun to find all the things that make your "coupleship" what it is? I love to discover new things that I love about Terry!

Anita said...

JANE, THIS MESSAGE IS FOR CALVIN: Please, Calvin, let Jane post your picture - you're so dang cute we love it when you're on her blog!!!

melanie said...

Love your comment back to him. Funny post.

Becky said...

Love it! That's a ton of great loot :)

Gwen said...

Our best "freebies" conference is the United Dairymen of Idaho one. I missed it last year because we were at the Huntsman. My MIL told all the people at the booths that I had cancer and wasn't going to be able to come. They felt sorry for me and sent home my own bag PACK FULL of fun freebies! I was so very excited...it was one of the best presents I came home to!

Cali said...

Oh mom,

You HAVE to post the picture. You KNOW he really does want it posted. He loves being featured on the blog (I have a rough estimate of how often he checks your blog... often) Please put it on.

Cali

I love you dad.

Monkeys ARDently In Sinc said...

Too funny! I love going to events where you get free "promos", because I am a HUGE pen collector! Since I don't go anywhere anymore, I have to rely on Doane to pick stuff up for me, when his work deems to send him to some conference (it's only happened once since he started there dangit!). And I agree with Cali - you KNOW Calvin actually wanted you to post it. He just had to pretend for show!

Marie said...

I think my husband has the same responce if I was to take a blog picture of him doing something like that. Men are funny.

Ande said...

Oh Mom you guys are funny. Isn't Dad the best? I love you.

Kim Sue said...

this is usually when my husband tells me I am easily amused :o)

Miller Family said...

Dan has been to a few conference this past week and has brought home some fun freebies. The kids got so excited when he brought home flashlights, tape measures, and spinners from Farm Credits Open House. He also brought cute little rubber duck shaped animals for his niece Emerson. What a guy! We love those freebies at our house too!

michelle said...

Grape and potato conferences, huh? What does he do again? It reminds me of my dad taking me out to check on the alfalfa fields and having a subscription to Spudman magazine...

Who doesn't love free stuff?