Ace Hardware Hell

Kent, very innocent like, approached me last week to ask if I had purchased him a Christmas gift yet.  He was quite surprised when I told him that yes I had but they weren't very big.

Since it's not Christmas yet, I will refrain from writing down what I've already purchased.  I will say I'm very excited about what I found and I think he'll love these particular presents!

Back to Kent.  He smiles, that ever boyish charming smile that won me over seventeen years ago.  Then he pulls from his wallet an Ace Hardware gift card for $25.00 and a computer print out coupon for $5.00 off that has to be used before the end of November.  All for "my" benefit, so I can buy him something for Christmas.

Sounds safe enough on that alone but I've lived with this man, many, many years.  I've watched him agonize over how he'll spend his Ace Hardware rewards.  I've watched him return items he spent over a month deciding to get and then realize he made a mistake and regretting the return.

For those unfamiliar with Ace, it's a conglomeration of not only what you'd expect to find in a hardware store but it also has everything your average redneck could possibly need for a downright indecent good time!  There's tents, sleeping bags, fishing supplies, outdoors man clothes, so all types of hunting gear, guns, bullets, dutch ovens, woman's fashion that would never make a Paris runway and wine. 

The purse I'm currently sporting is from Ace.

The problem is not finding Kent something he'd love, the problem is finding something he'd love without hearing about the literally hundreds of other items he would rather have.

I just came from Ace.  For a half hour I politely declined repeated offers of giving me help (the staff is incredible at this place) and I wandered, priced and debated and DEBATED.  It was awful.

I finally fled for the sake of my sanity and am no closer to purchasing that man I love something from that store that I really am not fond of.   Except for purse shopping of course.

I was about thirty seconds from going to Kent's work, handing him his gift card and letting him know that I would be more then happy to wrap whatever he bought himself.  I refrained.  I'm going to mull this over and discuss with our mutual friend Marja and see what she thinks.

Since she's our camping buddy and I'm leaning towards camping gear, she might have a better idea on what we'd need for our trips.

If nothing else works, I just may go and by the cast iron skillet I spent an indecent amount of time eyeing.  Even if it's not what Kent had in mind, that will teach him for trusting me with his gift card. 

*sigh*