It was at this particular birthday party of mine that two things happened involving $25. The first is most obviously the first because, well, it puts me in the upper echelon of personal thermal control combined with amazing functionality. As I opened the box and beheld the “as seen on TV” logo, I knew that my Ginsu-esque dreams were about to come true. Am I warm now? You bet. And it’s because I own a Snuggie (retail price – around $25).

The other $25 must be spent at amazon.com, per the gift card agreement. I’m staring at the little plastic friend right now (whilst keeping warm, I might add) and wondering what on earth to buy from Amazon. It’s not that I’m short on options. It’s not that Amazon has “nothing” to sell. Rather, its that they have just about everything that a balding 30 something would want (even Rogaine). No, this isn’t a commercial for Amazon. But it is a commercial for Rogaine.
No, it’s not.

My mind has spun ’round and ’round as I’ve considered what to buy with this gift card. No matter the amount, a gift card gives you license to be kinda nutty in what you get. Should I get a book? Nah. Too predictable. How about a DVD? Eh. Movies are so temporary. Although I love the film, how many times have I actually gone back and watched my Rushmore DVD? Answer: less than 2 times in more than 4 years.

No, no, no… the gift card allows for the gift acquirer to do something relatively insane yet utterly enjoyable. For example — what if I bought 25 of something for $1 each, and then distributed it to 25 friends? If the item was only 50 cents each, there’s 50 friends who are blessed to get whatever it is I buy. Why, it could be a thing-a-ma-jig or, even a whatchamacallit. Mmm. Candy bars.

I hope you see my dilemma. I don’t want to mess this one up. It’s been 3 months that I’ve been sitting on this gift card. What if I bought everyone a potholder with some initials on it? What if I got some remainders (old books that no one bought) and forced myself to read them so that I could learn how not to write?

Or I could just buy a $25 Swiss Army knife and behave as if I’m the assistant to the regional MacGyver.