help w/ gift idea

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sinfulcindylou

Queen of the Sinful Chins
Joined
Nov 21, 2009
Messages
125
Location
CO
Ok so I think I'm officially the worlds worst gift giver and I could use some help lol.
Here's the story.
Mikes (current boyfriend) birthday is in April. Assuming that we're together still that will be 6 months for us. He has a tendency to spoil me quite a bit, and so I want to get him something cool for his birthday. Over the time I've known him (15 mo) he will never tell me if he truly likes something or if he wants something in particular. Christmas was nerve wreaking for me, but we got thru it by getting each other funny stuff that we'd joked about and it seemed to work out ok. However, he kinda went all out on Christmas with a couple of items besides the goofy stuff and Valentines Day and so I want to kind of make it up to him for his birthday.
Here's what I can tell you about him. He's a dad. A firefighter. Computer/tech junky (I SUCK in this area), likes music and movies, being outside and his car.
Buying anything for his car is pretty much a no-go as he is VERY particular about it.

I know that gift buying should be a personal thing, but I'm really stumped. I'll have about $100-150 that I can spend for his gift.I don't want to spend too much more than that because IMO this is still kind of a new relationship.
 
Buying for guys is the worst! What about a picture (of his car, his kid, a place you like to go together, favorite movie, etc) that means something to him and have it framed? This was my latest idea for my hubby. Otherwise, when it comes to men I'm all about the non-personal gift card!
 
Yeah with my ex gift buying got easy cause I knew exactly what he already had or things he wanted, plus we were together for 9 years so I KNEW him better.

I like your idea Kate, I'll consider that. We've been taking things really really slow so I haven't met his daughter yet- but he's sent me a couple pictures of her.
 
concert tickets, movie gift card, pic of his child on a mug, soft comfy mouse pad--the kind with gel in it! or a pic of him & his child on mouse pad, baseball hat of favorite team be it baseball football or nascar. or a signed picture of his favorite player/driver.
a model of his car if something special. thats all i can think of for now.
 
Maybe Im being "mushy" here but why not get a picture of his child and have someone paint or draw something for you. Im sure if you go on deviant art or someplace like that you can have something commissioned. Maybe a picture of his kid standing by the car..In the fire fighter hat LOL Totally just kidding.. But Im sure you will think of something thoughtful.
 
At what point does he want her to meet you? What about planning a big day around you meeting her? Does she like the aquarium/zoo/museum/amusement park? Make it about her and her dad, but also an intro to you? Or how about just tickets for the two of them to enjoy something together?

If he's a firefighter he is probably working 24 hr shifts, and then some shifts on call right? So he probably doesn't have very many one on one days with his daughter. This would show him that you care enough about him to want him to have a good relationship with his daughter.

Or if you don't think that is something he would like what about a trip for the two of you to do something different or new?
 
Lmbswimmer said:
At what point does he want her to meet you? What about planning a big day around you meeting her? Does she like the aquarium/zoo/museum/amusement park? Make it about her and her dad, but also an intro to you? Or how about just tickets for the two of them to enjoy something together?

If he's a firefighter he is probably working 24 hr shifts, and then some shifts on call right? So he probably doesn't have very many one on one days with his daughter. This would show him that you care enough about him to want him to have a good relationship with his daughter.

Or if you don't think that is something he would like what about a trip for the two of you to do something different or new?
Click to expand...


We're working on the whole me meeting his family thing. He's extremely private and I recently found out that only 3 former girlfriends ever met his daughter or parents.
Also he's a wildland firefighter- so I can't really plan a day/trip for him and Samantha or us from March thru Sept because there is no telling when he'll be gone. :( I do know that also is a big reason why I haven't met his daughter yet- he's expressed concern that I won't stick around thru fire season because apparently most girls don't.

This is why I need suggestions lol. So many little complicated twists in here. I appreciate everyone's input so far tho! There are some great suggestions- even if I can't necessarily use them all at this moment, I'm sure I can some time in the future :)
 
How about some kind of waterproof picture holding thing that's small enough to stick in his helmet? That way he can put a picture of his daughter or whatever he'd like in his helmet for when he's out fighting wildfires alone.
 
RDZCRanch said:
How about some kind of waterproof picture holding thing that's small enough to stick in his helmet? That way he can put a picture of his daughter or whatever he'd like in his helmet for when he's out fighting wildfires alone.
Click to expand...

Thats a great idea. I"ll have to see if I can find something like that.
 
I second the picture thing for his "red bag". I'm a wildland firefighter!! Is he on a contract crew? I can understand his worries, I work for the state, so 90% of the time I go home at night. When working on a contract crew it's 14 days plus travel, then they can reup for 7 or another 14 days if they take either 1 or 2 days off. Extremely good money, extremely aweful hours, almost no time to call, if they are even in a location with a phone let alone power!

Some trips are here's a pile of MRE's, here's your "tent" IE sleeping bag and blue tarp (if you are lucky), helo will drop food in 4 days, good luck. So calling non understaning SO's can be very difficult, which can then lead to aweful relationships. If you have any questions about that lifestyle I can probably verify everything crazy he tells you :)

Make sure anything you make for the red bag you have a duplicate, and doesn't weigh more than like nothing. The weight limits on baggage are VERY strict and it has to do with loading helicopters - if they are off on the weight the helo may or may not take off and then could crash due to being overloaded! Also, red bags, line packs etc... are highly abused, so even laminated pictures with dupilcates at home for it they get destroyed would probably mean a lot to him of his daughter and you. Especially if you and him have a catch phrase or if he and his daughter have a fun little saying and putting that on the back of the picture.

Good luck with the rest of the present giving, cause you are right on his schedule, one day he is there, 4 hours he's on a plane and you won't see him for a min. of 14 days. 4 hours is usually considered a generous lead time too!
 
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Thanks Lmbs-
He is on a contract crew- I believe- he's never used those words exactly, but he's told me that he's potentially going to be gone for weeks at a time depending on the season and where they get dispatched to. I know his station is about an hour and half away from here so even when he's not on a fire our time will be limited. I've accepted this and I think I'm prepared for that. I figure I hardly saw my ex-husband for the last two years of our marriage and I didn't always know what he was doing.... at least Mike will be working and I find some comfort in that.

I've come up with a couple more ideas- I think- but I'm still up for more because I'm sure there are better things than I'm thinking of. I am going to make a picture for sure and I'll keep an extra or two here for replacements :)
 
Ok so I found a way to ask him about the picture thing because he does the "manly man" act a lot lol and I didn't want him to think that giving him a picture was a cop-out or too cheesy.... Well, I found out he already taped a pic of me in his helmet the other day as he started getting his gear ready :) So I might still do the picture thing, but I'm gonna maybe try to make a tiny collage of sorts with pics of his daughter and me.
 
Is his crew self sufficient? They travel with all their tools? Does he mostly build handline or does he work with engines?

Contract crews are usually 20 people who have a contract and the federal government hires them as a 20 person group and they follow the guidlines of that contract. So each contract crew may have slightly different mod's to the contract.

There are 2 main types of 20 people crews - Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 - self sufficient, usually even provide their own transport and have their own tools (chainsaws, axe's etc...). Type 2 crews are usually not as experienced (not always), but they usually have to be outfitted on a fire with tools. A lot of time Type 1 crews provide their own transport because try and walk onto a domestic plane with a chainsaw or a 3 ft long ax (even checking them can be difficult, try and completely empty a chainsaw of all fuel/bar oil). Not only that but the chemical sniffers pick up on all the fuels on clothes, especially if they are using fusees or something like that.

Then you have other types of crews - rapellers, jumpers, engine crews, etc...

Definitely gear up time. We have started in Maine having fires already - early spring. Nothing to write home about for fires, but they have started. We are prepping equipment tomorrow out of my office.

Good luck with presents, FF's are hard to shop for - you have my sympathy. Just talk to my husband sometime about buying me stuff :) Usually guys are safe buying a girl jewerly, but what's the point if you can't wear it 90% of the time? The other stuff like mani's and pedi's are usually not good presents - doesn't take more than 20 minutes at work to destroy a mani, and what's the point of a pedi when you are wearing fire boots?

So again, good luck with the shopping! To win his buddies over bake something - no FF out there will refuse good food! Especially homemade baked goods.
 
hahaha. Yes I have been told I must bake cookies lol.
I believe it's a self sufficient crew. I know Mike was doing inventory and ordering saw parts and stuff last week. And he is a federal employee. I'm still kinda learning about all of it. I've never known a firefighter before so it's all very new to me.
 
It's definitely a whole different world. If he's a federal employee then he's not a contract crew! Does he work for BLM or USFS? Just curious since I work with both at times.

He would be self sufficient. Working for the the gov't he probably is above a FF1 then and does a lot more than linework.
 
if he's into computers like you said, check out http://www.thinkgeek.com
for anyone with a slightly geeky-nerd streak this is the place to go. Great gifts. (I'm kinda a loser and am easily amused by such things ;] )
 
With Keith's dad I had absolutely no clue what to get him for Christmas. So I got him a gift certificate to Advanced Auto since he's a mechanic. On top of what you're already getting him or doing for him, you could add in a gift card for a car shop so he can get something for his second "child" but it can still come from you. Also, if he has a favorite group or singer (you said he likes music), try to find some sort of collector's edition thing if you can. A small mix of stuff wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, as long as it doesn't get too $$$. For Keith's birthday, we got lucky enough that his fave band was performing 2 hours away on that day. Guys that don't tell you anything are seriously a PITA! You've really got to delve into how well you know them.
 
LMB- He's US Forest Service. I really just need to ask him what all he actually does besides the obvious lol. Just for my own knowledge and benefit. I think he said his title is a saw boss, or maybe squad boss- yikes I should at least know that! OOPS.

Thank you Brittiny and Ash. I'll look into some of that stuff. :)
 
Big difference between a saw boss and a squad boss :) A squad boss works under a crew boss and is in charge of usually around 5 guys. A sawyer usually works with another person and they are the ones that take down trees - they can either do the prework in an area where a line is, help with line building, or they go in prior to mop-up and they take care of all the snags/widow makers.

Being USFS he could be either. If he is a faller (sawyer) then he will either also be a Class A or B, one cuts down small trees (what I can cut) and the other can cut down the WOAH - that needs to come down? trees. Oh and in Fire fighting all the ranking systems are bass ackwards. One would think that the higher up the number or letter the more experience, that is not the case - it's the exact opposite.

Sorry for all the questions, but other Wildland FF's in this area are pretty sparse! I actually almost applied for a postion out in CO with the USFS, but the cost of living was just too high for me to justify moving my entire family across the country.
 
LMB- I sent you a message on your profile to continue our FF convo :)


Does anyone have any input on GPS or heart monitor/health watches?
 
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