You may recall that Hick has been playing bingo at the Senior Center a couple days a week. He seems to win frequently, but maybe there's not much competition. So far, his prizes have been toilet paper, knives, plastic disposable bowls, plastic forks, a 4-set of plastic ice cream bowls, and some storebought Rice Krispy Treats. Aside from the TP and food, it has all been kitchen stuff.
Friday, Hick's prize was a pack of paper platters:
Or as Hick reported: "Paper plates. Good ones oval."
There are only 8 paper platters. So I guess Hick can only have 8 feasts to eat off them.
Not sure the prize-selector is trying very hard! Or maybe she just likes kitchen stuff. It reminds me of the year I became part of the "special teachers" when I took over the At-Risk program. They had an annual Christmas dinner in the back room of Pasta House, which included a game of Dirty Santa. The gift limit was $5. In case you've never played, all gifts are put on the table. Participants draw numbers. The first person chooses a gift and opens it. The next person can steal that gift, or choose a new one to open. The third person can steal either gift, or choose a new one, etc. If their gift is stolen, that person chooses a new gift to open.
Even back then, it was hard to find a decent gift for $5. I had never been included in this activity before. I was passing acquaintances with most of my colleagues, the exception being my favorite gambling aunt, who was head of Special Services. So I had no idea what kind of gift to bring.
Patrolling the aisle of Walmart, not seeing anything that looked especially gifty for a teachers' get-together... I chose something that I figured I would like if I got it: a clear plastic cube filled with five colors of Post-It Notes. Of course I wrapped it. It was a GIFT!
Well. Upon seeing holiday trinket upon holiday trinket opened at that dinner, I was hoping to get my own gift! Who needs a wooden Nutcracker to display for a couple weeks a year? Anyhoo... can you believe that NOBODY LIKED MY GIFT??? I know! Shocking, isn't it? They didn't have to groan and carry on like I'd wrapped up a box of fish heads!
YES! I ended up stealing my own gift. I LOOOOOVE a big stack of Post-It Notes! Any teacher (except that group) knows how useful they are!
Anyhoo... Hick is happy enough with his "prices," as he calls them.
Oh Val, I am so with you. I really love post-it-notes and would have been thrilled to have ended up with your gift.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the VALidation!
DeleteHis prizes sound like sale items. I love the oval plates...lol. I have actually bought them for plates because they are sturdy and roomy. I think teachers did not want one more school supply. But, rather than a cheap nutcracker, school supplies sound great to me.
ReplyDeleteI do like a sturdy plate. We use the round version of cardboard plates all the time. I loved my own Post It gift! It was a good use of $5. Nobody specified that it should be some artsy-fartsy holiday-themed gift. I'm sure you appreciate me being PRACTICAL!
DeleteVAL,
DeleteThe serving platters I used for plates were about a quarter for a pack of eight. So, no big bucks spent to have a good, sturdy, roomy plate. That is practical parsimony for me.
That is a good deal!
DeleteI prefer regular plates to those paper throwaway ones...of course we have a dishwasher.
ReplyDeleteWe have a dishwasher, too. The brand is VAL. Its main components are two hands, and Dawn-like detergent that was free.
DeleteIt looks to me like the prizes are items that get unearthed whenever another forgotten cupboard gets emptied out. Which doesn't mean they aren't good and useful, just that they look like forgotten items leftover from some other occasion.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought. They were "re-gifted," or off the bargain aisle from a holiday closeout. But Hick is happy with them!
DeleteI would love to win a cube of Post-it Notes. That hick sure does get the deals. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteYes! A wooden Nutcracker is not very good for writing on...
DeleteRiver is right! Paper plates that didn't get used on the holiday. Not a bad gift, I often purchase clearance items to use the next holiday. Only, I forget I bought them and then find them when I clean out a staorage space, but never in time to use them for the correct holiday!
ReplyDeletePost-It Notes and paper plates! We're easy to please. We used Christmas napkins at the following year's Thanksgiving dinner. They worked just fine.
Delete