This is kind of long!  But this is what happen to me this last week and the whole idea of buying some web cams for Christmas.  I needed to write it all up anyways for my Journal.  So I'm just sharing part of it with the rest of you, if you take the time to read it! 

Most Christmas' I at least have an idea what to get people.  But this year I was completely lost.  The only idea I had was to maybe get web cams for my Sister and her Husband,  my other brother and his wife (who live in other states)  my other brother, who probably wouldn't use it as much, but I felt like including him. And get one for for the parents.  So 4 in total.  The only thing because I like to get the best item out there the web cams were a little more expense then just a one person gift.    Here is how the week went!

Monday- I finally got around to talking to my mom about seeing what she was doing for gifts.  After explaining my thoughts with the web cam I wanted to see if she wanted to go in together to get the ones I was looking at.  After explaining how I was kind of planning on doing the same gift for everybody, she seemed willing to go in on it.  (At least for the 3 of the 4 web cams).

Later that night, I checked a couple of YouTube videos to see the quality of them and to check out some reviews.  After sifting through the good and the bad, I found one that showed some of the special add-ons that you can do with that camera.  After seeing those I realize I wanted to get it.  I found a good price and ordered 4 of them that night. 

I guess the only reason I ordered so quickly is because at the price it was the lowest I could find, and I didn’t want to wait until after Thursday, and there not be any left.  I usually don’t order things that far in advance.

Tuesday- The cameras shipped from the web site I ordered them from.  I found that a little strange because I did free shipping which was going to be 7-9 days. 

Wednesday- While I was at work, I had a though of getting Xbox live.  (Side note,  Xbox live is a service you have to pay for to play Xbox 360 games with other Xbox players.  My brother in law has an xbox and is on xbox live).  Last year kind of more as a birthday present to my self I got three months of Xbox live.  I thought with the upcoming time off of work maybe I would try another 3 months.  So I paid for xbox live for 3 months. 

Thursday-  In the evening was the first time me and my brother in law (and Sister) got to play together.  One of the features of Xbox life is you can chat (over microphone) to other players.  So we started talking and getting the game set up and so forth.  Then he puts my sister on to talk to her.  So we are just talking about what happen for the day and so forth, when she kind of out of the blue she asks “Do you know anything about web cams?”  I’m like “Well I have looked into them a little bit”  (I wasn’t sure what to say?)

She says they saw this deal in the paper that office max had a couple of cheap web cams and they were thinking of getting on for his Mom, and themselves.  Then the other brother in law comes into our chat, my sister asks him if getting his mom a web cam would work.  I’m kind of silent now not knowing what to say.  The other brother in law doesn’t think his mom would be able to figure it out.  That’s kind of how the conversation about web cams ended. 

Friday – I talk to my mom about what happen.  After thinking about it more, I realize I probably should come clean and let my sister know that I had already ordered the web cams, actually much to my surprise they came today (3 days for free shipping).   So I thought maybe that night when I’m back on Xbox live I would tell my sister the story. (I realize now I should have just sent at least a text to my brother in law telling them NOT TO BUY A WEB CAM)  

During the DAY my brother in law gets on xbox live and we just chat for a couple of seconds about our day.  Nothing new with me,  but I come to find out that they DID go and by those cheaper web cams at Office max.  Now I’m even more confused!  Do I tell him right now!  What should I do?  Again I’m lost at the news.  I don’t tell them the news yet. Nobody comes onto xbox live that night.

Saturday – In the morning, kind of out of the blue my Brother (not brother in law)  calls me up.  Was a little strange because I don’t normally get a call from him.  I was like oh great I know what he is going to ask!   He starts talking and says  “What do you know about Monitors?”   So I explain a little.  He ends up wanting to buy a new one, like the widescreen I have.  I end up finding a good deal on line ($150, for a 22” Widescreen monitor)

Later in the day I talk to my mom again, and again realize I am just going to have to call, my sister and let her make the choice on what to do. 

Getting ready for some turkey dinner,  my other brother comes over to the family house and we are watching the football game.  One of the commercials during the game is from Best buy, which is talking about some Grandparent being able to see there grandkids open up gifts because of the miracle of web cams!  So I found out another reason to hate best buy!!!

Then later in the after noon my brother calls back and asks about the monitor I actually ordered for him.  Then again out of the blue he says, so we are thinking about getting a web cam!  So, this part was actually pretty easy.  I said to him, you don’t need to worry about that, you are already getting a web cam.  We then talk about getting one for Her parents, and I tell him the little I know about web cams.

Then after talking with him, I call my sister and let her know!  They did find it a little funny!  But by then they had already opened the one they had bought and I guess set it up, I don’t know all the details. 

Then telling my mom, the story, she said, why don’t they take the extra web cam and give it to my other brother to give to her parents!  That’s a pretty good idea, but nobody knows that yet.

The things I found so funny about all of this.

1.  I normally don’t buy gifts that soon, I guess I know why?

2.  I would have never known that my sister got a web cam, unless I would have gotten on Xbox live.  Maybe I would have heard about it later in the month, but by then it would have been kind of late.

3.  I guess its good to pick a gift that everybody is already thinking about!  (Or could be a curse)

Moral of the story!  When its Christmas time don’t ask people if they know anything about web cams, just ask if they are GETTING a web cam!