MetaChat - Blitzen Poop!

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07 December 2005

Blitzen Poop! --so a remote co-worker sent me a really really expensive present, and i was only planning on spending like 10 bucks on her...

→[More:]She's a designer in Colorado and we work very closely together 7x a year. She sent me an Ipod Shuffle and a 15dollar itunes card. Way too generous, and way way more than i wanted to spend...ideas?

I was thinking now of one of these sets (they're 40), which is still more than i wanted to spend.

post by: amberglow at: 19:00 | 15 comments

oh, and we've never even met in real life--all phone and email and ftping back and forth.

posted by amberglow 07 December | 19:01

Just sell the shuffle on ebay and use the money to buy her a gift.

posted by delmoi 07 December | 19:07

Hee hee, on "The Office" last night, a doofus inappropriately bought a co-worker an i-Pod.

Anyway, delmoi's suggestion is not bad. You could also tell her "Wow, this was way extravagant and all I got you was this." And give her what you were going to give her, only with a handmade thank you card or somesuch.

posted by Specklet 07 December | 19:22

If she gave you an iPod, she probably gave a lot of people iPods, and got some sort of special deal on it. So I wouldn't freak yourself out too badly.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 07 December | 19:26

Are you a crafty or artistic person with a little extra time? Any way you could spend $10-20 and then some time to make her something nice? Kind of of difficult given the remote nature of the relationship but perhaps you know something about her that you could turn into a creative fun gift as opposed to a dollar-value gift.

posted by Cryptical Envelopment 07 December | 19:45

i am, CE, but don't know enough personal stuff.

She gave 4 of us the ipods (me, the editor in chief, the senior editor, and our group vp who's a doll). Maybe she did get a deal, and gave them to all her clients?

i think maybe i will sell it or return it to apple for credit (i actually want one of those speaker dock things for mine.)

posted by amberglow 07 December | 20:31

This is one of many reasons why I would NEVER trade gifts with co-workers. Is that a common thing? I'd never even heard of swapping gifts at work till I met my partner, but he and his co-workers spend as much on each other as I do on family members (of which I have only four, to speak of). I know I'm a cheap bastard, but still.

posted by BoringPostcards 07 December | 20:42

it depends on the place, i find. i'm in a very small group now, and i think everyone's going to be doing presents.

posted by amberglow 07 December | 21:12

SHE WANTS YOU EVAN.

posted by quonsar 07 December | 22:07

Give her the $10 original thing you were going to give her and don't worry about it. Coworker gifts should never go over $20 max and she's overdoing it; you are good with both karma & etiquette by giving her a present at all.

posted by mygothlaundry 07 December | 22:28

Oh, and write a lovely thank you note. ;-)

posted by mygothlaundry 07 December | 22:28

SHE WANTS YOU EVAN.

My thoughts exactly.

posted by go dog go 08 December | 01:08

Are you co-workers, or fellow freelancers? If she's getting business from you, no wonder she wants to take care of you.

Plus, if she's a freelancer again, it's a Schedule C write-off, you know.

posted by stilicho 08 December | 01:17

Get her this.

posted by DeepFriedTwinkies 08 December | 01:51

stil--you're right--we're both freelance.

Deep, i would, but i have no clue as to her tastes.

posted by amberglow 08 December | 08:34

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