I went Christmas shopping today. My brother had one specific item on his wishlist which he communicated over the phone to me. A stainless steel vacuum thermos with a little under a quart capacity that has a plain screw top not a pour gizmo that made his last thermos hard to clean and eventually icky. Honestly, I didn't think I would find it, so I almost did a little dance when I did find a thermos that was exactly what he wanted and at a decent price.

My back up gift would have been an aloha shirt, which seems to be my standard gift to male family members who I have no idea what to buy for. I buy my father an aloha shirt on almost all occasions. My brother asked me if I knew what Dad wanted for Christmas. I told him that I asked, but he told me, "No need." My brother said, "So you're getting him an aloha shirt, huh."

I stood in the men's department staring at all the aloha shirt patterns and they all looked familiar. I didn't know if it was because I had already bought him this or that pattern or if it was because I've seen it on someone that I knew or if it was because I always end up in this department so everything looks familiar.

I bought one which didn't look too familiar. I hope he doesn't already own that pattern, but even if he does he has so many he might not notice.