Posted: 6/11/2015 10:40:27 AM EDT
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There's a dude I went to high school with, (after typing and retyping, I'm not gonna dance around it) dude was pretty much a dirtball loser fat nerd. Fast forward a couple decades, I get Facebook friended, dude is still a dirtball loser fat nerd, posting dirtball loser fat nerd gamer stuff. Then, a couple years ago, he takes some classes, gets himself some sort of degree, gets a job at a computer repair shop where he can use his nerdery for good. Nothing too great, just enough for him to afford to marry his girlfriend, have a kid, stop qualifying for welfare and buy a trailer house. Not a pot to piss in, but he's living the dream, if you know what I mean.
So, with that background in mind, dude posts a picture/link on Facebook to a fancy graphics card, with a joke about how he knows his birthday isn't for another couple months, but they might want to start saving up... Lots of jokes in the comments from his local buddies about getting 20 people to pitch in. It's like a $350 graphics card. I was kind of a dick to this guy in high school, gave him a shitty nickname, etc. I think "eh, what the hell." I actually put it in my Amazon shopping cart and started the checkout process, but three things stopped me from submitting the order: 1) what if his true friends/family actually go in on one for him? Don't want to shit on their little moment. 2) what if the gift is somehow traceable back to me and he's wondering WTF? 3) Goddamn, that's $350. Seems a bit steep for tripping him and calling him Billdo 30 years ago. Or maybe not. Anyhow... If you buy a gift via Amazon, is it anonymous, or is your name/address somewhere in the paperwork or packaging? Would it be safer to buy it, receive it, then re-ship it? Anyone else get caught up in spur of the moment stuff like that? Worst for me was 10 years ago. I bought a kid my son raced with a MX bike. His had a catastrophic failure (frame and motor both shot) and his dad couldn't afford to buy a new one. Had the seller ship it to him. Dude cried. Eventually got it out of the seller that it was me, and when his son stopped racing later on, gave it back and I sold it. I need to go to bed, a 3rd shifter at 9:30 am is as bad as a drunk poster. Except with better spelling. |
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Yeah, it can be anonymous. My mom sends all of the grandbabies their Xmas gifts that way so they can be from Santa, and it annoys me to no end, since there's no way for me to tell her "yes, your gifts arrived" when she invariably asks.
Pretty cool thing for you to do, by the way. I wouldn't worry about stepping on the family's toes...especially if it's an SLI-capable card, in which case he can use both the cards. It would be fun to read the FB chatter after he gets it. |
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If it doesn't put you out, I would say just do it if you would enjoy it. I have enjoyed paying back my buddies who were generous to me when they had more cash than I did. In the last year, I have given away a Beretta 92, a trip to Disneyworld, and another to Colorado. I don't regret any of it. Albeit, this was a lifelong best friend, and not a random guy from my past. |
