During Christmas, Ryan and I decided to give my parents an antennae set so that they could receive Bryan-College Station channels to get more accurate news and weather, as well as receive the Houston channels that they already received through Dish Network. Did a lot of running around and we bought it and wrapped it and were super excited for them to open it! Friday before Christmas, we were getting dinner ready at Mom and Dad's when mom said, "Guess what you're Dad did?! He got all of our channels switched so we get local news now!" My initial reaction was, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Dad apparently was left alone in the house all day, got bored or something, and got a wild hair to change over the satellite location-thingy. Mom was still disappointed because she, as a result, lost the Houston channels which she still wanted. I told Ryan outside in private and his eyes became HUGE as his jaw dropped open. I had already pretty much told them that's what they were getting for Christmas because it originated as an idea for my Mom's birthday-because this was more for her. AUGH!
The following evening, we huddled in front of the fireplace and exchanged gifts. Its was peaceful and we laughed and drank hot chocolate. Then it came to Mom and Dad's turn..."And this big box says to Mom and Dad..." read my father very loudly. He slid the box across the floor at Mom's feet while I said, "TahDah! Something you don't need anymore!" Mom rolled her eyes and told Dad to open his first. They opened the box together and, needless to say, Ryan and I's excitement had, by this time, dwindled to a subtle awkwardness. Mom explained to Dad what the thing was and that she wanted him to call the satellite company back and get the programs back to where they were cuz she didn't like not having Houston news! Dad nodded largely. I wasn't sure if he was confused or didn't hear her. "LYNN! This is for the channels where they are! (she points to us) You need to call the Dish thingy people and put it back to where it was," she exclaimed!!
Ok. So, the next morning Ryan and my father tackled setting the whole thing up. They unwrapped everything, hung it up on the roof, and got it working in the house. The excitement had returned and Mom and I cheered like little girls when it came on the tv and we saw how clearly the reception came through! Way to go, Ryan. Success!
After Christmas, my parents started to call Dish to switch the channels back...and were unsuccessful. When they had the satellite account set up, the installer used another address based in Huntsville as the address of the dish while their real one was used as their mailing and that is how they were able to receive Houston news. My dad, who apparently was not listening to any of that when we had the satellite installed 11 years ago, said, "WHAT? That's not our address, that's so silly," or something of that, I imagine. They switched the address and switched the satellite channels. They were unwilling to change them back unless they moved back to the previous address. My mom apparently yelled at a Dish CSR and said, "BUT WE NEVER LIVED THERE TO BEGIN WITH!"
The point is, I received a phone call last weekend saying they were taking the antennae down and they hoped Ryan wouldn't be offended. They were bringing it back to us so Ryan could return it and get the money back.
A week later, they came to town to see a movie and take us out to dinner so we could celebrate my Dad's birthday and Ryan's birthday at the same time. Ryan figured out the Monday before Christmas what he wanted to get my father for his birthday. When they decided to come into town Saturday afternoon, Ryan hurried to the store to pick up the truck bed extender thingy for my dad to go along with his new truck. He excitedly wrapped it up in the living room a few hours before they got to the house and we picked up a few small things to give to them both as a sort of replacement for their Christmas gift that they were bringing back with them. They arrive at the house bearing the satellite box. It walked in as though it were a casket. Ryan placed the open box on the freezer for the viewing.
A few minutes later there was a confusing discussion regarding Tractor Supply. Ryan and my father were going to go to Tractor Supply and as they started out the door I began to hear what sounded like what Ryan had already wrapped as a gift, and was currently leaning on our living room wall, being described as what he was going to buy at the damn Tractor Supply! "WAIT!" my Mom and I screamed and motioned for Ryan to come to us. "Y'all need to go ahead and open gifts! Y'all are not going to the stupid Tractor Supply store," we explained, panic-stricken!
Ryan pulled my father back into the house and my Dad reeled in the confusion. Ryan pulled the giant box away from the wall and my Dad started to open his very thoughtful birthday gift with adorably miss-matched Christmas wrapping paper. Dad pulled only the top portion of the paper down and said, "Oh, no." Apparently, while my dad was bored in Nederland just a couple of weeks ago (are you noticing a pattern here?) he bought the same thing that he was now unwrapping for himself.
We now had two gifts that we had to return.
The moral of this story is, Gift Cards. For now on, we are either giving my Dad gift cards or ruining any surprises entirely by telling them what we are giving them a whole month before any exchanging commences!
The end.
No comments:
Post a Comment