I've really got to learn to shut up...

No, really. I do. A perfect example is this:


That, gentle reader, is a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer. This nifty piece of kitchenware showed up on my doorstep after my wife and I returned from visiting her dad and his wife (Melissa).

During the visit, Melissa asked me if there was anything that we needed for our kitchen. I told her no, but we were saving up for the aforementioned mixer...
...
And now you see where I went wrong. I was thinking, "hey, this is a nearly $400 item; they wouldn't think of buying it for us. Besides, I just told them that we were saving up for it." BIG mistake. I should've known something was amiss when Melissa pulled out the catalogue and flipped RIGHT TO THE PAGE with all of the mixers.

So, back at home the mixer shows up. Naturally, the wife and I are all sorts of confused, bemused, shocked, and amazingly grateful. Of course we called to extend grand amounts of thanks to them, but I'm not sure it's enough; it feels like I should be doing something more to show my appreciation for them sending us this amazing gizmo.

This may be a bit strange, but it's still in the box. We're a bit nervous about pulling it out - a bit because we don't have a ton of counter space; partly because it's still really shiny; and a bit because I'm terrified of breaking the freakin' thing. Eventually it'll come out of the box, and we'll use it and be all "ooo" and "aaaaa."

For now, though, the picture on the box is really neat.