This was 1987, so pre-online shopping days. But I had my shopping list firmly in hand and knew exactly what I was going to buy. We received a catalog in the mail from Christian Book Distributors ("CBD") and I had long before asked Harold to make me a list of his "Most Wanted" books from which I could use to shop for him. I would go down the list and after placing the order, I would check off each item I had bought. Well, I checked off the top several items from the list, filled out my order blank, enclosed my check, and was so proud that I had my Christmas shopping done.
Except...
A couple of days later I saw that CBD catalog laying on my desk and thought, "Yikes! I'd better do my Christmas shopping!" So I checked off the NEXT several items on the list, filled out my order blank, and enclosed ANOTHER check, and voila! I was done. Again!
A week or so later a box of books arrived from CBD and I was so pleased with myself. I took them out and wrapped each one and put under the tree.
And then...a few days later, ANOTHER box arrived from CBD. I was perplexed, to say the least. Then my perplexity turned to annoyance, because I thought that Harold must have placed an order for himself! So I asked him, "Have you been shopping for books this close to Christmas? You KNOW you're not supposed to do that!" I just knew there would be duplicate books in HIS box that I had in MY box! Of course, he immediately denied breaking our family's ground rules about such things. So I opened the box and saw that the books were all different than my first box, but that every one of them had been checked off the "Wanted" list. Then it struck all of us: I had shopped TWICE for him while in my chemo-fogged brain mode. OY!
"Well, I should probably send this second box of books back."
"That's ok. Since they're already here, I should probably just keep them."
He laughed. I (finally) laughed. It was pretty funny, even if it was pretty expensive!
