Gadding about

[J Peters]

Gemini wanders into the place after some days away.

"I'm ba-ack!" she says. "Didja miss me?"

She smiles and shrugs.

"I just went on a junket. I visited my mom, which wore her out, and
stopped by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." She models her t-shirt,
which says, "Flower Child with a Rock and Roll Soul."

"I also got to see my cousin and my niece. It was fun to catch up with
people, after such a long time hunkered down." Gemini plops down in her
favorite chair, grabbing a chocolate. "We did brunch."

[Skatha]

"That sounds great!" Skatha says enthusiastically. It doesn't look like she's moved at all since Gemini was last here. "I think I've been stuck in a general holding pattern life-wise lately, but aren't we all? My great achievement today was napping in a sunbeam next to my cat, and I have no regrets about that decision!" She sighs happily.

"My biggest challenge these days is figuring out how to manage the upcoming holidays and birthdays that are all packed in at the end of the year. How do I get someone a great present? How do I do it twice in a month?"

[J Peters]

Gemini tosses a chocolate wrapper toward the trash. "Gift cards?" She
picks up the wrapper, which missed, and places it in the bin. "Maybe
online cards for people who are mostly still staying in. Does Etsy do
gift cards? And restaurant cards would work for folks who are going
out. Barnes and Nobles works for both. Just a thought."

[Skatha]

"My challenges are that my mother is still traveling constantly, so I doubt she wants anything more to carry, and my dad...well, he typically doesn't want anything. My brother's even worse. But I've been picking stuff up on the fly, so I really just need something clever for my mom, my brother, and one of my friends. I think if I just declare the November/December birthday presents the same as the Christmas presents, I'm nearly done!" Skatha gives a rueful sigh. "And then, knowing me, I'll drag my feet on wrapping them and give them to everybody one month late. Does this happen to you at all?"

[J Peters]

Gemini shrugs, "I'm pathological about deadlines, so I don't send things
late. I'll have things shipped from the vendor if possible, which isn't
very festive. But my gifts tend to be toward the less festive end of
the scale. I got insulated reusable shopping bags for my brothers one
year. Who can't use those?"

[Skatha]

"Ha! As a matter of fact, I just used one this weekend for my dad's birthday! Got him and his wife some pizzas from a local place, shoved them in the bag to keep them warm, then drove 20 miles to his place." Skatha pauses. "Can I describe myself as a delivery driver now? Anyway, I had the DVDs he asked for too, so this might have been the one birthday that I celebrated properly with him in a timely manner. Woohoo!"

She leans forward and asks, in a more hushed tone, "But...out of curiosity, do you know what your plans are this year? It's totally not because I'm looking for inspiration, nooooooo not at all..."

[J Peters]

Gemini raises an eyebrow.

"I was looking at some gloves last night. The kind that have the
touchscreen fingertips. I have not purchased any yet, though."

[Skatha]

"Gloves are always great - a few years ago I got battery-heated gloves for everyone in case we got hit by another polar vortex. The batteries were so heavy & cumbersome! But my brother tends to lose every pair of gloves, so I keep buying him a pair every winter." Skatha sighs. "One day, I shall find the perfect glove."

[J Peters]

"I'm thinking about the touchscreen gloves, so the wearer can swipe
their smart phone screen without risking frostbite." Gemini looks
thoughtful. "Maybe I'll look for coordinating hats."