Yesterday, one of my tasks was to mail my dad's Father's Day gift. He never needs a gift, of course, but for the past 8 years, I've been getting him the same exact thing.
A mix CD.
Okay, so it's not really a mix CD anymore, since he just rips it to his computer and plays it in random order, taking away any hard work that might go into selecting the proper order for the music, but each year, I work to put together a CD of music that I think he will enjoy.
I locked myself into this in college. Two years in a row, I made him a CD for Father's Day because I didn't know what else to get him. I didn't even realize I had done it until he commented how much he enjoyed it and looked forward to the next one. And the precedent was set. Sometimes I get him something else, but only if I see something that I know he will enjoy. Otherwise, he just gets the CD, which I think he likes the best anyway.
It's become quite an operation to put together this set of music each year. I keep a playlist of songs that I think he will like and add to it throughout the year. It means that I have to listen to a lot of new music each year, but I can't say that I mind all that much. It's a thoughtful gift and very inexpensive.
I'm not sure what the CD cost, simply because I bought a package years ago. Easily under a dollar though. The envelope cost 99 cents. The card was the expensive part of this gift, at $2.99. Mailing was under $1.50. So for well under $10, I managed to give a gift that my dad will enjoy for years to come.
And now that 2009 is taken care of, it's time to start hunting down music for next year's CD.