The element of surprise...

I remember one Christmas, not long after I was married, where I thought I had the perfect gift for my new husband. We were watching TV one evening and a commercial came on for an electric screwdriver with a flashlight built it. I remember Jeff saying, well that's a good idea! So, I mentally stored and saved that information in my brain. It was a few months before Christmas when we saw that commercial, so I was thinking what a surprise it would be and how sweet he would think I was for remembering. Well, in the "sweetest" mood I could muster up I went to Sears to find the said screwdriver. I found it! It was a craftsman to boot! Now I'm thinking, well I know he loves Craftsman tools, so this is just an added bonus! I purchased the screwdriver, wrapped it and put it under the tree. I was so excited for him to open it, that when Christmas came I gave that gift to him first. He opened it....me smiling the biggest smile ever, and he looked at it and said...whats this? I, still smiling, said...its the screwdriver with flashlight that you said you liked!! Really? was his response...when did I say that? One evening when we were watching TV!! I remembered!! I'm still smiling waiting for the praise that I was sure I deserved. Then he puts on the fakest smile he could muster up and said...well thank you honey! That's it...that's all I get for remembering a tool you said you loved and going out and finding it??? Thank-you honey?? I said...is it not the right one? He's searching his memory trying to remember the commercial I keep referring to and said...no, its great! I do remember him fidgeting with it for about a minute or two and then tossing it aside. It was a few months later that I was helping him with some kind of home improvement and he asked me to go get a screwdriver. I ran to the garage and saw that wonderful screwdriver on his workbench...I think it was still in the package...and that's the one I brought to him. He looked at it and said...oh, not that one....I save that one for "special" projects! OK..the gig is up! You don't like it!! I remember saying and he said...I just don't remember ever saying I wanted it. I said..Jeff, we were watching TV and a commercial came on for it and you said...oh, that's a great idea. THAT was my first lesson in sarcasm. You were being sarcastic?? You really didn't think it was a great idea!! He was like...honey, a screwdriver with a flashlight on it?? Really?? That was the last Christmas I tried to surprise him with a gift. As a matter of fact, from then on any time he mentioned that he liked something...sarcastic or not...I deliberately didn't buy it for him. I believe he has personally hand picked his gifts ever since. So much for the element of surprise!