Monday, June 23, 2008

Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

I've got secret mission. It’s actually my second assignment of this type and the last one was most definitely a secret. We’ll call him Man A. He was my employer for the first operation. He was visiting my Husband and had, to his chagrin, been told by his Significant Other to come home with a ‘designer bag.’

I was having a beer with them in the night market when the mission came up. He hadn’t bothered to find out what she wanted and felt anything would do (Oh no, Man A, that is most certainly NOT the case). Husband (mine), cynical well trained as he is, laughed out loud at his disillusioned colleague. Trying to squeeze more information out of him than, ‘something black and designery’ I was given a woefully inadequate budget. Cue Husband (mine) laughing out loud again.

I was eventually dispatched into the market with a vague brief (honestly, anything I got would be better than that half witted, beer drinking man) and a more realistic budget. All seemed to be well. Bag was procured and I never heard anything else: Mission accomplished, I believe. Back at the beer drinking, I did relentlessly tease Man A that I’d hidden a little note inside telling his Significant Other that I, and not half wit man, had purchased the bag. I can guarantee that Man A spent half the night searching through the pockets of our purchase to ensure that Significant Other never knew I was involved.

So cue second mission. This one arose last Saturday with new colleagues in town and entails the procurement of my favourite ‘make’. Man B seemed happy enough for me to do the shopping. I was happy with the mission: emails were dispatched home regarding designs and colours (I don’t know if my part in the shopping is being discussed) and I’ve spent some of the weekend compiling a dossier…Man B has a hold on reality and has put forward a good budget. Tomorrow I make the hit.

So my question is this: if your Significant Other is on business somewhere famous for certain products and you really wanted him to come home with something for you, how would you feel about the situation? Would you mind him getting an ‘expert’ involved? Or would you rather he did the choosing and you risk getting something horrible?

11 comments:

Pacha said...

I'd want you to pick my gift. Most definitely! If not I want to be taken on said trip please!

Rachel Green said...

Dogs, no! Ask a woman, every time.

Lane Mathias said...

No brainer. I'd want the expert. If I ever know of someone heading to Bangkok, I'll be sending them straight to your door. You should be on commission:-)

Yvonne said...

You should go into the handbag procurement business. I'd definitely prefer an expert to pick out my bag than my fella - he wouldn't have a clue!

Leigh Forbes said...

JJ, honey, you can shop for me any time!

CL Taylor said...

I'm lucky that my other half has pretty good taste (I've loved 90% of the jewellery he's bought me for example) and he used to work as a personal shopper for rich ladies back when he was very young (no, he's not secretly gay!) so I'd pretty much trust him. Ex-boyfriends however, I'd go for the 'secret agent' approach every time!

Jenny Beattie said...

Pacha, thank you. Yes, of course. First choice is going on business trip to shop!

Yup Rachel, my feelings too.

Lane, I could be ...

Yvonne, I'd certainly not be sure letting mine loose in the night market. He'd be okay in the real place, but funnily, he never does that!

Leigh, Yay.

Calistro, that's fab. Yes H is pretty good on the jewellery front - I've only ever not liked one thing - but bags: well I have to work quite hard for those so he doesn't usually go in a pick one! More like while he's in a half nelson!

Angie said...

Definitely the expert! Husband would be overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing colors, sizes, etc. It's the thought that counts...going to an expert shows a lot of thought, imho. ;)
Enjoy, the search sounds fun!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I am slowly training R but would definately prefer a woman to choose something for me every time.

Sarah*G* said...

I would not want husband to chose anything for me. I would give him a photo and detailed description of it or get someone I know who lived there to assist. Men are hopeless when it comes to shopping.

Carol said...

Chris usually does a good job on jewellery but I would definately not trust him at all to get me a handbag.....he's probably come back with some hideous ruck sac type thing cause 'It's Practical'....eeuuuwww

C x