My dad, a copy of Munchkin. It's a great game, and I'm taking mine when I get a real place, so he'll need his own copy.

My mother is into explorer and medical biographies, so she's getting bios from antarctic and an everest doc.

Both are getting small kits they can stash in their cars, built into German-pattern mess pots.

My brother is getting flash drives. He needs a couple, and I had a good price on a couple of 8 gigs. I'll preload one with portable applications.

Extended family, donations in their name and chipping in on the family baskets.

Past three months, when I do my weekly shopping, I buy a ten dollar food shelf bag- my grocery store has them prepacked, just put them in your cart go up front. And I bought a small turkey for the food shelf for thanksgiving, and I've pledged a small, uncanned ham for christmas- pay for it next week.

For me, I'm still hemming and hawing. I need a new pack. It is down to the Jansport Carson which I like, and some other gear, or the Northface Crestone 75 which I REALLY(!!) like. I had them put 40 pounds in the Crestone, walked around for twenty minutes, asked for another ten. An hour later, we were up to 70 pounds and it was still comfy.