Every year, when my dad's birthday comes around, my family faces the same question: what do we get him for his birthday? I can count on my mom, brother and sister to drop hints, but my dad never helps us out at all with that. We looked through stores and catalogs and just couldn't find anything that seemed right for him, until we heard about this golf tournament that included a chance to play with past PGA pros!
As soon as we found out details, we knew it was the perfect gift. My father loves golf; he plays every day! If he's not playing, he's watching it on television. He says he's "breaking in" his driver, but we know better. I think he's addicted! So we signed him up for the tournament, and he was completely surprised. He had no idea, and was thrilled!
The golf tournament rolls around and he and his friends are playing together in it. The tournament is an all day event followed by a dinner and a silent auction. The dinner was excellent; he loved the food and was thanking us. He then proceeded to the silent auction to bid on whatever he set his heart on.
My mother ate her $25 worth of desserts throughout the evening. She said the food wasn't as tempting as everything on the dessert table. She went along over to the auction table carrying what looked like three slices of cake, maybe even one slice of cheesecake.
My father bids on a couple things. He bids on a picture of an athlete, which is autographed by the athlete. He bids on some shirts, and some other items. He then comes across this weed whacker which he wants for his property down south. He places his bid, and maintains the highest bid. I've never seen a man so excited.
My mother does the same as my father, except she looks at the gift baskets. From what she said, the auction had so many different gift baskets to choose from. She was looking for a special gift to give my father, for his upcoming birthday and for Christmas. She looked at wine gift baskets and found a basket full of assorted meats and wines. She bid on several of them, so that she could give them to family relatives during the Christmas holidays. I think it was a good strategy for the value.
When the silent auction ended, my mother had won her gift baskets. She was very excited. Then it was time for the live auction. The first item up for bid? The string trimmer my dad wanted! Unfortunately, he didn't win, but his disappointment didn't last long. He had been having such a great time. Something like a simple auction item wasn't going to bring him down! It was a great day, and I know it's a birthday gift he'll always appreciate.
