Our Ranks Expand...

...though I guess it might be an exaggeration to refer to an increase from three to four as "ranks". It's more like a pod. The point is that three of us 360-owning dudes pitched in with Mike's wife and bought him a 360 for his birthday. I'm always surprised when I'm reminded how a small group of people can pool their resources and go out and get someone a really cool gift. I guess it just doesn't happen that often.

I find the Hobbit Birthday concept really appealing -- on your birthday you buy a gift for everyone you know rather than the other way around, so if you have a good set of Hobbit friends you get a pretty steady stream of gifts through the year. That spirit struck me one day a few years ago at work when our building was shut down due to a fire emergency. My team was released early and went and celebrated with some drinks at a local restaurant bar. I was feeling generous because I'd recently become debt-free for the first time since college so I offered to pick up the whole tab. We agreed that we'd do it again and some one else would get it next time.

That was probably eight years ago. I haven't been out drinking with my team since. Jerks.