Thoughtful gift for a new date?

September 3, 2008 1:46 PM

I need help choosing a gift but the circumstances are complicated.

So I've been on a couple of dates with a woman I really like. She's 30, I am 35. Anyway, things are going great. Lots of mutual attraction, similar sense of humor. Basically, we hit it off together.


So far so good. She came over for dinner on Saturday. Great stuff. We were having a great time and drank some wine, talked and fooled around. It was very warm in the apartment and I don't have aircon. I suggested a walk around the block before heading back to my place.

Anyway, we were walking along chatting and she decided to walk along the adjacent 3 ft high wall like a little kid while I held her hand. She jumped down-- and majorly busted her ankle. I looked after her at the time but the swelling just got worse despite my best efforts.

So she is now rested up at her place and I haven't seen her since. Circumstances have made it impossible, otherwise, I would see her like a shot. We have been talking a lot and are planning to see each other as soon as she is more mobile.

So I was looking for ideas/suggestions for a nice, thoughtful gift to make her feel a little better. We have only been on a few dates, so I don't want to freak her our with a big extravagant gift but I don't want to just act all cool about it as if it's not happened either.


Does the hive have any ideas?

posted by anonymous to human relations (14 comments total)

Uhm, maybe this is boring, but send flowers?
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 1:54 PM on September 3, 2008

Send flowers and bandaids. Funny stuff helps. Good note is a big plus-explain you have tendency to knock women off their feet.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:06 PM on September 3, 2008

Food. It is a pain in the neck to cook for yourself while balancing on one leg. Personally, if I majorly busted my ankle, I would love nothing more than a pan of really, really good macaroni and cheese.
posted by sculpin at 2:06 PM on September 3, 2008 [3 favorites]

Books. CDs. DVDs.

All of these can be boring gifts if chosen without care, but when presented with someone who has to stay off their feet much of the time, and chosen carefully, they're an inexpensive way to demonstrate how much you know of her personality and tastes.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:32 PM on September 3, 2008

A copy of Persuasion? There's a similar incident in that book which triggers a romantic pairing - although I guess it would be possibly taken the wrong way because it would cast your friend as the flighty supporting character to whom it happens.
posted by yarrow at 2:49 PM on September 3, 2008

Flowers, dude, jeez!
posted by turgid dahlia at 2:58 PM on September 3, 2008

You really can't go wrong with flowers.
posted by desjardins at 3:14 PM on September 3, 2008

flowers are always lovely. order dinner in for her--it could just be chinese or a pizza. include dessert.
posted by thinkingwoman at 3:36 PM on September 3, 2008

Wrap the flowers' stems in an Ace bandage, and show up with her favorite variety of take-away and a movie. Then give her a nice back rub.
posted by coppermoss at 3:46 PM on September 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

send her this candy shoe with the note 'hope we can start things on the right foot again!' or 'hope this helps you to get back on your feet' or 'can't wait until you're "back on your feet"' or something like that.


or you can make your own instead of ordering from ftd. :)
posted by citystalk at 5:14 PM on September 3, 2008

Flowers almost can't go wrong - something cheery, not roses.

I agree with the mac n cheese - yum. If you're not delivering it yourself, maybe there's a place near her that delivers something like chicken soup or some other type of comforting food.
posted by KAS at 5:22 PM on September 3, 2008

I should probably have mentioned that you can actually have that particular mac-and-cheese shipped overnight. (Crazy, huh?) And Amazon.com isn't too bad in the grocery department, as I recall.
posted by sculpin at 7:33 PM on September 3, 2008

nb: Not every girl likes flowers! I like flowers outside in a pot or in the ground, not wilting! I was in hospital last week and everyone sent me flowers, which I promptly sent home with the other half so the cats could enjoy them. Send a card and a whatever. If you must send flowers, consider sending a small flowering living plant.
posted by By The Grace of God at 2:40 AM on September 4, 2008

You know, the fact that "circumstances have made it impossible" say to me that if you made whatever accommodations you could to see her for even 15 minutes, if she knows about your circumstances, that would speak VOLUMES to her.

Before my son and his now-wife became engaged, he drove over an hour to give her flowers before a weekend where they were both busy and left as soon as he handed them over. That clinched it for her.

True, I don't know your circumstances, but even if you can get a friend to act as a "stand-in" (wear a mask with your face on it? ) I think she'd really appreciate your effort and creativity - one's time is one of the greatest gifts.
posted by schoenbc at 7:18 AM on September 4, 2008