And for the guys on my list? I haven't a clue.

Arrgggh! Everytime I pull out my Christmas list, I'm slapped in the face by all the blank spaces next to the XY-type people. Ideas are few and far between for the fellows, ranging from 14-60. All of us XX-type folks were complaining about this very problem at the wedding reception on Saturday evening.

Julie, my cousin Ann's daughter and the mother of boys 2 and 11, said that you just get them anything that has batteries, lights up, makes some kind of noise, and has lot of buttons to push. That goes for men of all ages.

Sister Cindy referred me to the last 10 years' lists - a paperback thriller for Buck, something for Mikey's new apartment, art supplies for Matt.

And for big brother Bill? He's not the light-up-machine-that-goes- Ping! kinda guy. Something - yet again - for his mountian cabin? (Last year I got him a tea kettle - not so much for him but for me when I visit. No tea kettle indeed!)

Alexander loves manga and anime - but I've given him histories-of and reference books on those things for the past 2 years. I don't want to resort to a Borders gift card for him.

And for Kate's current fellow - not a clue.

The girls are so easy. I can find a million things for Kate and Cindy and Lizzie and Joanna and Nell. Girl-friends are easy, too. But guy-friends? Yikes!

OK, boys, step up to the plate for me - do you really just like stuff with lots of buttons that light up and make noise? One-stop trip to Radio Shack or what? I'll be glad to help you with the girl-stuff.

Maybe I should just buy a full range of batteries for each of them - then they'll be ready for what ever Boing-Ping-Beep thing somebody else gives 'em. Eveready, Duracell, or generic?