It never fails. Despite dropping hints all year long — sometimes complete with emailed links to specific items, with color- and size-preferences noted — my husband comes to me in the homestretch before Christmas and says he has absolutely no idea what to get for me.

I, meanwhile, have managed to shop for him, our kids, both of his parents and the one member of his extended family whose name we drew last year for this year’s gift exchange. Oh, and I’ve wrapped all of those presents and picked out stocking stuffers, too.

Am I that hard to shop for? I personally don’t think so. If the email hints weren’t enough, my other areas of interest should be completely obvious to even the most casual of acquaintances: computer and kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, gourmet food and booze. Seriously, how hard is that to figure out after taking a glance at my waistline, much less any one of my four blogs?

A couple of years back, I picked out what I considered the perfect Father’s Day present for my husband, simply by observing what he seemed to enjoy most. I enrolled him in a Beer of the Month club, and every single month since then he’s thanked me for it.

One would think, then, that he’d figure out to enroll me in a wine of the month club in return. It is, after all, the gift that keeps on giving: every 30 days or so I’d get to enjoy a new bottle, with an opportunity to check out a vintage or make that I’ve never experienced before.

Bottles which, I might add, most likely aren’t on the clearance shelf, which is where my husband heads every time I send him to pick up a bottle of wine to go with dinner. (Let me just tell you now, if it’s on clearance in a liquor store it means even the winos won’t drink it!)

Come to think of it, a club membership like that would also save him 12 trips to the liquor store, many of which are often in the hurried 10 minutes before the place closes. Why, think of all the gas we’d save!

Hmm…. doesn’t that make it an environmentally friendly gift, too? I’ll drink to that.