Luggage/grad gift for plebes-to-be

Skipper07 said:
If your son likes subs I would recommend making him a surprise account at The Big Cheese. It is a couple hundred yards from the gate 1 pedestrian entrance. It is overpriced but SO good.
Click to expand...
One of my favorite recommendations. Call them direct. Bob and Judy and their family have been a part of DTA (downtown Annapolis) for years.
 
As said, luggage would not be advisable. I remember our mid getting their backpack and civvies back on plebe parent weekend and everything was covered in mold. I believe we had our mid toss it. We went to Target during ppw and bought a $30 g shock wristwatch as they couldn't have one during plebe summer anyway. Also, we went to the mall and bought our mid a nice pair of sunglasses as a congrats for making it thru plebe summer.
 
Skipper07 said:
If your son likes subs I would recommend making him a surprise account at The Big Cheese. It is a couple hundred yards from the gate 1 pedestrian entrance. It is overpriced but SO good.
Click to expand...

And its a small, locally owned mom and pop shop. Love them, and they adore our mids. They’ve been there a long time!! You can call them and over the phone open up a store credit...pay with a credit card. They don’t even need a gift card.

I have wondered about all those small businesses...sure hope they all make it through the shutdown ok.

(oops...posted before I read page 2!! ‘What captmj said’ 😬)
 
usna1985 said:
One thing that we recently gave to a male mid (not a plebe) is a civilian suit. Yep, he wanted one. Wanted to have something nice to wear on occasions when he might not want to wear his uniform.
Click to expand...

Funny suit story ... I was never one to like "getting dressed up", or wearing ties (and still am not, but tolerate it when I have to). Around 2nd/3rd Class Year, Dad thought it would be a good idea to get me a proper suit (I had older grandparents, and I am sure he was trying to be prepared) so we went to a tailor in DC during one of his visit and bought a nice gray suit. Fast forward about 10 years, out of the Navy and starting clerkship with a law firm, I pulled the suit out of the bag it came in , tailor tags still attached, never worn , and a moth hole in the shoulder. It also shrunk a bit during those years in the closet. :oops:
 
Bob and Judy are some of the nicest people I've met. My "overpriced" comment wasn't meant to be rude. Everything is overpriced in DTA :)

Now I want a roast beef sandwich.
 
Another really good one, is an amazon gift card. So when they eventually settle into their year, they can simply log on and order what they want/need (including bacon jerky) and it’s sent directly to them. Headphones. Desk fans. Blankets. Movies. Books. Pillows. Food. Comfortable desk chair. Gaming monitors 🙄🙄🙄.

And FYI, if they aren’t on your prime account, they can get their own student account for free!
 
I know it seems cliche but several smallish portraits of dead presidents and the first Secretary of the Treasury will likely be the most welcomed and useful gift (Andrew Jackson is popular). Always the right size, always the right color, and never seems to go out of style.

It is really hard to anticipate what they will need or use. Honestly, for a plebe to be going into plebe summer, many pairs of white and dark blue or black compression shorts will be a greater gift than any piece of luggage or jewelry. My DS still waxes expansively about the pure joy of putting on clean and dry underwear on a hot, July morning in Annapolis.
 
And if you're so inclined, a lot of the MIDNs use Venmo to transfer funds back and forth. "I'll put Chipotle on my debit card and you two can pay me back on Venmo" is a commonly uttered phrase at USNA.

I haven't used it, but I suppose that if your MIDN needed some cash - or you wanted to add a little for their birthday - you could send the dead Presidents that way, too.
 
+1 on the Venmo. Old geezer that I am, I only recently learned about this. DS had one of his company mates who lived close enough to the Yard to be allowed to get their stuff package and mail a large item to DS. I asked him if he was going to send reimbursement for the shipping and he said he already took care of it via Venmo.
 
.
Most of them have NFCU accounts. Just add them to your transfer list, and bang-zoom, it’s done.
.
 
THParent said:
And if you're so inclined, a lot of the MIDNs use Venmo to transfer funds back and forth. "I'll put Chipotle on my debit card and you two can pay me back on Venmo" is a commonly uttered phrase at USNA.

I haven't used it, but I suppose that if your MIDN needed some cash - or you wanted to add a little for their birthday - you could send the dead Presidents that way, too.
Click to expand...

Right on, THParent. Venmo for small transactions (food in DTA, stuff from mid store) and NFCU/zelle transfers for larger amounts (Hey, can you mail me x, z, and z since I can't move out?).
 
We have been zelle users for years. Works instantly and is a simple app. Have used it in amounts up to $500. Cannot speak to more than that. But sure has come in handy when DS is in check out and I remember I asked him to get 50# of dog food without sending him with the cash. Easy peezy. And you can make a notation as to what it is for.
Personally, easier than logging into my bank.
 
Zelle. I learned something today. It's a good day.
 
Regarding watches:
My plebe DD reports July 1.
I'm a 'watch guy', and have an extensive collection of all manner of watches, from analog and digital, mechanical and quartz, dress and sport, cheap to $$$. I'm pretty knowledgeable in horology.
DD has several watches I've given her, including dress watches she wears to recitals, church, formal events; digital (g-shock), and an Apple watch. She now wears the Apple watch most of the time.
Would getting any watch be worth it other than what she has already (Apple watch, G-shock)? I'd get her whatever would benefit her the most if it's different from what she has now. What about the Luminox (analog) line of watches?

As a final note; her older sister is a firstie at USAFA. When she entered USAFA, we got her a g-shock, but she never really ended up wearing it. Its her Apple watch most of the time. Just wondering if her plebe younger sister will end up doing the same...

Any advice is appreciated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top