To me, if a present is going to be a surprise, that's one thing. On the other hand, if I'm being given the choice, then it's my decision.

It became increasinly obvious as we went from store to store that pure green is not a popular colour for carpets. We mostly were either shown olive or a combination with other colours. I was just as frustrated as my mother, but I did know the shade I wanted!

In the family, my mother was considered an irresistible force; but incidents like this got me the reputation of being the immovable object.