Ahah! One I can answer!
Part 1: This happens to me every single year. EVERY year. The problem is that anything I want/need thats relatively small, I just go get. And so every holiday season I'm reduced to creating a list of random things that I kinda maybe think would be interesting, but don't really want. However, I also point out the fact that I don't really want any of the items on the list and only put them there because the things I really want are too expensive to list. Most of my friends and relatives have figured out by now that I don't do gift lists well.
Part 2: I agree entirely, but I don't know why people expect gift ideas and I certainly don't know why they get upset when they aren't given any. I don't ask for gift ideas - I just get people things and hope they like them.
- X