shopping vs. buying - did you know there was a difference?

I didn't. Not until yesterday when I was "taught" this by Nathan. He knows I've wanted an mp3 player since November-ish and recently gotten quite serious about comparing them. He knows I can't stand my current little am/fm tuner that I take to the gym so I can tune into the tvs. He also knows I currently can not find the am/fm tuner that I can't stand. Earlier this week, Nathan and I discussed this as a possible birthday present. Well, this is how the discussion went: N: You're not going to buy it right now, are you? J: Not this minute. N: Because it will probably be a birthday present for you. My birthday is not until April 24. No surprise I'm not keen on waiting 3 more months for this mp3 player. Yesterday, Nathan was on the way home from work when he called to "check in". I asked where he was and he said he was birthday shopping. Wait. Huh? What? He's birthday shopping for my birthday (mine's the next in line of family birthdays he would shop for) three months ahead of time? When he usually thinks about presents but doesn't actually buy them until the night before or day of? You know how this translated in my head, right? "I'm getting my mp3 player TODAY! Happy 29 years, 9 months old to ME!!! I am SO excited!" I spent the next hour or two until he came home wondering if he got the kind I told him I wanted (with an fm tuner so I could watch tv at the gym if I wanted to), what songs I'd start downloading tonight, which service I'd use to download them from, and hey! - I'll even go to the gym at 5:30 AM tomorrow to use my new toy! Yeah!! I'm getting a new toy!!! So Nathan came through the door and I saw no new toy in his hands. I was all smiles. I inquired of where my new and early birthday gift was, and he said he didn't buy, was just shopping. WHAT? HUH? I know. It must be in his backpack. I open his backpack and it's quite obvious, there's no mp3 player there. (I realize I'm starting to sound like a 4 year old here. And while I do not usually act like a 4 year old, yesterday I did. So there.) The CAR! Nope. He meant it. He was shopping, not buying. And I quite obviously did not go to the gym at 5:30 this morning.