Can't imagine why it didn't occur to me immediately. Who else has established a pattern of sending gifts through the  mail? (See the post below re: the mysterious appearance of a New Yorker magazine subscription in my humble abode.)

This morning the girlfriend was getting ready for work. I was drinking my 3rd cup o' Joe. I glanced at the old issues of the New Yorker sitting on the coffee table and said, "Hey -- did you happen to buy me a subscription to the New Yorker?"

Her (very, very, VERY blithely): "Yes I did. I got really tired of seeing the same old issues sitting on the coffee table. I figured the quickest way to fix that problem was to get you a new subscription."

Me: "Well, that was really nice of you. Thank you."

Her: "You don't have to thank me. I can afford it."

[That and then some... - Ed.]

And so there you have it, gang! Mystery solved!