Santa All year long.

UNUSUAL IDEAS FOR GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING AND GIVING AND GIVING ...

Take the idea of the gift certificate one step further with a little creative thinking. Our suggestions:

Relax at will. How many massage therapists do you know? Put 'em to work on your loved ones. Buy a set number of sessions, arrange for prepaid "relaxation reminders" sent throughout the year, or give out "good for one free massage" certificates with yourself as the hands-on healer.

Smell like a rose. Arrange with your favorite gay florist to send a fresh bouquet on a preselected occasion every month. Mix in balloons, fruit baskets, stuffed toys--then sit back and enjoy a regular dose of thank-yous.

Take a reading. Go ahead and enable your friends' fascination with horoscopes and psychic readings. We suggest a lesbian or gay practitioner for the proper psychic spin, but make sure the expert you choose has been prescreened by you or the recipient. It's your loved ones' future you're tampering with, after all.

Don't ask, don't tell. How about a "good for one wild surprise" certificate? Ask a friend to clear his calendar for certain days well into Y2K and promise wonders to be revealed only then. Anticipation can work magic, whether the payoff is Indigo Girls tickets, a balloon ride, or a weekend getaway in Lake Tahoe. If you do tickets, check out Ticketmaster online, your community's theater season, or the nearest gay and lesbian film festival.