Totally Selfish Wish List

I've been thinking about Christmas a lot lately. Mostly, I've been thinking how the hell are we going to buy anyone anything?!?!

And in the true spirit of an American Christmas, I've also been thinking about the stuff I'd love to have for myself or my family, if money fell from the sky onto all our friends and family. Assuming, of course, that it misses us: if we had our own money, I'd buy this shit right now and wouldn't have to ask anyone for any of it for Christmas.

On to my list:

For Aengus: a real drum set and unlimited participation in soccer, fencing, and flag football for the year. And a pet penguin. And a pool -- to house the penguin, of course.

For Noah: A violin, recording equipment, his own computer, a good stereo, a room makeover, several new guitars, and a year of fencing lessons. Oh, and a gas card (to pay for all those trips to see his girlfriend).

For the whole family: An Xbox 360 (with games and all peripherals, plus a headset, subscription, etc. for online play), membership to museums around Virginia, a gas card to get us to all the museums in Virginia, a camcorder!!!!, a year's membership to the community center, a weekend in D.C., a trip to the beach, a weekend in Williamsburg, a camping/fishing trip, and a new entertainment system (a CD/DVD player, radio, maybe even a TV -- and speakers that emit sound).

For Jason: R/C helicopter supplies. And clothes. That boy still wears the old-man clothes he's had since 1992. And maybe a tan.

For me: A community center membership for the family, instruments for the kids, a camcorder, fabric to recover my deck furniture, a laptop that works, an occasional meal at a restaurant that does not have a drive-thru, a few days in NYC to see Equus, a month or two (or more) in -- well, pretty much all of Europe (hell, throw the Middle East in there, too). And a haircut. I cannot maintain my hotness with this god-awful soccer-mom bob.

So, what's on your totally selfish, if-I-could-have-anything Christmas list?