Dad's Christmas List!

I've been thinking a lot about Christmas lately. It's just over a month away! Being a Dad, I realize that it's all about the kids and making wishes come true and all that stuff, but this blog isn't about that. Let's put aside all the expensive goodies and toys that the kids want and foucus on the real issue here - what Dad wants for X-mas! Thought I'd list it all out for you, in case you were thinking of getting me something....

(Kind of looks less like a Christmas list and more like a Price is Right Showcase.)

Ford Freestyle

Yeah, that's right. I'm a station wagon-driving dad who wants a new station wagon. Man, do I know how to dream big, or what? But this here Ford is not just any station wagon. No suh. This, my friend, is a Crossover vehicle. Supposedly it crosses over the lines between a station wagon and a sport utility vehicle, with a bit of minivan thrown in. Stylish like an SUV, roomy like a van and fuel efficient like a wagon. In reality, it's more like it crosses over the line between cheap and not so cheap. This sucker is loaded with crazy-cool features, like a V6 engine, sunroof, power windows/locks/mirrors/seats, 3rd row seating, bucket seats in the 1st and second row, DVD player for the kids, roof rack, tons of convertible cargo space, steering wheel mounted audio controls, MP3 capability, CD changer, AWD, traction control, leather seats and oh so much more!

Anyway, point is, this is the rockin'est station wagon on the market, and I want it. I don't think Ford is producing these anymore, so the Freestyle isn't technically 'on the market' anymore, but I see a bunch of used ones around here and there. We are actually in the position to consider buying a new vehicle soon (either one of these, or a van like a Montana or something), so this isn't really a 'Christmas List' type item. But I still want it.

Ibanez BTB Bass Guitar

Everyone who has seen and/or heard it agrees - the bass that I play right now is an utter piece of crap. Pickups are shot, volume and tone controls are crackly and noisy, it's plastered with cheesy old stickers that are all peeling off and there's duct tape holding certain parts of it together. It's way beyond time for a new bass. So, if I have to choose one that plays well and is in my target spending zone, it would be this one on the left.

 I don't want to bother learning to get used to a 5 or 6-string bass, so I'd stick with the traditional 4-string. This model has active pickups, neck-thru-body construction, all natural wood with a natural finish and a comfortable neck and body design with not too much weight to it. Again, it's basically an upgrade like the car would be. Pretty sweet looking instrument though, isn't it?

Puerto Vallarta

No, I don't want to own the entire resort town - but I think I could handle that -  I just want a week in the sun to get away from it all.....to become that drunk, sunburned gringo tourist that lazes around the beach sipping margaritas all day and stuffing himself with all-you-can-eat tacos at some cheesy resort. Remember the fat guy with the farmer tan in Lilo and Stitch that drops his ice cream every time a spaceship flies by? That's me, right there. Only difference is, I would drop my beer. At an all-inclusive resort, I'd just go get another one for free. I need not fear wayward spacecraft nor alien invasion of any sort.

My brother has been there a bunch of times and highly recommends it, and it looks like nice scenery with a lot of fun stuff to do. Even though I'm not really a 'beach' guy, the All-Inclusive Resort thing sounds like a relatively reasonable way to visit an exotic locale and get loaded out of my tree. Of course, I was hoping for this to be a kid-free adventure for Bobbie and I, since we never actually had any sort of honeymoon. I've never been to any sort of tropical destination before, and PV looks like a good Mexico 'starter city' for us.

Comics, Comics, & More Comics

Yes, I already own tons of comics. We all know this. Truth is, though, I don't even own a fraction now of what I did in the late 80's. Right now, I have about 900 in my personal collection. In my mid-teens, I think I was sitting somewhere around 6000. By age 20 I think I sold almost all of my collection for way less money than they were worth, because I needed to make the rent or go drinking or something. By age 28, I was down to zero. Two years ago (age 36) I decided to get into buying and selling on Ebay, and I've managed to accquire all of the comics I currently own in a relatively short amount of time, all the while selling off whatever would make me a decent profit...profit to buy more comics, of course. Some of the titles I'd like to hang on to (at least at this point) are THOR, FANTASTIC FOUR, HULK, AVENGERS and GODZILLA. I've got three-quarters of a long box of THOR right now, and I'm waiting until the movie comes out so I can cash 'em all in for as much as I can. I'm predicting that I'll be able to effectively trade my beloved THOR collection for two weeks in Puerto Vallarta....

Enough about comics. I talk enough about them in other blog entries. They really aren't an X-Mas list item either, since I'm sure I'll end up buying all the ones I want myself anyway.

Action Figures

Yeah, I obviously don't need any more of these either, but they're so freakin' cool! These pictures are of some of the ones I don't have (yet). I've got a bunch of Godzillas, and even a couple of Mechagodzillas (the robot version of Godzilla, for those of you who don't know), but I don't have the versions pictured below - 1976 Godzilla and 1976 Mechagodzilla, respectively.

I'd say I have about two dozen action figures that I actually care about, but surprisingly, I discovered that I don't even own a Darth Vader! I have a keychain version still in the package that's pretty sweet, and even the Hasbro Transformers version that changes into DV's personal TIE Fighter, but no regular old fully-(or even partially-) articulated Darth Vader. This oversight cannot be ignored. How can one claim to be any kind of action figure collector if one doesn't even own a Vader? Shame on me. And shame on you for not buying me one...

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In all seriousness, the above list is not really intended to be any kind of suggestions for gifts for me. I am just contemplating the whole need/want dynamic of my life, and I am actually pretty content with the things I have right now. Christmas is, and always has been for kids, and even though it sounds cheesy, it's true that it's better to give than to receive....

 Except when you're a kid! It's awesome to receive! Let's just consider this post to be yet another moment of my inner kid shining through.

May the Force be with you...

ps. - All of the images in this post are taken from random web searches, and were not photographed by me - the images are property of their respective copyright holders. Please don't sue me.