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Highlands Today

A Wii Or A Girlfriend? Which Would Be Tougher For Santa

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Karl Erikson

Published: December 10, 2007

I spent Saturday night relaxing at Highlands Hammock State Park with lots of other people, listening to the songs of the California Toe Jam Band. The weather was perfect (if not a bit too warm), the food was plentiful, and my $10 in raffle tickets supported someone else winning the 50/50 prize. It was a nice way to pass the evening, far from the crowds and lines at every store in my Christmas shopping lineup.

My mother recently asked me what I want for Christmas. I think I was much easier to shop for as a kid. I knew what I wanted. I went meticulously through the Sears Wishbook, making a list for Santa, complete with catalog page numbers, item numbers, and prices. Give me a talking G.I. Joe with Kung Fu Grip, a Haunted Mansion 3-D board game, some books, candy to fill the stocking...and, oh, you can keep the underwear and socks.

Turns out that now, at 41, the underwear is the first thing on my list. I don't even think about what I want for Christmas because I'm too busy trying to get all my shopping done. I especially need to finish shopping for my daughters since they live in Texas and I have to mail them their gifts. But me? What does Karl want? Well, it's been a while since I made a list for Santa, but here goes nothing.

First, the underwear. I hate clothes shopping, especially for myself. I'm by no means a fancy dresser, preferring shorts and a t-shirt with sandals on my feet. Still, there are necessities I need from time to time. Underwear eventually wears out. I'm a boxers man, so keep the tighty whiteys for yourself, thanks very much. And the great thing about having lots of underwear is that you don't have to do your laundry as often. My ultimate goal is to have 180 days worth of underwear.

I'm sure Santa has plenty of other things to worry about, but I could use a new desktop computer. It's been a year now since my desktop fried and I've been relegated to my laptop ever since. Typing away on a TV table parked in front of my recliner isn't exactly the most comfortable way to interact with the computer. Thing is, what I'd really like is a Mac. I have a few friends that swear by theirs, and I'm frankly not looking forward to buying a PC with Windows Vista installed. Too many bugs for me.

I'd love a Nintendo Wii but they're incredibly hard to come by. Retailers are perpetually sold out. I'm not sure why...the Wii has been out for over a year now. Supply should have caught up to demand by now. I haven't bought any video games since I purchased a Super Nintendo years ago for my girls.

While we're discussing impossible gifts, I'd like Santa to bring me a new girlfriend. Someone who is low maintenance would be best, but I'll accept any supermodel astrophysicist, really.

The Eagles recently released a new double studio album and they made an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart to carry it. I could also go with an iTunes gift card –– I'm a big music freak. That's all the space I have. Tell you what Santa, if you're really hard-pressed this year, you can just bring me the girlfriend and forget the rest. Hey, I can work with you. You're welcome.

Karl Erikson lives in Sebring and can be reached at karlerikson@yahoo.com

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