My Ultimate Christmas Wish List (Ver 1.00)

(Ed. note: Now, I don't normally send out such "wish lists" to family members for christmas before - namely because gifts stopped surprising me since I was 10 and the fact that I never really knew what I wanted for Xmas in the first place - so this would be an important milestone in this grand ol' holiday we all love and hate at the same time :) )

Hello, family and friends to my very first and very special edition of Gino's Christmas Wish List. If you would so indubitably notice, I'm sending this email far, far in advance of the great gift-opening night we've all become so accustomed to in the last couple of years, giving you ample time to find the gift I so lovingly deserved - and yes, sarcasm is bound to be plentiful in this post, so don't take my words too condescendingly (besides, how else would one write such a list without sounding so selfishly arrogant in the first place?).

Without getting into too much detail, this year is the first year I've finally realized what I've wanted for Christmas - too long have I been jaded by the childlike wonder of Christmas past, not knowing what to ask for from my very esteemed relatives, only being pleasantly aloof whenever the winter holidays arrived. But lo! has the light been shed on the eternal darkness of these stark prison walls of my mind, counting down the days to which mine freedom would be mine once more; where I could walk out and feel the morning sun bursting at my fingertips; the cold, fragile texture of wet grass beneath my naked flesh; the fresh smell of water lillies devouring the nasal passages from which hitherto knew nothing but emptiness and filth! O had such dark days been tormenting my tortured soul with such furious viscosity that . . .

Ah, *ahem*, sorry for the rather verbose intro there. Got a little too carried away, methinks. Anyway, now for the real reason I intrude upon your very busy lives today: the list. Onward ho!

1.) Assorted Fencing Gear
- mask
- jacket
- lame' (accent on the "e")
- electric foil

pros: something I'll definitely use throughout the year, ie in practices/tournaments; makes
me look cool to have my own gear while I'm at it : )

cons: prices fluctuate depending on the piece of gear, see me for more info*

2.) Playstation 3 Games
(choose any one of the following - however, feel free to be generous!)
- Assassin's Creed
- Half Life: The Orange Box
- Guitar Hero III (preferably w/ guitar)
- Rock Band (only those who really love me would even think about buying this bundle)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
- Random: be creative! if you find a game that I'd enjoy that I don't know about, go for it!

pros: convenient to find/gift wrap with such a small package
cons: they run about $50 to $60 a pop - Rock Band, however, takes the cake at $169.99

3.) Cool Blu-Ray Movies
- since I now have a Playstation 3 to enjoy movies in their hi-def glory
- new releases, old releases: anything you think might appeal to me

pros: convenient to find, rather inexpensive depending on the movie
cons: i don't have an HDTV yet to enjoy it with : ( * see below for this

4.) an HDTV
- Black Friday is coming up this week *HINT*HINT*
- naturally, I would never ask you to purchase one just for little old me, but rather help
me pay off the rather nasty amount I'll most likely have if I find a good deal running
around this Thanksgiving weekend
- that said, I'm open to accepting *any* amount on this to alleviate the burden on my
credit card, since getting paid at minimum wage in Davis would take a bajillion years
to pay off

pros: choose what amount you get to give toward paying off my debt; helps me complete
my high definition experience with my PS3 and Blu-Ray movies

cons: none, since I'm most likely the one to be charging it to my card in the first place

5.) Books/Graphic Novels
- I am Legend (not the movie version), by Richard Matheson
- Southland Tales (graphic novel), by Richard Kelly
--> either 3 volumes sold separately, or one containing all 3 of them

pros: relatively inexpensive
cons: none

6.) Clothes
- If all else fails, clothes would be the safest bet
- Shirts: tend to fit either MED or LRG, depending on the shirt
- Shorts/Pants: waist size = 33
- Jackets/Coats: LRG
- My recommendation: go with a gift card of some sort, preferably with any of these
fine manufacturers:

Threadless.com; Pac Sun; Urban Outfitters; JCPenney; Macy's; Old Navy; GAP

pros: extremely flexible in price - you choose how much you want to spend
cons: hardly any, if at all

Well folks, there you have it. If you need any more details or information on the above products in this list, feel free to shoot me back an email or two; feedback is greatly appreciated.

Good Night, Good Luck, and God Speed.