Christmas wishlist

... because Rose asked me to.

The idea is pretty simple. You post a wishlist of ten things. Doesn't matter what size or how expensive they are; the point is that they're each something that you really, truly want. Then encourage your friends to do the same.

Step two is to read your friends' posts (your friends did post, right?) and see if there are any wishes that you feel inspired to fulfill. There's no obligation to do so; however, sometimes you might be surprised at what your friends want that you can provide. Maybe your friend wants some new clothes and you've got a bunch that you don't wear anymore. Maybe you're broke but your friend just needs someone to come cook them a good dinner and let them have a night off. The point isn't to put people out, it's to give everyone a chance to be somebody's holiday elf. If someone gives you something on your list, cross it off.

Disclaimer: There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

1. Motivation
There are hundreds of things I should be doing. I should be cooking healthy foods for dinner instead of taking the household out or making someone stop and pick up takeout or just settling for mac-n-cheese. I should be exercising daily, not just for weight control but for back pain relief. I should be picking up clutter regularly instead of letting it drive me insane. And then there's the list of things that I want to get done but don't necessarily want to do, like organizing my mp3s and photos. Most of the time, I skip all this in favor of being a couch potato, because I have no motivation whatsoever.

2. Less stuff
One of the things I am unmotivated about is getting rid of stuff. I dream of getting to the point where we've expunged all the items that don't enrich our lives, I just don't like the part where I actually sort out what to keep and what to ditch and then box up all the stuff that didn't make the cut. Part of it is motivation, part of it is fear of throwing out my back again, and part of it is the emotional drain of making that many decisions about that many items.

3. Peace on earth
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all want it, and none of us are in a position to negotiate arms treaties. But peace is more than the politics between countries. It's also the attitude with which we treat each other. What I really, truly want for Christmas (and my birthday, and all the days in between) is for people to spend less time reacting in a knee-jerk manner, and more time stepping back and trying to see another person's point of view. Let people out in traffic, because you'd hate to be stuck sitting there trying to make a turn if it were you instead of them. That woman who cut swooped in front of you to check out first? Before you mentally write her off as a jerk, consider whether maybe she's got a sick kid at home that she's trying to get back to, or if she's desperately trying to finish her shopping on her lunch break at work and doesn't want to risk getting fired for coming back late.

4. Net neutrality
Comcast is trying to get paid for all the traffic Netflix sends them. Which would be fine, except that Comcast is already getting paid by their customers, who have every right to use the bandwidth that they pay for every month. AT&T made a stink about this a while back, and now they're quietly waiting in the wings to see what happens with Comcast. If Comcast is allowed to double-dip by making both their customers AND the sites their customers visit pay for bandwidth, then AT&T will be right behind them, and probably Verizon too. But Net neutrality isn't just about providers getting double-compensated, it's also about customer freedom of choice. Once providers are allowed to charge content providers to transit their network, it's not a big leap at all to start charging those content providers for "priority" access. Which will, of course, become the default standard, and non-paying sites will get substandard transit times. This is a weird issue, because as an ISP there's the possiblity of it being in our financial favor to NOT have Net Neutrality, but both John and I are old school geeks who fervently believe that the internet should be neutral. In practical terms, this means I want you to write your senator and/or the FCC.

5. A clean garage and/or basement
This goes with "less stuff". This is the area that all excess stuff gets dumped into when it's in the way. I spent a great deal of effort about 8 years ago making it possible to park in the garage, but every fall/winter I always have to go back in and deal with the stuff that's collected in the intervening 9 months. This year, it's even more problematic, because I'm terrified of hurting my back again.

6. A winter home
Have I mentioned how much I hate snow and cold? I really, really despise it. We've talked about snowbirding, but haven't found an area that feels right to us. There will still be the little matter of paying for a winter home, but even just being able to visit different areas to find out what they're like would be nice.

7. Donations
Overall, I'm pretty lucky. "Blessed" might be a better word, or even "spoiled rotten". There are a lot of people in this world, however, who are not. There are thousands of worthy charities that are trying to help, but are strapped for cash and volunteer time. So, drop something into a Toys For Tots box. Buy someone an argicultural animal from Heifer International. Give blood, because the Red Cross always needs donors. Donate to my favorite charity, Modest Needs. Donate to your own favorite charity. Put money in the kettle of the Salvation Army Santa. Whatever floats your boat, I'm not picky. Keep the tax receipt for yourself, I'm good.

8. Woodworking lessons
It's been over 20 years since I took wood shop, but every time I see a hand-crafted wood item, my mind immediately goes back to the smell of sawdust in the air and the way wood feels when you're working with it. I *have* some tools, down in the basement (hand tools, that is), but it's been so long since I've used them that I'm a little afraid of them. Okay, more than a little. Still, of every handcraft I've ever tried, woodworking is the one I wish I did more of.

9. Massages
I am not talking about "give me gift certificates for a massage" (though I wouldn't turn them down). I am a confirmed backrub slut. And foot rubs. Wander up behind me and start massaging my neck and shoulders, and I will just melt. You'll probably have to actually ask before giving me a foot rub so that I can take my shoes off and lift my feet off the floor, but I'm pretty much never going to say no.

10. Forgiveness
Because let's face it, I'm stubborn and opinionated and sometimes wrapped up in myself too much to think about how my words might come off. It's not a question of whether I've ever offended you, it's really more a question of how often I do it. And if by some miracle I've never offended you, I can assure you that it'll happen someday. I'd have put this higher on the list, but I recently got forgiveness from someone that I truly wronged (rather than just stepped on the toes of), and if I get nothing else for Christmas, that will be enough.

Christmas wishlist

... because Rose asked me to.

The idea is pretty simple. You post a wishlist of ten things. Doesn't matter what size or how expensive they are; the point is that they're each something that you really, truly want. Then encourage your friends to do the same.

Step two is to read your friends' posts (your friends did post, right?) and see if there are any wishes that you feel inspired to fulfill. There's no obligation to do so; however, sometimes you might be surprised at what your friends want that you can provide. Maybe your friend wants some new clothes and you've got a bunch that you don't wear anymore. Maybe you're broke but your friend just needs someone to come cook them a good dinner and let them have a night off. The point isn't to put people out, it's to give everyone a chance to be somebody's holiday elf. If someone gives you something on your list, cross it off.

Disclaimer: There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

1. Motivation
There are hundreds of things I should be doing. I should be cooking healthy foods for dinner instead of taking the household out or making someone stop and pick up takeout or just settling for mac-n-cheese. I should be exercising daily, not just for weight control but for back pain relief. I should be picking up clutter regularly instead of letting it drive me insane. And then there's the list of things that I want to get done but don't necessarily want to do, like organizing my mp3s and photos. Most of the time, I skip all this in favor of being a couch potato, because I have no motivation whatsoever.

2. Less stuff
One of the things I am unmotivated about is getting rid of stuff. I dream of getting to the point where we've expunged all the items that don't enrich our lives, I just don't like the part where I actually sort out what to keep and what to ditch and then box up all the stuff that didn't make the cut. Part of it is motivation, part of it is fear of throwing out my back again, and part of it is the emotional drain of making that many decisions about that many items.

3. Peace on earth
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all want it, and none of us are in a position to negotiate arms treaties. But peace is more than the politics between countries. It's also the attitude with which we treat each other. What I really, truly want for Christmas (and my birthday, and all the days in between) is for people to spend less time reacting in a knee-jerk manner, and more time stepping back and trying to see another person's point of view. Let people out in traffic, because you'd hate to be stuck sitting there trying to make a turn if it were you instead of them. That woman who cut swooped in front of you to check out first? Before you mentally write her off as a jerk, consider whether maybe she's got a sick kid at home that she's trying to get back to, or if she's desperately trying to finish her shopping on her lunch break at work and doesn't want to risk getting fired for coming back late.

4. Net neutrality
Comcast is trying to get paid for all the traffic Netflix sends them. Which would be fine, except that Comcast is already getting paid by their customers, who have every right to use the bandwidth that they pay for every month. AT&T made a stink about this a while back, and now they're quietly waiting in the wings to see what happens with Comcast. If Comcast is allowed to double-dip by making both their customers AND the sites their customers visit pay for bandwidth, then AT&T will be right behind them, and probably Verizon too. But Net neutrality isn't just about providers getting double-compensated, it's also about customer freedom of choice. Once providers are allowed to charge content providers to transit their network, it's not a big leap at all to start charging those content providers for "priority" access. Which will, of course, become the default standard, and non-paying sites will get substandard transit times. This is a weird issue, because as an ISP there's the possiblity of it being in our financial favor to NOT have Net Neutrality, but both John and I are old school geeks who fervently believe that the internet should be neutral. In practical terms, this means I want you to write your senator and/or the FCC.

5. A clean garage and/or basement
This goes with "less stuff". This is the area that all excess stuff gets dumped into when it's in the way. I spent a great deal of effort about 8 years ago making it possible to park in the garage, but every fall/winter I always have to go back in and deal with the stuff that's collected in the intervening 9 months. This year, it's even more problematic, because I'm terrified of hurting my back again.

6. A winter home
Have I mentioned how much I hate snow and cold? I really, really despise it. We've talked about snowbirding, but haven't found an area that feels right to us. There will still be the little matter of paying for a winter home, but even just being able to visit different areas to find out what they're like would be nice.

7. Donations
Overall, I'm pretty lucky. "Blessed" might be a better word, or even "spoiled rotten". There are a lot of people in this world, however, who are not. There are thousands of worthy charities that are trying to help, but are strapped for cash and volunteer time. So, drop something into a Toys For Tots box. Buy someone an argicultural animal from Heifer International. Give blood, because the Red Cross always needs donors. Donate to my favorite charity, Modest Needs. Donate to your own favorite charity. Put money in the kettle of the Salvation Army Santa. Whatever floats your boat, I'm not picky. Keep the tax receipt for yourself, I'm good.

8. Woodworking lessons
It's been over 20 years since I took wood shop, but every time I see a hand-crafted wood item, my mind immediately goes back to the smell of sawdust in the air and the way wood feels when you're working with it. I *have* some tools, down in the basement (hand tools, that is), but it's been so long since I've used them that I'm a little afraid of them. Okay, more than a little. Still, of every handcraft I've ever tried, woodworking is the one I wish I did more of.

9. Massages
I am not talking about "give me gift certificates for a massage" (though I wouldn't turn them down). I am a confirmed backrub slut. And foot rubs. Wander up behind me and start massaging my neck and shoulders, and I will just melt. You'll probably have to actually ask before giving me a foot rub so that I can take my shoes off and lift my feet off the floor, but I'm pretty much never going to say no.

10. Forgiveness
Because let's face it, I'm stubborn and opinionated and sometimes wrapped up in myself too much to think about how my words might come off. It's not a question of whether I've ever offended you, it's really more a question of how often I do it. And if by some miracle I've never offended you, I can assure you that it'll happen someday. I'd have put this higher on the list, but I recently got forgiveness from someone that I truly wronged (rather than just stepped on the toes of), and if I get nothing else for Christmas, that will be enough.