all i want for christmas

I'd like

1. $300,000 (USD)
2. An MP3 Player
3. To master the roll on the hammered dulcimer
4. More clear skies and less light pollution
5. A road bike
6. A sling bag
7. New clothes
8. A music practice room (or have my neighbor move, which ever is easier)
9. Fitness and health
10. More books

Item 2 isn't that expensive these days. I guess I don't know the models well enough to make a choice. A gadget good for listening to downloaded radio programs when I'm commuting is all I need, nothing fancy. It'll be a bonus if the machine had tens of GBs of storage space for mp3 backups. Item 3 takes time. It's more appropriate as a New Year resolution, but I don't want to jinx it. We all know resolutions don't work. Item 4's an uphill task. I'd really like to ride on one of those slick looking road bikes, but I'm not about to part with a 4-digit figure just for the frame. 8's for our sanity --- my neighbor's and mine. For 9, a bit more body mass won't hurt too --- yes, I need it.

Item 1 kind of vetos almost everything else, doesn't it? Well, not really. It's the price of freedom. If I had to choose the one I want most, this would be it; most of the others can be done without. This versus half a decade of unconsummated ambition, servitude and lost youth.

Happy Holidays.