Present lists

People have started asking me what I want for Christmas. This used to be a very easy question to answer, in the days when my monthly earnings (parental allowance paid in return for washing the sink/emptying the dishwasher etc) totalled a princely £30. Now I have a modest income (and modest is really overstating the issue), if I want something like a CD or a book, I generally buy it (or just borrow it from the library).

When I was about 12? 13? I don't know, it seems a long time ago;-> I was the favourite niece of my childless uncle. One year, for my birthday, he told me he would get me whatever I wanted - just name it and it would be done. Of course, if I had asked for the pony that topped my present lists since I learnt how to read pony books, I would probably have got short shrift. Being the earnest type, I thought long and hard and told him solemnly that what I really wanted I couldn't have. No, nothing worthy like world peace. I wanted a puppy/kitten (my parents steadfastedly refused pets until my mum caved in when I was 15 and we welcomed a menagerie into the home) but I knew that my parents wouldn't let me. He actually looked quite thoughtfully and asked if I was sure that it wouldn't be possible. I'm fairly sure if I had really pushed the issue, I would have ended up with a box full of baby animal faeces and a beam on my face. But being reasonably considerate, I did not do so.

Instead, my uncle took me shopping. I remember distinctly I got a short-sleeved dress made out of stretchy, shiny, black material (sounds lovely I know), a game for my gameboy (bought from one of the girls on the school bus for £20 and covered in indelible ink) and some other things lost in the midst of time. Obviously, I'm not still wearing the dress either. But I do wonder what would have happened if I had got that kitten/puppy.

Anyway my boyf's family like to have exact ideas in their heads about what they are going to buy people (destroys all the mystery I think). So I have been asked to come up with some things I want.

Things I want
world peace (yeah, I'm joking, but it would be nice, wouldn't it?)
a pair of knee high boots that fit (which my mother-in-law type woman will not be able to buy because I will actually have to be there or I will simply have another pair of boots that don't fit)
hair straighteners (I have caved in and don't actually know how to use them, I just pray that practise and lots of overly straightened ears will teach me the technique)
a dictionary (considering words are my profession I can't actually believe I don't have one)
a long and short silver/gold chain (I recently discovered that I appear to be allergic to base metals in sweaty situations which is problematic seeing as all my jewellery bar a couple of gifts is cheap tat from Claire's Accesories/New Look)
any other jewellery as I am too lazy to choose it myself
a nice vase to put some kind of dried grasses in in front of my pretend fireplace
the new Will Young and Alanis Morissette cds (I'm not ashamed I have Franz Ferdinand and cool stuff like Athlete and The Killers too)
a gameboy advance sp/Nintendo DS (but noone apart from Andy would buy this and he pointblank refuses to do so)

Andy has interjected at this point that he would like a buffalo. I think it is highly unlikely this wish will ever come true, but you never know. Andy also thinks I want the QI dvd which is not entirely untrue but now I have Freeview (best £29.99 I spent in ages) it's on about three times a week anyway. Seems like a waste of money.

Oh and maybe a world atlas. I like looking up silly place names and my geographical knowledge is quite frankly shocking.

So it's a bit of a rubbish list really. I couldn't even resist buying the new John Grisham book yesterday which really I should have saved for the lists.

Anyone else have rubbish lists? I have actually managed to refrain from asking for a new gadget for my kitchen. Or something nice for the house like more sheets. I like duvet covers, this may be irrational in a 24 year old.

Like I said, I'm not ashamed. And Andy said he still wants a buffalo. I think this is one of those wishes you hope doesn't come true.