christmas wish lists

so the season of gift-giving is upon us. as i mentioned in the previous entry, my mom puts up a wish list every year, and we're supposed to write what we want so that other people have a clue and don't have to pull out all their hair trying to figure out what you want.

i don't mind filling out the christmas wish list (CWL) at mom's house, because mainly it's my parents shopping off that list, and since i'm a poor student, the CWL is really the only way i'll ever get any of more expensive things that i want. [insert here long paragraph about the true meaning of christmas, and how i really am very lucky and how i don't *actually* need anything (well, perhaps toilet paper, but i'm fully capable of buying that myself), but part of the fun of christmas is giving and receiving gifts.] so. i fill out the CWL at mom's house.

karl has repeatedly said how much he doesn't like christmas. i haven't pressed the issue, but the main point seems to be that he never knows what to get other people and doesn't know what to tell other people to get him. so he finds the whole thing stressful. understandable. so, as the holiday is approaching, and he saw the CWL at mom's, he asked me what i wanted for christmas from him. i stalled at first, not wanting to give him a list of "stuff i want". that's so tacky (this from the girl who does just that with her parents. somehow it's different, maybe because they've always bought stuff for me, fed me, housed me, etc, maybe because i've known them a really long time). i've got bunches of ideas for him, though they do mostly fall into the category of "stuff he needs for his apartment": alarm clock, wall clock, things-to-hang-on-walls, dish rack, bathroom rug, livingroom rug, etc. but he doesn't, apparently, have ideas for me. so the other day i was struck by inspiration.

i've been rock climbing a handful of times, always indoors. i'd like to get better at it, which of course requires practice, frequency, and maybe a lesson or two. but climbing is expensive. a couple of weeks ago, i mentioned to karl that we might try climbing, and though he's never done it he seemed interested. so i thought that maybe he could get me a multipass or a couple of lessons or something at the local rock gym, go vertical. and, i like this gift idea because it's not *stuff* (which i already have too much of) and i can enjoy it with him. i went poking around the website, though, and it's *expensive*. i didn't realize. a lesson, including day pass and equipment rental and instruction, is $50. so if karl and david and i go tomorrow (this is the plan) to see whether karl is going to like this at all (before he goes and buys a multipass), it'll cost karl a cool $100 (we had a discussion, and basically, he just pays for me when we go out. he makes money and i don't. it's a practicality thing). that's pricey for an evening out. i'm reconsidering. even though we've talked about it, i feel guilty that he pays all the time. urg.

so this wasn't meant to be an entry on money, but rather an entry on the plusses and minusses of CWLs. i guess my position is that for family they're great. it would be nice if close friends and significant others didn't need them (karl is the only close friend/s.o. who ever has, by the way). what do you think? (leave me a note)