Ye Olde Christmas List

I was talking to Sticky again last night (who am I kidding, we talk every day), and we were commiserating about the upcoming holidays. Due to my lack of both seniority at the casino and disposable funds, I'm unable to make it back to Nashville for Christmas again this year. As much as I'd like to be there spreading holiday cheer and spiking the eggnog at my sister's Christmas Eve party, I'm unable to attend.

It will be a Blue Christmas, indeed.

But all is not lost. We decided to come up with our ultimate Christmas lists and post them online. Of course, they won't be "ultimate" ultimate lists like they publish in GQ or Cigar Aficianado. Nope, the stuff I want is actually reasonable. While a diamond-studded Rolex or a Segway with 20-inch Sprewells would be cool, my tastes are much more practical.

So Santa Claus, if you're reading and feeling especially generous this year, here is my list (and oh yeah, don't use the chimney--the side door is always unlocked...)

1) An 80-gig video Ipod, black

2) An Altec-Lansing In-Motion IM3C portable audio system for Ipod

3) A Motorola cell phone

4) A Dell desktop computer with a 19-inch flat panel display and all the extras.

5) A Canon Powershot Pro Series S3 6MP digital camera

6) A bottle of Pyrat Cask rum

7) One box each of Cuban Cohiba Siglo V's and Dominican Partagas Black Labels

8) Round trip tickets to St. Croix for a long weekend.

9) Tickets to both Ka at MGM and Phantom at the Venetian

10) A bedliner for the truck

11) A Kimber Custom II 1911 .45

12) A $500 gift certificate to Casual Male

13) A portable air-conditioning unit

14) An Executive Suite at Treasure Island for five nights of March Madness.

15) A $500 gift certificate to Amazon.com

16) A refresher sailing course at Seamist Skippers of Marina Del Rey

17) The patience to start playing poker again

18) Pretty much anything on my wishlist

19) Wine glasses

20) But most of all, I just wish I could be home for the holidays. Everything else doesn't really matter. Well, except for the rum... and the cigars.

Mikey