All I Want for Christmas

'Tis the season to spout off about all the things that you want.  While I am pretty sure all of the gifts have been purchased, it is never too late to drop a few subtle hints.

1.  First and foremost, I want world peace.  My children and I pray for world peace every night; every Sunday that I am able to I light a candle at church as my additional prayer for world peace.  It sounds naive, but I just can't believe that we still live in a world where evil people can rise to positions of power and influence under the banner of ignorance and intolerance.  And in retaliation, all sides, "righteous" or "evil", send other people's sons and daughters to fight their battles.

2. In a very distant second, I would like Fat Cyclist's new book.  It is titled Comedian Mastermind: The Best of Fatcyclist.com, 2005-2007.  The title is pretty self-explanatory, but if you have not taken the opportunity to visit the Fatcylcist website, I highly recommend that you do so...right now!  Fatty (mild-mannered, alter ego: Elden Nelson)  is hilarious.  He is able to take his own unique, comedic approach to a wide variety of subjects.  Seriously, this guy writes diatribes about cycling that even a novice cyclist such as myself can follow, and often openly laugh at.  This first book covers the early years before his wife Susan began a renewed battle with cancer, a battle that would eventually take her life.  The money that Fatty makes on this first book goes to the publishing expense of writing his coup de grace, The Cancer Caretaker's Companion.  So, when you buy this for me, you can feel good about your purchase, knowing that it is going to a greater cause!

3. I could really use some new running gear.  The items soon to be mentioned will soon become needs, rather than wants, but I thought it would be worth mentioning before the situation gets critical.  As usual, I need a new pair of running shoes.  I have not completely worn through the sole my shoes, but I am really close!  I figure these shoes have more than a thousand miles on them, the tread is nearly gone, and the whites of the insole have began to appear near the toes.  In the next couple of months I will wear completely through the insole; that does not work well in the winter snow!  Next, I have been running in the same compression and running shorts for over 2 years.  Further, I never purchased these items in the first place, but instead procured them from the lost and found at my old job after they had been left behind for months.  Which is secondary to the fact that both shorts have seen better days.  Especially the compression shorts that are showing signs of overuse as I am wearing holes in very uncomfortable areas!

4. I would like some financial assistance with registration expenses for runs and races.  Because of a lack of fiscal means, I participate in very few races every year, and the ones that I do participate in are carefully scrutinized for their value.  As an example, I signed up to run the half marathon in the Quad Cities last year because at $45 it was far cheaper than any half marathon in the Chicago area.  Additionally, the locale decreased my cost as I was able to stay at my parents home the night before (bonus: I could eat my parents food. Thanks Mom and Dad!).  Certainly I could run for a charity at nearly free of charge, but as I would be contacting the same friends and family to donate to the charity, I figure it would be less expensive if they just gave their money to me.

5.  I really want to run a sub-1:40 half marathon and a sub-20 minute 5K.  Much like my first request, I am pretty sure that no one person in particular could give this to me, but I thought it would be worth mentioning just in case Santa can work up some Christmas magic!

6.  Lastly, I want all of my family and friends to have a safe,enjoyable holiday season.  I hope that you all have time to appreciate the things that we have.  And in an effort to bring a little Peace to our World, remember and be kind to the folks who are not as fortunate as ourselves!