(This is mostly for family and friends, so forgive what otherwise seems like naked avarice, if you would)

With the birthday in two weeks and Christmas predictably on December 25, I've started to get oblique hint-questions of the "what do you want?" variety. With the health issues of the past year and such, I know it's a bit confusing (more than usual), so I thought I'd post this and spare everyone the uncomfortable "I want to know but don't want to ask you" conversation that seems so common in our family.

First, for the moment, we probably need to put clothes on hold. I've lost so much weight in the past year that most of my old clothes are rather baggy, I know, but some of them are just fine, and some of them have shrunk along with me (perhaps because I'm no laundry savant). Sometime in the next month or so, I'll need to get a new pair of jeans or two. When I do, I'll get measured so I'll actually know what size I wear now.

Although it pains me to say this, I actually have enough socks for at least the next year. I love getting socks, but I have at least 30 working pair right now. I could maybe use one package of good (Gold Toe) black athletic socks, but that's really it. I'll try to wear out more socks in 2008.

Right now, food-related stuff is risky because the treatment for my various ailments is in flux. I may be able to eat more sodium soon, or I may have to keep restricting sodium and add new restrictions on potassium and other kidney-cleansed minerals, so I just don't really know right now.

I updated the Amazon wish lists to be current and prioritized, trying to give "high" and "highest" priority to those books and DVDs that I would have already purchased by now if I'd had the funds or time, and ranking other stuff lower. I'll try to keep that updated over the next couple of months so people know what's going on. I need a nice monthly wall calendar for 2008 but don't have any strong preference as to a specific theme (Futurama, Dilbert, lolcats—not so big on nature scenes or abstract art, but geekiness can be cool).

I'm generally pretty easy; I have things I want that cost lots of money like a Wii, or lots of relatively cheap books and DVDs, and the traditional things (other than socks, alas) are usually pretty good.

Now, in return, if you could please let me know somehow what you want, it would also make the next few weeks easier…