“This is just a real-nice surprise, just a real nice surprise . . . Here’s a little list. Alphabetical, starting with [books.] And if it wouldn’t be too much, I’d like to get something for you [too.] Something---really nice.” (National Lampoons Christmas Vacation— Hear the original clip )

As much as I love receiving presents, I really do hate asking for specific presents---my favorites are always the unexpected ones. In my opinion the message of a good gift is: "I know you so well, I can give a bit of myself, 'presented' in a way I know you will like." But, in case you don't share my philosophical outlook on gift-giving, here is a running list to get you started:

(I'll try to keep the list updated, but no promises. . . last updated: Oct 13th, 2009)

Books:

  • Mutant & Masterminds: Ultimate Power Sourcebook
  • Dice Games Properly Explained (Reiner Knizia)
  • Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Lynne Truss)
  • Sources of World Civilization, Vol. 1: A Diversity of Traditions (Oliver Johnson)
  • Sources of World Civilization, Vol. 2: Connections and Conflict (Oliver Johnson)
  • Perspectives on Western Art: Source Documents and Reading from the Ancient Near East Through the Middle Ages
  • Writing on Both Sides of the Brain: Breakthrough Techniques for People Who Write (Henriette Klauser)
  • The Voynich Manuscript (Hardcover)
  • The Compleat Strategyst: Being a Primer on the Theory of Games of Strategy (J.D. Williams)
  • By the Sword (Rechard Cohen)
  • Probability Theory: A Concise Course (Y.A. Rozanov)
  • Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction (Morton D. Davis)
  • Games and Decisions: Introduction and Critical Survey (r. Duncan Luce)
  • Elementary Decision Theory (Herman Chernoff, Lincoln Moses)
  • How to Read a Book (Paperback) by Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
  • Game Master’s Law (Rolemaster)

DVDs:

  • The Original Star Trek Seasons 1 to 3
  • Heroes Season 1, 2
  • Firefly (Season 1)

CDs:

  • Poe: Hello
  • Poe: Haunted
  • Suzanne Vega: Songs in Red and Gray
  • Lucious Jackson: Fever In Fever Out
  • Lucious Jackson: Electric Honey
  • Lucious Jackson: Natural Ingredients
  • Shivaree: Rough Dreams
  • Robbie Williams: Swing When You’re Winning
  • The Brotherhood of the Wolf Soundtrack
  • Voices of the South Seas: Chants form the Marquesas Islands
  • 300 soundtrack
  • Budda Bar
  • Amr Diab
  • Natasha Atlas

Gadgets:

  • HDTV compatible Multimedia projector (you know, the $1000+ kind . . . )

Cooking Supplies:

  • Exotic Hot Chocolates (More of a winter thing)
  • Exotic Spices
  • Shaved Ice Syrups / Soda Syrups (More of a summer thing)
  • Betty Crocker’s Indian Home Cooking (cookbook) (hey---stop snickering!!!)
  • Cookbooks are usually a pretty good gamble---Especially: Indian, Moroccan, Thai, Scandinavian, or better yet---something I could never imagine to list in the first place

Household Supplies:

  • Large Dutch Oven
  • Welding gloves
  • Dutch Oven lid picker-upper thingy
  •  

Games:

  • Cosmic Encounter
  • Small World
  • Innsmouth Horror (Expansion to Arkham Horror)
  • Risk Express
  • Caylus: Magna Carta
  • Pathfinder (maybe—I haven’t quite decided yet . . .)
  • Master Labyrinth
  •  

Computer Hardware:

  • Wireless Webcam (Battery operated?)

Computer Software:

  • NeverwinterNights 2 (Need to upgrade hardware first however . . . )
  • Guildwars

Decorations/Trinkets:

  • A sturdy, wooden abacus
  • Metal sextant

Artifacts/Collectibles:

  • Unusual dice (for possibilities see [but don't limit yourself to] crystalecaste.com)
  • A Plush D20
  • Hand Crossbow and bolts (Huzzah!)
  • Full-sized crossbow w/ bolts
  • Functional Rapier 44"-48", swept hilt (Spanish-style)
  • Trident Main Gauche
  • Katana and Wakizashi (40"-44" overall Katana) (26-28" overall Wakizashi) Extra brownie points for a Tanto.
  • Just about any other cool medieval looking weapons, including pole-arms, morning-stars, flails, axes, hammers, etc.
  • D&D Mini’s (Wizards of the Coast)
  • D&D Mini--Giants of Legend--Huge Red Dragon
  • D&D Mini--Giants of Legend--Huge Gold Dragon

Good luck: (Out-of-print, rare, or non-existent items ;^)

  • Villains by Necessity (Eve Forward)
  • Doktor Bey’s Suicide Guidebook
  • How to Loose Friends and Alienate People, Irving Tressler
  • 1st edition Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie
  • 2nd edition (not 1st or 3rd) of Motivation and Personality by Abraham Maslow (seriously, the 2nd edition.)

Magazine Subscriptions:

  • Realms of Fantasy
  • Game Trade

 Art Supplies:

  • Watercolor Paper
  • Raw Canvas
  • Stand Oil
  • Gesso

Miscellaneous:

  • Tuition gift-certificates (i.e., donate to my favorite charity, the FFFTPHD “Foundation for Funding Tim’s PhD”)
  • Very large rocks (megaliths)---for yard decoration (post and lintel, cromlech) [Note: Be careful not to mix up any foot/inch measurements---I wouldn’t want anything trodden by dwarfs ;^) ]

Non-Material Services, etc:

  • Sexual favors (WIFE ONLY PLEASE, not that I don't appreciate the offer ;^)
  • Music Lessons (Voice, Guitar, Piano)
  • Cooking Classes
  • Martial Arts Lessons
  • Sailing classes (Hobie Cat)
  • Gift Certificates (the lowest form of gift giving, by the way---not that I don't appreciate it :^) FYE, BestBuy, Game's People Play, Dragon’s Keep, Game Den, Thai or Indian Restaurants

Of course for the local fans:

  • Favorite foods: Indian, Thai, Moroccian, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Seafood, Gourmet Burgers (i.e. Fuddruckers or Red Robin)
  • Other local fun stuff: Seven Peaks, The Quarry, Timpanogas Cave, Park City Alpine Slide, Skiing