A Birthday Wish List & A Happy New Year

I’ve been doing a bunch of traveling — yay — and then I got nailed with a very bad cold — boo — so I never did get a Nerd’s Eye View traveler’s gift guide up this year. In the past, my gift guides have included stuff that I think is essential for travel, stuff I already have and wouldn’t leave home without. It’s too late for that now, but hey, there’s still a few more shopping days until my birthday. So instead of a holiday gift guide, here’s my birthday wish list. Oh, and it’s January 4th, in case you’re wondering.

Mostly reasonable

• SLR Gorillapod Tripod : I don’t travel with a tripod because of the space it takes up, but I do like to shoot in low light from time to time. These grabby little tripods look great, plus, they’re compact and probably, I can make space in my bag for one of these.
• Smartwool Socks: You can’t have too many, that’s what I say. Best damn socks out there. Get yourself some too, while you’re at it, you can often find them marked down at the Nordstrom Rack. (What, you think I don’t end up in Nordy’s from time to time? How do you think I get my trademark nerd/hippie look? Thrift stores plus Nordy’s!)
• New Baking Sheets: Mine have had it. I’ll probably pick up some new ones next time I’m at Target or Costco or just about anywhere that has decent kitchenware, but if you get there before I do, grab two, wouldja? I’ll pay you back.

A bit extravagant

• Apple iPod Touch: I’m trying really hard to stay out of the cell phone industrial complex, but I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out. Because the Touch has wifi, I could access application-y goodness without having to commit to what I’m convinced is a totally overpriced joke on American consumers. (Some day ask Euro-husband what he paid for service. It’ll make you crazy. Plus, what the hell, every tuktuk driver in Bangkok has one and I’m pretty sure they’re not paying 80USD a month.)
• An Ikea Office Makeover: You know how you get furnishings for your space and then, you move and they’re never quite right in your new space? My office? It’s a joke, really. There’s no longer any reason for me to be squeezed into the corner and yet, there I am because that corner desk was perfect for my ex-home. I work there almost every day and it’s Just Not Right. Something needs to be done about it.I’m no snob, Ikea is fine by me, plus, for this situation it totally works.
• Flip Cam: We used a loaner Flip Cam for the videos we made on the TBEX Road Trip last summer and hey, they were good enough for my liking, seeing as how I know just one step above nothing about video. The Flip Cam is a toy, a really fun one at that. No, I don’t NEED one, my pocket camera shoots video, but hey, I kinda want one.

Totally ridiculous

• Bosch Range: When my furnace failed, I converted my house to natural gas. While electric ranges have come a long way since I last lived with one, I still miss my gas stove. Once my home improvement debt is paid off, I’ll be getting a new gas range, but hey, if you wanted to send one of these my way, I’d say thank you. Oh, and it doesn’t have to be a Bosch; I had a Electrolux that was very nice and reasonably priced for a high quality appliance.
• Nikon D700 :  I’ll be sticking with my D200 for a whole lot longer, it’s working for me just fine, but I’ve been reading about full size sensors and now… oh, I wish I hadn’t done that reading. Doesn’t matter, there’s no D700 in my future, really. That’s why this is listed under “totally ridiculous.”
• The Yucatan: While the resort town of Cancun isn’t exactly my style, I lost my heart to the people I met while on my short visit. I’d like two round trip tickets to Cancun, please, one night hotel on arrival, two on departure in Cancun (nothing fancy, but someplace quiet, please) and three weeks or a month’s car rental — ooo, maybe a little camper van? –  and yes, for this, we’ll take the extra insurance. I’m dying to do a road trip in the region. I was enchanted. If you’re at all curious about the area, I rather liked the Cadogan Guide to the Yucatan & Mayan Mexico — it was sensible without being snarky. I got mine at the public library.

Based on this list, you can see that I really don’t want for much in my own personal new year. There’s nothing I have to have (I’m all set for ukuleles, thanks!) and with the recent repatriation of Mr. Nerd’s Eye View, the year ahead looks to be much improved over 2009. Here’s wishing yours is better too, even if your 2009 was super awesome.

Oh, I wouldn’t mind a postcard from you, wherever you are, handwritten with a stamp and everything. Little makes me feel quite as light as getting a picture of some place I’m not and knowing that you’re there having a good time and thinking, for a brief moment, of me.

Happy new year, readers, and happy travels. Thanks for sticking with me.