Crass Materialism

Does everyone have a list of random things that they might like to own rattling around in their head? It's not stuff you need. It might not even be stuff you will ever actually buy, but there it is, a pile of "wants" taking up space in your brain. Here are a few of mine:

▪ A Volvo station wagon. I've always kind of liked them. Something about their unabashed, almost belligerent boxy-ness appeals to me. "Yeah, I'm a rectangle on wheels. You wanna make something of it?" Lately I've been eyeing them speculatively, although I'm not ready to buy a new car. Still, I wonder if part of the attraction is that Volvo station wagons represent a family car to me. As if by buying one, I'd magically get the family I want. "It's the darnedest thing you ever did see, doc. Years of infertility, but then they bought a Volvo station wagon, and whammo, problem solved." I'll tell you, they'd sure as hell be worth the money if that was the case though.

▪ A Dyson vacuum cleaner. I hate to vacuum. I don't like the noise. I don't like all the work that goes into it. I don't quite know why I want a Dyson. They are brightly colored and pretty and don't use bags (I hate changing the bad most of all), but they are ridiculously expensive. I think they cost at least twice as much as my current vacuum cleaner did. Of course, my current vacuum isn't all that great. It is better than the vacuum it replaced - a busted orange '70's vacuum my mom gave me that mostly served to push dirt around the carpet - but it's no Dyson. And what I hear is that the Dyson is so good at vacuuming, it is worth every penny. Do you suppose it could change the way I look at vacuuming forever?

▪ A set of copper pans. Copper pans look good, and are great for cooking evenly, and are well regarded in the cooking world. Sadly, just like the Dyson, they are also ridiculously expensive. Still, I do hope to slowly assemble a collection of them over the years. I got my start with three little copper pan Christmas tree ornaments my thoughtful husband gave me as a gift for Christmas.

▪ A King size bed. I'm a restless sleeper. John's a restless sleeper. I'd love to a have an enormous king-sized bed so we could sleep restlessly together and not interfere with each other's sleep. I remember my friend Eden's parents had a bed that could sleep five of us when we were in high school. Something that size would work beautifully, although it may have been a custom size. Of course, the five us in that bed were usually drunk or something, so who knows if it is was a big as I remember it being.

▪ A Pottery Barn type couch. I love the big sectional sofas they have, but I can't quite bring myself to spend that much money on something I'm almost guaranteed to spill a drink on immediately after purchase. I did just read an article in the paper today about getting stuff like that cheap or even free through Craig's List and freecycling though, so maybe my day will still come.

▪ New kitchen counters. I love my kitchen. It is bright and sunny and open and has good flooring, but the counters suck. The cabinets are a little boring, but I can live with them. The appliances are ok, although I hate the wire shelves in the refrigerator. But the counters are bland and thin looking and I don't like them.

▪ A pair of diamond stud earrings. I'm not much for jewelry. I have my engagement ring and my wedding band, and that's all the fancy stuff I really need. But a pair of diamond stud earrings would go with just about everything. You can dress them up or down, and they always look nice. And that would be it for my expensive jewelry needs.

There you have it. My shallow, materialistic list. Please tell me that you have a list like that too! Or at least that you aren't judging me for having one.