iPod!

I'm not going to sour grape about how a Christmas near family and other loved ones is too stressful and overblown and, boy, it's so nice to just relax on Christmas Day without having to run around and see everybody. Truthfully, there's a part of me that likes the fevered frenzy of getting time in with our nearest and dearest. Has to be said, though: I've really grown to enjoy the lazy Christmas at home with the wife.

Some terrific loot, too. As always, Amazon insured a very Merry Christmas (with a few notable exceptions. Carey's gift from my Mom was broken into and ransacked, one of her presents stolen. Then, the fiend had the gall to put the stuff he didn't take back into the box, tie it up with a rubber band and send it through...! Wh--! Why not just steal the whole thing, if you're going that far with it?! Tt!)

But this year's Grand Poobah Christmas Gift: a new 20GB iPod.

Both of us, really. Carey and I each received the blessed 'pod from the other. Sh-shudder!

For the entire Christmas weekend, we were rapt in the glory of the Apple 20GB iPod. This thing is unbelievable... 5,000 songs, man. Somewhere in the neighborhood of three solid weeks of music can fit onto one of these ridiculous devices. I really can't imagine what would drive a person to get the 40GB or the 60GB, but I suppose the hard drive space is a nice bonus.

What a relief, though, to be finished with CDs. They were cluttering our cars, our home and our lives. But no more! No! Enough digging through CD cases while wiggling down the 405. Enough lending out a disc or borrowing a disc and worrying about whether you'll ever see it again. Enough scratches and track skipping. Goodbye hardship and pain.

Hello click wheel!