What I want for
Christmas
By
Jeffrey Fazio
DriveTime Columnist
"You
have expensive taste."
That’s
what I’ve been told since as long as I can remember wanting
something specific for Christmas. At a very early age I started
wheeling and dealing with my mom to get the gifts I really wanted.
Sure
the season is supposed to be about giving gifts, not receiving them.
Try telling that to a 12-year-old boy in 1986 that just has to
have that two-foot-long, $100 model kit of a Lamborghini Countach.
When I had my sights on that one thing that I just had to have,
the bartering began.
Back
in the day, my mother always allowed my brother and me to ask for one
"big gift." A big gift would be something that cost around
$100. Inevitably, the item I wanted wound up costing $125 to $175,
hence, the need for bartering.
The
deal was always the same. I would offer to get significantly less
"little gifts" in exchange for that one, more desirable
gift. If the negotiations were not working out in my favor, I always
had an ace up my sleeve – my birthday is two days after Christmas.
Generally
speaking, having a birthday that close to Christmas really stinks, but
in the most extreme cases when my mother just wouldn’t budge on
"the big gift," I’d throw out my birthday gift as added
clout to my end of the deal. This extreme measure could always be
counted on to secure the delivery of the truly coveted present.
Of
course all of this could seem rather manipulative on my part, as I
knew my mother would still get me other things, but I swear that
wasn’t my goal. I was just that fixated on the "must have"
item.
So
here we are, 20 years after that huge Lamborghini model was the most
important thing in my life. Christmas of 2006 is fast approaching and
I have yet to tell my mother what I really, really want for
Christmas. That’s because this "big item" is so far off
the chart that there isn’t enough holidays left in my life to even
try to barter with. This gift is so expensive that receiving a real
Lamborghini for Christmas is much more probable (hint, hint).
My
fantasy Christmas gift this year would be a plot of land within the
Victory Lane housing development near Savannah, Ga. These limited
parcels of land (only 120 available!) are truly a bargain with a
starting price of $675,000 for a ½-acre plot. For those that need
more room to stretch out, there are lots available up to 30 acres.
So,
what justifies the robust cost? All of the extras, of course! This is
a gated community that covers 3,000 acres. There is full-time, 24-hour
security. The development includes an 18-hole golf course and
equestrian facilities. Although all of that is really nice, it’s far
from the main attraction.
The
real deal of this development is the exclusive use of a 4.5-mile road
course. This awesome road course sits within the confines of the Phil
Hill Motor Sports Complex that is the flagship of the development. The
complex is only available to the owners of those 120 parcels of land
mentioned above.
The
course was designed by world-famous race track designer, Bob Barnard.
It features ample run off for safety and the front stretch is a mile
long! Not only does the front stretch have enough length to wind out
the top gear of your car, it is also FAA approved for large private
jets to land and take off from. I can’t tell you how long I’ve
been searching for a home that could accommodate the large private jet
that I will never own.
Don’t
believe all of this is true? Check out their Webs site for more
details: www.unlimitedspeed.net.
So,
that’s all I want for Christmas and if there really is a Santa,
I’m sure he can swing it. Of course, my next concern will be trying
to afford to build a home on this plot of land. I wonder if the home
owners association would have any objection to a mobile home. If not,
there is always the wish list for Christmas 2007.
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