It's a question I'm beginning to dread each year - what do I want for Christmas?
Life is all about small pleasures to me, so my response is usually "not a whole lot".
For all of us here in B.C., however, I do have a Christmas wish. For the amount of money you and I spent over the last decade preparing for the 2010 Olympic Games, I hope that they are an unbridled success.
The case for bringing the Games has been that they will attract tourism and business opportunities to B.C.
The plan on how they would achieve this, however, has always seemed vague at best.
Many have argued the millions used to stage the Games should have been spent on health care, or to solve homelessness. They say we've wasted our tax dollars on a costly circus.
But few could ignore the Games' economic benefit so far and the cushion they've provided to the region during a recession.
Perhaps the best way that we get good value for our investment is to partake of the dozens of free events being staged during the Games. Think of the message we'd send to the world when thousands of us show up to celebrate in our own cities.
There is a perception out there, which is somewhat deserved, that unless you've got a Vancouver Club membership and drive a Range R over, the Olympics are out of your reach.
Sure, some of you might scrape together $8,500 to hang out at the Molson Canadian Hockey House every night of the Olympics.
Or maybe you're prepared to drop ten grand on a Whistler apartment and tickets to watch ski jumping.
More likely the majority of you are a little more budget-conscious. And if you're like me, you haven't got a single ticket yet for an Olympic event.
Fortunately, there will be a significant number of activities for those of us who couldn't get their hands on - or afford - tickets for Olympic events.
Whether you're in Vancouver, Whistler, Richmond, or even Surrey, New West or Abbotsford, organizers are staging Olympic Live Sites with free attendance.
Your friends and family can join you for low or no-cost live music and other performances at over a dozen locations, in most cases on a nightly basis during the Games.
Vancouver has free attractions at Robson Square, the LiveCity events, and the "French Quarter" at Granville Island. And Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba & Quebec will compete with their own pavilions along False Creek.
At the terminus of Canada Line, Richmond is hosting its O-Zone attraction and Holland's Heineken House. Look for Stephen Colbert out there rooting for Team USA.
Of course, we could all just camp out at home and watch the Games you and I paid for on TV.
But the free stuff is a good reason to bundle up, get on SkyTrain, and join the world in some local celebrations.
Santa can't help us with this one, I'm afraid. It'll be up to you and me to make sure we benefit from this big investment.
