This Week's Top 10

As I type this blog I find myself one day away from the coveted Christmas break.  The time when everyone gets together eats great food, gives gifts, eats cookies, and feels all warm and fuzzy.  As a kid the build up to Christmas break was something to be remembered.  I remember the sheer joy I felt that last day before Christmas break as a kid.  Getting coloring books, candy, and gifts from the teacher knowing the next time you would be in school it would be a new year and you'd be packin a new arsenal of toys.  So this brings me to the subject of this week's top ten...Gifts from Santa.

Now I didn't compile this list all by myself. I called upon the help of my brother to recall all the best ones!

Number 10 - Bikes

Yup that was 1990ish. Every few years me and the bro would get new bikes. Always awesome!

Number 9 - Wooden Dinobone Models

I guess this choice increases my nerdyness but I absolutely loved Dinosaurs as a kid and had tons of these models.

 

Number 8 - Nintendo 64

I was a bit older when this system came out (like 12 or so) and I remember reading up on it and watching previews and such. I remember being totally blown away by Mario 64.  Only an 80s/90s kid would get a kick out of distorting Mario's face in the menu. Eiter way this system was awesome. It brought us the classic Golden Eye 64....nuff said!

 

Number 7 - The Ultimate Warrior Wrestling Buddy

As a kid I definitely could appreciate the appeal of wrestling. I had the old school rubber wrestlers and the plastic ring.  My favorite wrestler as a kid was Ultimate Warrior.  Hulk was cool and all but there was just something about the Ultimate Warrior.  I remember begging my mom for months for this toy and getting the old "maybe Santa will bring it for you" routine.  Well Santa came through!  I have long since lost interest in wrestling but do have this guy on my radar as something I'd like to add to my collection at some point. I can't retrace/collect my childhood without this guy!

 

Number 6 - Thundercats haul of 1986

 

I remember this Christmas very well.  My bro and I were totally hooked on the Thundercats cartoon and wanted anything with that red emblem on it.  I don't even think we were specific in our notes to Santa. Regardless of this he came through! We got the playset and the vehicle as well as all the main characters. We even got mini characters with a mini playset.  IT.WAS.AWESOME. And of course my curiousity with Cheetarah's "barettes" as I came to call them began.

Number 5 - Pool Table

I don't know if you remember those pool tables from back in the day that could be transformed into other games? Either way me and the bro wanted one.  We wound up getting an actual mini pool table for kids which was even more awesome!

Number 4 - K'nex

I have many great memories attached to these things. Quick walk down memory lane here.... not long after I got these for Christmas there was an ice storm that literally coated everything in a fine sheet of ice. This lasted for days resulting in schools being closed for a solid week. My friends and I hung out that whole week building stuff and playing Street Fighter on SNES.  Great memory.

Number 3 - The Great He Man haul of 1985

The caption for this add says it all.  We got Greyskull, Snake Mountain tons of figures and more.  Pure He Man bliss!

Number 2 - Fireball Island

This game was just badass.  Cool pieces, awesome setting, and you could make pretend you were Indy while playing. I remember plenty of times using only the jewel to imagine I was Indiana himself after some ancient artifact. 

Number 1 - Super Powers Hall of 1984

The 80s were veritable gold mine for toys.  The first few Christmases of my life were spent opening some of the most iconic toys of all time (my opinion of course but one shared by many).  This Christmas it was Super Powers.  My love for this toy line has spanned decades!  I got the Hall itself, The Batmobile, The Supermobile (lol what), and a bunch of the first series figures.

So that brings me to the end of my walk down memory lane as I sit here on the night of the last day of school before Christmas break.  If I could rewind time 20 years or so I'd be on the floor with my bro in front of our old NES flipping through comics and playing Golden Axe with sheer unadulterated excitement coursing through our bodies in anticipation of the goodies to come in just a few short days.

Anyway Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and I hope Santa is good to you all this Tuesday!

"And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.

Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”