I love the idea of having a grand staircase.

The mop goes next to the fridge. Or you can buy a freestanding broomcloset thing. That's what my parents did, anyway.

I don't know about either MP3 players or iPods, Narrator. If the iPod is an MP3 player +, and if they're about the same price, then I say get him the iPod. If his cultural deprivation works significantly in your pocketbook's favor such that he doesn't care or doesn't want it, you might want to get him a plain old MP3 player, because kids break stuff.

My mop used to fit in the bathroom closet, but in the new apartment the closet has shelves, so I haven't found a good home for it yet.

Thanks for the feedback. The mini-iPod is a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I can swing it for him. I'm his confirmation sponsor, so I don't mind going over budget.

I also think I need to get him something religious. He's got rosaries and bibles from his First Holy Communion.

You could get him some other religious medal. Is he chosing a patron saint for the Confirmation?

Oh yeah -- Narrator, I know people who are very happy with their cheaper-than-an-iPod MP3 players. They just aren't as cool.

You could get him some other religious medal. Is he chosing a patron saint for the Confirmation?

This isn't the kind of gift that would work for everyone, but those who like it really like it -- if you know his name saint (either his confirmation name or just his own everyday name), look for a supplier of Orthodox icons (if you have no Orthodox community locally, I'm sure there's an online source or fifty somewhere on one of the internets), and get an icon of that saint. You can often find littlish handpainted icons for $20 and change, and the art is very stylized and ancient-looking and eerily beautiful.

eta: Handpainted icons (including custom orders) by an Orthodox monk at St. Skete

Considerably more expensive but beautiful handpainted icons in tempera paints on wood by an Orthodox supplier called Liturgix

Less expensive but still beautiful icons from an Orthodox artists' group called Come and See

I also think I need to get him something religious. He's got rosaries and bibles from his First Holy Communion.

teen catechism: [link]

Celtic Crosses: [link]

Chesterton's Orthodoxy: [link]

Lewis's Mere Christianity (book/CD/Tape): [link]

Go team Cindy's third link! I also feel the need to pimp this book by the same guy, which is surrealist fiction rather than theology, but is one of the weirdest and most energetically, anarchically joyous books ever written. The edition I just linked to has a fine introduction by one of the Amises (I forget whether it's Martin or Kingsley), but there's also a newer edition floating around with a truly rocking introduction/mash note by Jonathan Lethem.

eta special Buffista pimpage: I'm fairly certain that this book is the reason that Good Omens is dedicated to him and the reason that he pops up in Sandman.

Ooh, I think I know where Sail went to highschool.

If you're at all familiar with Madison high schools, you undoubtedly do.

Lee, what's your upper limit on price? Some of those $2200 apartments are splendiferous! I liked the one with the fancy inlay woodwork flooring.