Santa’s Worst Fear and the Wrap-Up

On Monday morning, IT finally happened. Santa’s only fear (or actually one of several). After 2 and 4/5 seasons as Santa, I was, er, ah, em, christened. Not just dampness upon Santa’s knee, but yellow runny poop!  I understand from some in the know that this one must have been breastfed due to it’s consistency!  I quickly got up and went back to put on the just cleaned suit which was actually waiting for Tuesday, after pet night tonight.
Only yesterday did I hear about the grief the mother of the child got while she, totally mortified and embarrassed, profusely apologizing to the crew, was cleaning up the spill left on the seat I was on. What made this scene worse was that some parents in line (These are adults, no?) were deriding this young woman. If I had been present at the time I would have laughed and told her that this one will now have a life story for her child. She will be able one day to point to her child and proudly say “…and on the first visit with Santa…she pooped on him!” A great story in my mind… Maybe she will come to that, I dearly hope!
I texted out the news of my baptism from my phone to several in my phonebook…. best response from David Reed, and I quote: “If you work for someone long enough, it was bound to happen literally or figuratively.” Also got several funny responses… “Merry Poopmas”..’welcome to the club.” among others…
Santa’s wrap up… coming home this weekend
More languages overheard by Santa: French, Russian, Korean, Ethiopian, Italian.
If averaging 3 minutes per visit, 2 kids/adults per visit (sometimes way more), 9 hour day…hmm…I think I am seeing about 400 kids per day on average.  And how many days? 33 days = 13,200?!  Less my short sundays…so minus 800 equals about 12, 400…and maybe that’s a conservative estimate?!
Observations of Santa….. kids with dry skin on arms and hands… Mason…. a big bunch of Hayden…. Ayden, …a lot of Sophias (my mother’s middle name and my grandmother’s first name)…although sometimes different spellings…Many more multicultural marriages and adoptive parents as well here in Durham, than in Chattanooga…Lots of Chinese children adopted by western parents…must be some contacts here not available readily in Tennessee?
Sensing a change…a little desperation setting in as Christmas day approaches…parents getting tempers getting shorter as the line gets longer…
Another compliment on different radio station from a listener singing praises of the Southpoint Santa…I am humbled by such kind words…
Some contingent of teens from Tennessee…came by just after I had gotten off on Saturday night…disappointed not there…I was wandering the mall actually, but just missed them by 15-20 minutes according to security guard (the Irish one)…Looked around, called Jeff, called Maddie, no, didn’t know of anyone from UUCC…Couldn’t think of who might be? Maybe I will find out later.
3rd graders in the Durham school system go to Chapel Hill to the observatory/planetarium…apparently good field trip! thanks to Diane Davison for the lead on that one. Answers the question about the binoculars and telescopes…also told the cartoon Curious George sometimes includes visits to same…or use of scope and “noculars”!
ORCHIDS: new friends… interesting times… blues… the kids… the adults… ferrets… Mel Melton’s Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse…an extended stay at a different location I didn’t catch a cold! or the flu! (knock on wood)
ONIONS: 30th day yellow poop… pushy parents…long lines…dog days..parents who blame the Cherry Hill Staff due to their own lack of planning …when the line is closed…sore posterior 40 days on the road….
Sant Rich

On Monday morning, IT finally happened. Santa’s only fear (or actually one of several). After 2 and 4/5 seasons as Santa, I was, er, ah, em, christened. Not just dampness upon Santa’s knee, but yellow runny poop!  I understand from some in the know that this one must have been breastfed due to it’s consistency!  I quickly got up and went back to put on the just cleaned suit which was actually waiting for Tuesday, after pet night tonight.

Only yesterday did I hear about the grief the mother of the child got while she, totally mortified and embarrassed, profusely apologizing to the crew, was cleaning up the spill left on the seat I was on. What made this scene worse was that some parents in line (These are adults, no?) were deriding this young woman. If I had been present at the time I would have laughed and told her that this one will now have a life story for her child. She will be able one day to point to her child and proudly say “…and on the first visit with Santa…she pooped on him!” A great story in my mind… Maybe she will come to that, I dearly hope!

I texted out the news of my baptism from my phone to several in my phonebook…. best response from David Reed, and I quote: “If you work for someone long enough, it was bound to happen literally or figuratively.” Also got several funny responses… “Merry Poopmas”..’welcome to the club.” among others…

Santa’s wrap up… coming home this weekend

More languages overheard by Santa: French, Russian, Korean, Ethiopian, Italian.

If averaging 3 minutes per visit, 2 kids/adults per visit (sometimes way more), 9 hour day…hmm…I think I am seeing about 400 kids per day on average.  And how many days? 33 days = 13,200?!  Less my short sundays…so minus 800 equals about 12, 400…and maybe that’s a conservative estimate?!

Observations of Santa….. kids with dry skin on arms and hands… Mason…. a big bunch of Hayden…. Ayden, …a lot of Sophias (my mother’s middle name and my grandmother’s first name)…although sometimes different spellings…Many more multicultural marriages and adoptive parents as well here in Durham, than in Chattanooga…Lots of Chinese children adopted by western parents…must be some contacts here not available readily in Tennessee?

Sensing a change…a little desperation setting in as Christmas day approaches…parents getting tempers getting shorter as the line gets longer…

Another compliment on different radio station from a listener singing praises of the Southpoint Santa…I am humbled by such kind words…

Some contingent of teens from Tennessee…came by just after I had gotten off on Saturday night…disappointed not there…I was wandering the mall actually, but just missed them by 15-20 minutes according to security guard (the Irish one)…Looked around, called Jeff, called Maddie, no, didn’t know of anyone from UUCC…Couldn’t think of who might be? Maybe I will find out later.

3rd graders in the Durham school system go to Chapel Hill to the observatory/planetarium…apparently good field trip! thanks to Diane Davison for the lead on that one. Answers the question about the binoculars and telescopes…also told the cartoon Curious George sometimes includes visits to same…or use of scope and “noculars”!

ORCHIDS: new friends… interesting times… blues… the kids… the adults… ferrets… Mel Melton’s Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse…an extended stay at a different location I didn’t catch a cold! or the flu! (knock on wood)

ONIONS: 30th day yellow poop… pushy parents…long lines…dog days..parents who blame the Cherry Hill Staff due to their own lack of planning …when the line is closed…sore posterior 40 days on the road….

Santa Rich