Hi!
We had 306 photos of Santa with his adoring public on this fine Monday! We also had a few animals - five cats (all at one time) and one other cat at a different time, a Golden Retriever, Jack Russel Terrier, Poodle, Chocolate Lab, Black Lab, Rottweiler, and a Yellow Lab.
We also had an extra special guest today. Grandma Claus paid us a friendly visit. She was on her once-a-year visit to Harrisburg. As a reminder, she was Mrs. Claus before most of us were born. Her outfit was made in 1921. She did it with her husband before he passed away. I have to admit, for a lady in her later years she really picks up when she has her Claus outfit on. She really perked up the whole area as well when she walked around and did photos with people. Grandma Claus always has a standing invitation to come back!
Well, Santa needs his sleep because he is as sick as a dog. I absolutely cannot get rid of this stupid infection and it is spreading downward into my chest. I lose my voice multiple times a day, and when I get coughing jags I cough up pretty Christmas green stuff.
So I am off to bed.
Santa
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
It's Sunday and the Claus hit's 10,000...
Hi there -
Today was to be a quiet day (lol) but somebody forgot to tell my public.We had 445 photos taken of Santa with his public. We also had a few dogs, and one cat. Let's start with the cat - it was a big kitty that wanted to snuggle into Santa. I had a heck of a time trying to get it to face forward so we could get a photo, but I won. The dogs were as follows - a teacup Yorkie (really cute!), a couple of Multi-Poos, three Black Labs, two Yellow Labs, a Golden Retriever, and a Pit Bull.Now for those of you that keep track, with us doing 445 photos today we are over 10,000 photos taken for this season so far. We are at a season high of 10,421, and we have four photo days to go. Plus, we are over last year's total for the year, which is 10,345.So yep, we have a slow year this season, so far...lolWe do have some not-so-happy stuff this time of year as well. Today we had to say good-bye to elf Tasha. She was recalled to the normal duty station so she is done in Harrisburg for this year. And tomorrow, elf Cindy will also leave for her normal duties. It is always sad when elves leave as we never get the group together as a whole until next year. But we still have a Pole to run, and elves stationed all over the world to report on what's going on.As a reminder to all the watcher elves, the old lists are shredded and sent to central heating on Christmas Day. All lists start new on December 26th of each year.I know how much we all like pictures, so I am sharing three tonight. The one with the hat is of elf Courtney who was given that hat as a gift. Kind of cool! She loves it. The other two are of the snow AFTER the plows went through for the last time. I will no longer complain about the roads and plowing at the Pole...SO as everybody is aware, this is an extreamly busy week here in Harrisburg, PA. I have 10+ hour day's until Christmas Eve. Four days, but who's counting.... I know everybody who wants a gift.Good night,Santa
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Let it snow like home!
Hey there!
Today we only had 156 photo's taken of some hardy souls, and a lot of crazy ones. We only had one dog,and that was a Black Lab. The rest of the people and dogs stayed home like they were told. Even half my elf staff.
You are probably wondering what happened! Well, we got blasted with 12 inches of snow...and it's still snowing. They say it will turn into a Blizzard overnight. Kind of makes me home sick, at least a little.
Due to the weather, BPS and the Mall closed early - as did much of Harrisburg and PA. There was a "no travel" warning issued for most of the state. We are on the light side of the storm as Philly has 20 inches on the ground and it's still coming.
The kids were excited about the snow as some of them had never seen snow before, especially like this. But some were excited to see Santa, and maybe the snow as well.
The Snowman pictured above is new this year, as is the Nutcracker. The picture of the little girl standing on the table of the Slot Car Racetrack is just plain adorable. Just for clarification, there are two Nutcrackers that stand guard at the entrance to Santa's Wonderland. Some days we need them more than you think.
Well, I have a long day tomorrow so I need to Skype Mrs. Claus, then go to bed.
Sweet dreams,
Santa
Friday, December 18, 2009
The first of the last.
Hello,
Well, as the title says, today is the last Friday I am in Harrisburg, PA this year. This is also the start of 10-12 hour days until Christmas Eve. Oh the joy!
Today we had 195 photos of Santa with his public. We only had a couple of dogs which included two Shelties, a Black Lab, a Tasha, and a Yellow Collie.
We are expecting heavy snow tonight and Saturday. Up to 12 inches before its over. So there's two schools of thought, we will be slammed with kids, or we will be dead as can be. I the "Talent" expect to be slammed!
There was a bunch of excited kids today, maybe its the upcoming snow storm but it was really fun to see a bunch of happy kids. When I mean happy, I mean they were jumping, skipping, running, squeeling, giggling, and just plain shaking as they come up to see Santa.
I did tick off a mom today (and I'm okay with that). She was trying to put her crying, shaking-in-fear child in my lap. While the child is wailing in fear, I looked around and saw other parents in line taking pictures and laughing. I felt so sorry for him. I looked at the boy, his tears, and the look in his eyes almost broke my heart. I had to tell the mom to take her child back, and she looked at me and said, "Santa's kind of grumpy!" If you want grumpy, go see the Mall Santa! I was just feeling bad for the child when nobody else was.
I will attempt to post some photos on tomorrow's blog. Today I forgot my camera at the hotel.
Sweet dreams,
Santa
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Bite me, I dare you. Twice.
Hey,
Today we had 183 photos taken of the Claus with his public. We also had a few dogs - a Black Lab, Yellow Lab, Long-haired Shepard, Pit bull, Brown Dachshund, Brown/Black Dachshund, Yorkie, Yellow Multi-Poo, and a Shih-Tsu.
I also had what could have been a bad run in with an American Boxer. The dog tried to bite me with two different attempts. The first attempt kind of took me by surprise. As I was holding the dog's collar for the photo, it turned to bite me. I shoved my white fur cuff into it's mouth, grabbed its collar and stuffed my fist in his mouth as he was attempting to bite my hand and wrist. I twisted the collar and flipped the dog onto his back and held it on the floor until the owner came back to blame me for everything. I agreed to attempt a second picture (my mistake) and as soon as the owner let go of the leash, the Boxer was after me. But this time I was ready and in seconds, the dog was again on it's back with my fist under his jaw and my weight putting pressure on the dog. This time the owner grabbed the leash. As I let go, the dog jerked at me. I told the young man to leave with the dog and to not ever bring it back as I was really concerned that kids would get bitten. Elf Jeremy was there (he is a huge dog guy) and he agreed that the dog tried to bite me and that I was right to get them out of here.
Other than the dog attempting to take a chunk out of me, it was an average night...including the kids. They were average too. The only thing above-average is Santa. Need I say more?
Elf Courtney bought Santa a gift of fruit to eat at work. She knows the long days ahead will be a challenge and she is trying to keep Santa as healthy as possible. Speaking of keeping the "Claus" healthy, that ship has sailed as my head cold is in my nose and throat. I keep loosing my voice. Now some people may think that is not so bad, but for a gig that requires talking - it's a problem. However, the kids do like me whispering to them as I try to save what little voice I have.
Tomorrow is my last short shift...and my last laundry day, so I better go and head to bed.
When thinking about Santa, please pray for me. Good night.
Santa
Today we had 183 photos taken of the Claus with his public. We also had a few dogs - a Black Lab, Yellow Lab, Long-haired Shepard, Pit bull, Brown Dachshund, Brown/Black Dachshund, Yorkie, Yellow Multi-Poo, and a Shih-Tsu.
I also had what could have been a bad run in with an American Boxer. The dog tried to bite me with two different attempts. The first attempt kind of took me by surprise. As I was holding the dog's collar for the photo, it turned to bite me. I shoved my white fur cuff into it's mouth, grabbed its collar and stuffed my fist in his mouth as he was attempting to bite my hand and wrist. I twisted the collar and flipped the dog onto his back and held it on the floor until the owner came back to blame me for everything. I agreed to attempt a second picture (my mistake) and as soon as the owner let go of the leash, the Boxer was after me. But this time I was ready and in seconds, the dog was again on it's back with my fist under his jaw and my weight putting pressure on the dog. This time the owner grabbed the leash. As I let go, the dog jerked at me. I told the young man to leave with the dog and to not ever bring it back as I was really concerned that kids would get bitten. Elf Jeremy was there (he is a huge dog guy) and he agreed that the dog tried to bite me and that I was right to get them out of here.
Other than the dog attempting to take a chunk out of me, it was an average night...including the kids. They were average too. The only thing above-average is Santa. Need I say more?
Elf Courtney bought Santa a gift of fruit to eat at work. She knows the long days ahead will be a challenge and she is trying to keep Santa as healthy as possible. Speaking of keeping the "Claus" healthy, that ship has sailed as my head cold is in my nose and throat. I keep loosing my voice. Now some people may think that is not so bad, but for a gig that requires talking - it's a problem. However, the kids do like me whispering to them as I try to save what little voice I have.
Tomorrow is my last short shift...and my last laundry day, so I better go and head to bed.
When thinking about Santa, please pray for me. Good night.
Santa
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
So.
Hey there!
I have yet to see a slow down, but I'm certain I will surely see it on December 25th. I was talking with a supervisor a little while ago who said he was expecting us to do about 40 - 60 photos a day like we did last year. However, I don't remember it ever being that low. We are doing well this year. As of yesterday, the Harrisburg BPS became one of the the top three stores company-wide. I was also told they use a weighted system of photos taken and divide by the total possible packages sold. So we are talking 2 or 3 photo packages can put us in the #1 spot.
Today we had 175 photos taken of little ones...and a few that were not. We also had a few dogs - a few mutts, a Golden Receiver, and a couple of Multi-Poo pups who were only six months old.
We have asked the BPS switchboard to ask people to bring in their dogs during the week as the weekend would be crazy.
Speaking of crazy, I think elf Cindy went around the bend. Or she had almost gone Postal. Maybe she is just going to miss the Dude in the Red Suit as we have less than two handfulls of days left before Christmas. I am sure she will miss me. I would! Elf Cindy will be back on Saturday, so I hope she is better. Her infectious laugh, smile, and sense of humor helps the day go by.
Elf Roxy is, well, a kind-hearted lady I would not mess with. But she will miss me too. Elf Janelle is on the illness list, as is elf Steve. I really hope they don't share with the Claus!
Now as promised, here are some more pictures. The top two pictures are of the crowd before I started today. It looks slow, don't it? The third one is of Santa and a little friend having a chat.
Well, I need my sleep so off I go.
Santa
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Two hands, but who's counting...
Hey,
Well today was quite eventful to say the least - at least for me, and it just got better! I am now doing the blog for the second time. It lost the first one. How fun.
Today we had 198 photos taken of Santa with his admirers. We also had a Pomeranian, brown Basset Hound, grey-nosed Rottweiler, brown and white Basset Hound, yellow Lab, German Shepard, and two really big pure bred dogs that I can't remember their breed. The "Talent" does have flaws, but they are few. The line was kind of short when I started, but each time I blinked it got longer. So I stopped blinking.
Santa did have the honor of making an appearance at a Christmas party today. I stopped at the hotel where I am staying - Towne Place Suites. We had some pictures taken, a group photo of everybody, then off to BPS.
I would also like to mention that I have finally been able to successfully download songs onto my iPod!!! It has only taken me 30 days to do it. But can I do it again? That is why Santa does toys, not electronics.
Santa always has a benchmark, or a goal for when a line forms. And that's to keep it moving. Now each year when I grace a place with my humbleness, I pick a spot somewhere along the line as a marker and I use it to see how I am doing. If people are at or past that spot, I know I have to keep up the pace and move it along. But if nobody is there, I know I can take a deep breath. I never tell anyone where the spot is, because I know somebody will move it.
The kids were fun tonight! And with it being a school night, most families did not linger too long. We did have a few kids that showed up in their PJ's for photos. I guess they must be heading for bed as soon as they get home.
Well, I am too tired to think about what I forgot from the last blog I did, so off to bed I go.
Sweet dreams,
Santa
Well today was quite eventful to say the least - at least for me, and it just got better! I am now doing the blog for the second time. It lost the first one. How fun.
Today we had 198 photos taken of Santa with his admirers. We also had a Pomeranian, brown Basset Hound, grey-nosed Rottweiler, brown and white Basset Hound, yellow Lab, German Shepard, and two really big pure bred dogs that I can't remember their breed. The "Talent" does have flaws, but they are few. The line was kind of short when I started, but each time I blinked it got longer. So I stopped blinking.
Santa did have the honor of making an appearance at a Christmas party today. I stopped at the hotel where I am staying - Towne Place Suites. We had some pictures taken, a group photo of everybody, then off to BPS.
I would also like to mention that I have finally been able to successfully download songs onto my iPod!!! It has only taken me 30 days to do it. But can I do it again? That is why Santa does toys, not electronics.
Santa always has a benchmark, or a goal for when a line forms. And that's to keep it moving. Now each year when I grace a place with my humbleness, I pick a spot somewhere along the line as a marker and I use it to see how I am doing. If people are at or past that spot, I know I have to keep up the pace and move it along. But if nobody is there, I know I can take a deep breath. I never tell anyone where the spot is, because I know somebody will move it.
The kids were fun tonight! And with it being a school night, most families did not linger too long. We did have a few kids that showed up in their PJ's for photos. I guess they must be heading for bed as soon as they get home.
Well, I am too tired to think about what I forgot from the last blog I did, so off to bed I go.
Sweet dreams,
Santa
Monday, December 14, 2009
Another Monday bites the dust.
Hey, happy friends.
Let's start off with some good news. As of today, we have reached over 9000 photos taken! Oh, and we are now officially out of candy canes. I made a suggestion that we go to the Mall Santa and buy some of his...as he is not using them. But I don't think the BPS manager took me up on my suggestion.
Today we had 173 photos taken of kids and the kids-at-heart. We also had some dogs - a Chesapeake, 3 Black Labs, a Chocolate Lab, a Rottweiler, 2 Golden Retrievers, a Multi-Poo, and a Mutt. Sorry, no special guests today.
Today was a short shift of only 4 hours. I welcome these short days so I can to get ready for the long days starting next weekend and straight through to Christmas Eve. On this note, Santa is feeling a little better than yesterday. Thank you for your prayers.
We had a bunch of great kids today and even a visit from a family from the hotel I am at. I had a family group picture with all 9 kids from one family, and no adults. But yes, you could still see the Dude in the Red Suit, Why else would they come? We also had a number of Amish who took pictures of me, but not with me. Some things just make Santa wonder whats going on.
I had some really kind kids today. They asked for no gifts. All they want is for their family to get along for the holidays. There were a couple of kids that asked me to give their gift to more needy kids. I also had 2-3 kids ask for nothing but a Christmas Tree. Again it makes the "Talent" wonder.
Well, I will have some more photos tomorrow, I hope. But now Santa is in need of some slumber.
Santa
Let's start off with some good news. As of today, we have reached over 9000 photos taken! Oh, and we are now officially out of candy canes. I made a suggestion that we go to the Mall Santa and buy some of his...as he is not using them. But I don't think the BPS manager took me up on my suggestion.
Today we had 173 photos taken of kids and the kids-at-heart. We also had some dogs - a Chesapeake, 3 Black Labs, a Chocolate Lab, a Rottweiler, 2 Golden Retrievers, a Multi-Poo, and a Mutt. Sorry, no special guests today.
Today was a short shift of only 4 hours. I welcome these short days so I can to get ready for the long days starting next weekend and straight through to Christmas Eve. On this note, Santa is feeling a little better than yesterday. Thank you for your prayers.
We had a bunch of great kids today and even a visit from a family from the hotel I am at. I had a family group picture with all 9 kids from one family, and no adults. But yes, you could still see the Dude in the Red Suit, Why else would they come? We also had a number of Amish who took pictures of me, but not with me. Some things just make Santa wonder whats going on.
I had some really kind kids today. They asked for no gifts. All they want is for their family to get along for the holidays. There were a couple of kids that asked me to give their gift to more needy kids. I also had 2-3 kids ask for nothing but a Christmas Tree. Again it makes the "Talent" wonder.
Well, I will have some more photos tomorrow, I hope. But now Santa is in need of some slumber.
Santa
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Another "quiet" Sunday in the books.
Hello to you all!
Well, as you can tell by the title, it was not as quiet as they expected. We had 477 photos taken today. We also had a few dogs along the way - a Dauchsund, Beagle, Yorkie, Corgi, 4 mutts (at different times), and a Bichon. We also had a Ferret...and Cookie Monster!
So for a "little" total, there have been 8896 photos taken to date. Way above last year! We're almost out of candy canes as well...and they bought 18000 of them. But if you stop to do the math (and lets just say we had only 2 kids per photo) that is 17792 candy canes. And in reality, sometimes we've had 1 to 8 kids in a photo. So more definiately need more candy canes.
You'll notice in the picture that we had a special guest today from "Sesame Street." The Cookie Monster stopped by; and yep, he eats even more cookies than me! Cookie Monster and his kids wanted a picture with the "Talent" but afterward they could barely leave Santa's Wonderland because of the pressing of the crowd, so the elves helped them leave.
Now to the Ferret. I was asked for my camera and I gave it to elf Janelle. I saw two dogs and then a Ferret was put in my hand and it curled up and went to sleep...until elf Peggy gave a whistle and the Ferret looked right into the Camera. Then fell asleep in my hand again. It was so cute! The owner said she rescued it and the two dogs from a shelter. Now can I talk Mrs. Claus into getting one? More than likely not.
I have to admit I felt a lot better today and thank you all for your prayers. I got a lot of sleep and I need even more. I really need to shake this bugger. I fight it all day long and get so tired and hot under the lights. Diet Coke has really been my friend to help perk me up. Can you say, "Coke a Cola" Santa?
I also have to say everybody was much more pleasant today - the parents, grandparents, and even the kids were more fun.
Picture #1 Santa and elf Janelle as I have a drink from my Diet Coke.
Picture #2 Cookie Monster and three of my elves - Cindy, Courtney, and Janelle.
Picture #3 Santa holding the very cute Ferret.
Take care and I'm off to the land of slumber...
Santa
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Second to the last Saturday is done.
Hey,
Well if Santa looks like he feels, he's in real trouble because I feel rotten! I have a head cold, it's moving into my voice, and now I have a cough. All of which I really don't need at this stage of the game.
But as they say, the Santa must still be "on," so here I am. Today we had 639 little semi's run over Santa's lap. We also had a few dogs - an older German Shepard, a older Golden Retriever, a Shih Tsu, and a white Terrier. We really encourage photos with animals - but during the week - as they are disruptive on the weekends with the large crowds we have. Also, I had my first icky today...enough said there!
With everything going on, today is kind of a blur so I can't pick out one or two things to expound on. I do want to thank the elves who really looked out for the "Talent" today. The first half of the shift was the hardest for some reason, so they made Santa get up from the Big Chair and have something to drink every half hour. Plus they made me take a break about 2-3 hours into the day. I do have a good group this year, even Roxy.
Well I need some sleep, so off I go.
Santa
Well if Santa looks like he feels, he's in real trouble because I feel rotten! I have a head cold, it's moving into my voice, and now I have a cough. All of which I really don't need at this stage of the game.
But as they say, the Santa must still be "on," so here I am. Today we had 639 little semi's run over Santa's lap. We also had a few dogs - an older German Shepard, a older Golden Retriever, a Shih Tsu, and a white Terrier. We really encourage photos with animals - but during the week - as they are disruptive on the weekends with the large crowds we have. Also, I had my first icky today...enough said there!
With everything going on, today is kind of a blur so I can't pick out one or two things to expound on. I do want to thank the elves who really looked out for the "Talent" today. The first half of the shift was the hardest for some reason, so they made Santa get up from the Big Chair and have something to drink every half hour. Plus they made me take a break about 2-3 hours into the day. I do have a good group this year, even Roxy.
Well I need some sleep, so off I go.
Santa
Friday, December 11, 2009
And they said it would be slow.
Hey there!
I want you to know that I am still waiting for it to slow down... Maybe they are referring to December 26th?
Today we had 210 photo-hungry people that all had a dire need to meet Santa. We did have a few dogs as well - a Border Collie pup, a Border Collie adult, a mutt, a black Lab, a white Poodle, and a Cocker Spaniel. ALSO, elf Tasha was back today and she's feeling a little bit better.
As you can imagine, I did not have much time to breathe with 210 photos in 4 hrs. Just for those number crunchers, that is 52.5 kids per hour. That figures out to be 1.14 minutes per photo. Now let's not forget that does not take into account for ink and paper reloading, photo set up, and the long walk it takes to get to the "The Claus" (20-25 feet).
Also each kid or kid-at-heart has their time with Santa. NOBODY walks away (unless they want to) without "their" time with Santa. Most upper ages just walk away after the photo is taken, unless they are over 50 or so who giggle and thank us for the photo.
So as I think over the shift in the "Big Chair," I am struck by the number of handicapped kids that came today. One that will stay in my mind was a child with brittle bone disease. He drove up to me in a wheelchair that looks like something from Star Trek. And he drove it like an old pro. His mom lifted him into my lap, and as I reached to hold him I could feel his ribs and old healed breaks. I was nervous that even my gentle touch would break him, but all went well. He then maneuvered the "chair" through the crowd like nothing I have ever seen. Another happy customer!
Well, Santa has a long day tomorrow and short night for sleep, so off to bed I go! I have a 12-hour day starting bright and early tomorrow morning.
Good night,
Santa
I want you to know that I am still waiting for it to slow down... Maybe they are referring to December 26th?
Today we had 210 photo-hungry people that all had a dire need to meet Santa. We did have a few dogs as well - a Border Collie pup, a Border Collie adult, a mutt, a black Lab, a white Poodle, and a Cocker Spaniel. ALSO, elf Tasha was back today and she's feeling a little bit better.
As you can imagine, I did not have much time to breathe with 210 photos in 4 hrs. Just for those number crunchers, that is 52.5 kids per hour. That figures out to be 1.14 minutes per photo. Now let's not forget that does not take into account for ink and paper reloading, photo set up, and the long walk it takes to get to the "The Claus" (20-25 feet).
Also each kid or kid-at-heart has their time with Santa. NOBODY walks away (unless they want to) without "their" time with Santa. Most upper ages just walk away after the photo is taken, unless they are over 50 or so who giggle and thank us for the photo.
So as I think over the shift in the "Big Chair," I am struck by the number of handicapped kids that came today. One that will stay in my mind was a child with brittle bone disease. He drove up to me in a wheelchair that looks like something from Star Trek. And he drove it like an old pro. His mom lifted him into my lap, and as I reached to hold him I could feel his ribs and old healed breaks. I was nervous that even my gentle touch would break him, but all went well. He then maneuvered the "chair" through the crowd like nothing I have ever seen. Another happy customer!
Well, Santa has a long day tomorrow and short night for sleep, so off to bed I go! I have a 12-hour day starting bright and early tomorrow morning.
Good night,
Santa
Thursday, December 10, 2009
T minus 15 days and counting.
Hello to all,
Well, as the title says, there are 15 days until Christmas. And the day is coming fast! I find it a bit surprising that kids still don't know what they want. The Claus really tries to push the kids to say something because the parents still need time to find the stuff.
The most popular stuff kids ask for are DSI, XBox, Barbie, dolls, laptops, and Maxi Girls (what ever they are).
As for today, we had 150 photos taken of Santa. Oh, and of course, the kids. We only had one dog, which was a Boston Terrier. She insisted on washing my face...and she did.
We had some fun kids come and see Santa today and one girl really sticks out. The Mall has a series of concerts during the Christmas season. One of the girls in the concert came with her family to get a picture with the "Talent" so when I heard she was in the choir tonight, I said she had to sing for her photo. Needless to say, the middle school-aged girl did not want to sing. So when she sat on my knee, I started to sing Jingle Bells. Well that started the giggles! and I saw the "little green light" to mess with her a little.
So it started with me singing, then I bounced her on my knee, I messed with the photo shot, and each time I get responses from at least one of the elves saying, "Santa, have you had too much milk and cookies!" All of this is for the entertainment of the kids, parents and...well...us. But back to the story. As I straighten up for the photo, I see elf Peggy slowly move toward the camera (not really strange as we are in close quarters). As the elf was ready to snap the photo, elf Peggy put her hand in front of the lens. As you can imagine, I just lost it as did the girl in my lap and everybody else. I wish I had it on video because it was priceless!
As I said, it was a good night.
And it's time for me to say good night,
Santa
Well, as the title says, there are 15 days until Christmas. And the day is coming fast! I find it a bit surprising that kids still don't know what they want. The Claus really tries to push the kids to say something because the parents still need time to find the stuff.
The most popular stuff kids ask for are DSI, XBox, Barbie, dolls, laptops, and Maxi Girls (what ever they are).
As for today, we had 150 photos taken of Santa. Oh, and of course, the kids. We only had one dog, which was a Boston Terrier. She insisted on washing my face...and she did.
We had some fun kids come and see Santa today and one girl really sticks out. The Mall has a series of concerts during the Christmas season. One of the girls in the concert came with her family to get a picture with the "Talent" so when I heard she was in the choir tonight, I said she had to sing for her photo. Needless to say, the middle school-aged girl did not want to sing. So when she sat on my knee, I started to sing Jingle Bells. Well that started the giggles! and I saw the "little green light" to mess with her a little.
So it started with me singing, then I bounced her on my knee, I messed with the photo shot, and each time I get responses from at least one of the elves saying, "Santa, have you had too much milk and cookies!" All of this is for the entertainment of the kids, parents and...well...us. But back to the story. As I straighten up for the photo, I see elf Peggy slowly move toward the camera (not really strange as we are in close quarters). As the elf was ready to snap the photo, elf Peggy put her hand in front of the lens. As you can imagine, I just lost it as did the girl in my lap and everybody else. I wish I had it on video because it was priceless!
As I said, it was a good night.
And it's time for me to say good night,
Santa
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Hello Wednesday...
Hi!
Today was sure different than yesterday, and that is OK even for the "Talent." As I came into the main office of BPS, the Store Manager said he had something to tell me about. My interest was peaked because he has never done that before. He read an email from a person who drove 100 miles one way to see the Claus and how thrilled he was with how well I did my job. He even relayed that when we had computer problems, I went down the entire line and told everybody what happened and talked with the kids. Mr. Wargo said that this was at least the 5th email he's received on how well I am doing. The Dude was humbled.
As the Dude in the Red Suit, I get to tell you that we had 160 people come and get their photo with me. We also had a few dogs - a Pit Bull/Bulldog mix, a Golden Lab, and a pepper-coated Shepard mix.
At the start of the day we a short line of happy kids and parents who wanted to meet the Claus. So I worked the line for a few minutes and then headed for the Big Chair. I knew we were going to have a good night as the first kid bounced and hopped all the way to Santa.
Later in the day we had a partial power outage, but it did not affect any of the photo stuff so we kept going. BPS maintenance was called and they figured we needed to shut down for awhile. We agreed to 8pm and they did not have any idea how long it would be. Well, at 8pm we shut down and by 8:10pm we were back up and running.
We did have an interesting one with parents who brought their two kids in to see Mr. C in their PJ's. And yes, they were Christmas themed. The kids were so cute and they also both wore Santa hats. We had some really crying kids, too but the majority of the parents took my advice and we had a good photo with as little crying as possible. It is the old back-to-back and back into Santa trick; it works fairly well.
Well, Santa is about ready to turn into the great pumpkin, so off to bed.
Santa
Today was sure different than yesterday, and that is OK even for the "Talent." As I came into the main office of BPS, the Store Manager said he had something to tell me about. My interest was peaked because he has never done that before. He read an email from a person who drove 100 miles one way to see the Claus and how thrilled he was with how well I did my job. He even relayed that when we had computer problems, I went down the entire line and told everybody what happened and talked with the kids. Mr. Wargo said that this was at least the 5th email he's received on how well I am doing. The Dude was humbled.
As the Dude in the Red Suit, I get to tell you that we had 160 people come and get their photo with me. We also had a few dogs - a Pit Bull/Bulldog mix, a Golden Lab, and a pepper-coated Shepard mix.
At the start of the day we a short line of happy kids and parents who wanted to meet the Claus. So I worked the line for a few minutes and then headed for the Big Chair. I knew we were going to have a good night as the first kid bounced and hopped all the way to Santa.
Later in the day we had a partial power outage, but it did not affect any of the photo stuff so we kept going. BPS maintenance was called and they figured we needed to shut down for awhile. We agreed to 8pm and they did not have any idea how long it would be. Well, at 8pm we shut down and by 8:10pm we were back up and running.
We did have an interesting one with parents who brought their two kids in to see Mr. C in their PJ's. And yes, they were Christmas themed. The kids were so cute and they also both wore Santa hats. We had some really crying kids, too but the majority of the parents took my advice and we had a good photo with as little crying as possible. It is the old back-to-back and back into Santa trick; it works fairly well.
Well, Santa is about ready to turn into the great pumpkin, so off to bed.
Santa
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Are we having fun yet?
Hello there my fellow bloggers!
I think we did pretty well tonight. We had 109 future wonders and a good number of dogs in to see Santa. We had a Black Velvet national dog of Austria, a Multi-Poo, a Chihuahua, a Poodle, two Basset pups, two Dachshunds, and a Springer Spaniel (with a nervous bladder). Yep, missed Santa. We had a larger number of dogs because the Mall had pet photo night, and was charging $25.
I don't like to complain about other Santa's, but that Mall Santa has got to go!! We have received a large number of complaints; even tonight. One parent said today about the Mall Santa "Scared my son for life yesterday." I bent down and looked at the little boy. He was crying, but silently, and shaking horribly. He would not even make eye contact with me. I asked him some general questions while mom had one hand, and dad had the other. His tears were melting me, but I had to keep it together. He was a little boy who was crushed and his belief in Santa was in deep jeopardy. After a few more minutes of talking with him at his level, he quit crying and looked like a little boy should. I then asked the most important question of the whole day, "Would YOU like a picture with Santa?" He let go of both parents' hands and said "yes." He came to me freely and even smiled for the picture. I think I just saved somebody's Christmas.
Other than the little boy, the night was very uneventful. Which is very nice for a change.
I did have a nice lunch with a employee of BPS and his daughter at Ruby Tuesdays. It was kind of fun! The kid in the next booth did not like seeing Santa so close to his lunch, so he balled. But other than that, it was a good lunch.
As I look outside tonight I see SNOW - and quite a bit for Harrisburg, PA. I bet it will snarl traffic for most of the day around here tomorrow. It is nice to look at. Nicer that I don't have to shovel. It will be interesting to watch. Oh, and the forecast from the weathermen for tonight was rain.
I have two Santa "Shout Outs" for you all to pray about. First, Mrs. Claus who has to deal with the rotten weather back at the North Pole and has an elf problem. Second, elf Tasha is in bad shape and sicker than before. I don't know anything more of that.
Have a safe and happy night,
Santa
I think we did pretty well tonight. We had 109 future wonders and a good number of dogs in to see Santa. We had a Black Velvet national dog of Austria, a Multi-Poo, a Chihuahua, a Poodle, two Basset pups, two Dachshunds, and a Springer Spaniel (with a nervous bladder). Yep, missed Santa. We had a larger number of dogs because the Mall had pet photo night, and was charging $25.
I don't like to complain about other Santa's, but that Mall Santa has got to go!! We have received a large number of complaints; even tonight. One parent said today about the Mall Santa "Scared my son for life yesterday." I bent down and looked at the little boy. He was crying, but silently, and shaking horribly. He would not even make eye contact with me. I asked him some general questions while mom had one hand, and dad had the other. His tears were melting me, but I had to keep it together. He was a little boy who was crushed and his belief in Santa was in deep jeopardy. After a few more minutes of talking with him at his level, he quit crying and looked like a little boy should. I then asked the most important question of the whole day, "Would YOU like a picture with Santa?" He let go of both parents' hands and said "yes." He came to me freely and even smiled for the picture. I think I just saved somebody's Christmas.
Other than the little boy, the night was very uneventful. Which is very nice for a change.
I did have a nice lunch with a employee of BPS and his daughter at Ruby Tuesdays. It was kind of fun! The kid in the next booth did not like seeing Santa so close to his lunch, so he balled. But other than that, it was a good lunch.
As I look outside tonight I see SNOW - and quite a bit for Harrisburg, PA. I bet it will snarl traffic for most of the day around here tomorrow. It is nice to look at. Nicer that I don't have to shovel. It will be interesting to watch. Oh, and the forecast from the weathermen for tonight was rain.
I have two Santa "Shout Outs" for you all to pray about. First, Mrs. Claus who has to deal with the rotten weather back at the North Pole and has an elf problem. Second, elf Tasha is in bad shape and sicker than before. I don't know anything more of that.
Have a safe and happy night,
Santa
Monday, December 7, 2009
A quiet day at last.
Hey there,
Well we had 121 photos taken of the Claus with others sitting in my lap. We did have a few dogs. Let's see if I can get them straight. We had a Poodle, a Chihuahua, a pug and Beagle mix, Golden Retriever, a Yellow Lab, and a Corgi. Tasha had the day off.
I was worried for awhile when as I was dressing for the Big Chair I found a hole in my Suit, and I ripped my sock. I was almost afraid to see what was next.
I need all of us to do a "Get Well" shout out for Elf Tasha as she has fallen ill. She spent much of today in the ER, and was in pain over the weekend.
It was quiet today, which is nice for a change. Except it was just Santa and elf Courtney for photos for an hour and a half. But I went slower, and so it went well. We were both glad to see elf Peggy when she showed up.
I have said it before, but the kids are great and the parents not so much.
Now if some of you are wondering about my health from yesterday, I am doing just wonderful today! I just think I was really over heated.
The photos above are of Marwane (who is married to Anna) and Jimmy O. Both are great guys, by Jimmy O is a BIG boy.
I hope you all had a great day. Santa plans to sleep in tomorrow, wish me luck.
Santa
Sunday, December 6, 2009
It may be Sunday but it's no rest.
Hey there,
Well today was a shorter day - only 10 hours instead of 12. Yep, it's the little things that make it all work. I am doing well even though 
I lost my voice for a while due to my infection. I just whispered in the kid's ears and they were fine.
I lost my voice for a while due to my infection. I just whispered in the kid's ears and they were fine.After I had my lunch break I don't know what happened, but the Wonderland set seemed brighter and very warm. It made me feel worse, I started to sweat terribly, and I could not see the photo person (elf Courtney) give me the OK sign. Plus, I could bearly see the front of the line. I have to admit I was a bit un-nerved, but I attempted to keep it in Santa style and just plug through. With me not feeling well, I think the heat, the sweat, and all the stupid lights got to me. Head Elf Troy came up, stopped the line, and asked me what's going on. So I explained and he could see the sweat running down my face. I don't know what happened next, but I started feeling better - but warm - wiped my glasses, and it helped a tad. As time went on things went better, and we finally reached the end of the line. It was a welcomed break.
So I will call it a Santa's Sunday anomaly. I feel just fine now. I will need to ask Elf Troy what he saw, but I gave him the next two days off.
So on to better things. Today we had 437 photos taken of all the fans of Santa who visited my lap of luxury. To date we have done over 7000 photos. The dogs that visited me today included a Golden Retriever, two sister's that were Multi-Poo's, two different Cocker Spaniels, a Chocolate Lab, a Golden Lab, a Pink nosed Pit bull, a miniature Yorkie, and a miniature long-haired Chihuahua.
The kids are getting smarter or they figured how the system works. They hit up Santa for all the biggies like laptop computers, motorcycles, dirt bikes, PSP, DSI XBox 360, Wii, and an Ipod Touch. Ladies and Gentleman, every one of these are over $150 +, and some are over $300. But these are just a snapshot of what the kids are looking for from Santa.
We get all the above requests daily. However, we still also get the requests for Barbies, Maxi Girls, a truck, toys and books. The two biggies for kids are any of the Lego's, and baby dolls.
During the first 3-4 hours today, it was all kids who were coming from church, so they were cute and dressed up. I understand the average church service is 2-3 hours long. We do have large Amish and Mennonite communities in this area.
Santa is falling a sleep while typing due to the long days. Please pray for Santa and his family.
Pictures tomorrow!
Sweet dreams,
Santa
Saturday, December 5, 2009
And I was told we were slow....
Hi again,
I say hi because I am too tired to write anything else. Santa feels just like the old famous saying, "If I had two butts, they'd both be dragging."
Today we out did everyone's estimates. (And I mean the BPS staff.) We did 642 photos of the people who love the "Talent." We also did a few pooches - a mini Yorkie, an American Pointer, and a puff of a Pomeranian.
Today we out did everyone's estimates. (And I mean the BPS staff.) We did 642 photos of the people who love the "Talent." We also did a few pooches - a mini Yorkie, an American Pointer, and a puff of a Pomeranian.
Now you are probably more than wondering how long the line was to see the" Dude in the Red Suit." Well, if I had to guess, I would say an hour at the peak. I do not have any pictures to show how long the line was, but it was out of my sight line and then turned left. We had NO complaints. Also nobody wanted to use the Bass Pass. I will attempt to get an in-store map and do a post.
The kids were different as the could be. We had a ton of kids with Santa hats - and I mean from infants to teenagers! There were a number of kids in dresses and suits, and just plain ready for a picture. There was even one family that had a professional photographer that got by with taking photos. But when your the best, it happens.
I'd better explain the photos above. The one with the two elves is elf Tasha (on the right) and elf Roxy (one the left). The one with the crowd is just a snapshot of the crowd who await the Claus. The photo below that with the Elk is a photo of one of the many mounts that decorate BPS. The last one is of the Dude after he fixed the race track. Hey, I had to check it out. I wear many hats, but they're all red with a white pom pom.
Santa has a 10-hour day tomorrow, so I'd better find my buddy the Sand Man.
Nighty night,
Santa
Friday, December 4, 2009
Okay,who let the crazies out?
Hi!
As the title says, the nuts came out to greet Santa and the photo crew. But more on that later...I hope.
We had 172 little and not so little ones come through Santa's lap. We also had a new animal in Santa's Wonderland. Yep, another type of dog. (Okay, nothing is new about a dog, but I wanted to get some ideas flowing.) We had a Cocker Spaniel that washed Santa's face, a Golden Retriever, and one that was stuffed. Now as we head into one of the busier weekends with longer hours to boot, my butt is sooo excited it already hurts!
Now I usually don't name drop, but in early November somewhere around my birthday Santa's Wonderland had a visitor - actress Julianna Margulies, the star from the TV show "The Good Wife" and "ER." She was standing in line, I saw her and her kids, and I just let her pass without too much eye contact. But she knew she was spotted. I just wished her well, and thanked her for coming. Now my elves (once they read this) will most likely be a bit mad. But they should know that public figures need their privacy just like us, and their kids have nothing to do with it. So I chose to keep it quiet until it was not possible to look back. I did tell Mrs. Claus, which is still allowed. (Part of the Santa code.)
Now back to the crazies. I have been quite busy with the kids, and Santa in not feeling the best, so whenever there was a break/lull, I walked 10 feet from the Big Chair to get a drink of water. As I sipped my water a gentleman (a loose term, if there was one) walked up about 3-4 feet from me a proceeded to question why Santa was not in the chair. Elf Tasha was a "good girl" and told him Santa will be back in the chair any moment. He snarled, "So he's on a break and we don't know when he'll be back." I almost choked on my water! I said to the man, "I'm right here and getting a drink of water, and that's all." and I pointed out that NOBODY was in line. The man walked around to where the line forms. Then he, his family and his DOG received their photo. He never even thought to say, "Sorry."
Another one was a lady who was mad that she had to pay for her FREE photo. It was explained to her that the photo was free, but if you want additional photos, you need to pay a fee. Now the fee is dependent on what you buy (hard concept) the cheapest is $2.99. She just walked away.
There were others, but I think you get the drift.
On the flip side, the kids were fun and all dressed up. I had an infant that was just days old. She was so light, I could not even feel her in my arm. We also had a kid that wore "Bubba Teeth" and other kids in Santa suits. Some kids wanted to see Santa so badly they were shaking, and even crying.
It does not matter what the kids wear. They just want to see and talk with Santa.
Santa needs his beauty sleep...
Santa
As the title says, the nuts came out to greet Santa and the photo crew. But more on that later...I hope.
We had 172 little and not so little ones come through Santa's lap. We also had a new animal in Santa's Wonderland. Yep, another type of dog. (Okay, nothing is new about a dog, but I wanted to get some ideas flowing.) We had a Cocker Spaniel that washed Santa's face, a Golden Retriever, and one that was stuffed. Now as we head into one of the busier weekends with longer hours to boot, my butt is sooo excited it already hurts!
Now I usually don't name drop, but in early November somewhere around my birthday Santa's Wonderland had a visitor - actress Julianna Margulies, the star from the TV show "The Good Wife" and "ER." She was standing in line, I saw her and her kids, and I just let her pass without too much eye contact. But she knew she was spotted. I just wished her well, and thanked her for coming. Now my elves (once they read this) will most likely be a bit mad. But they should know that public figures need their privacy just like us, and their kids have nothing to do with it. So I chose to keep it quiet until it was not possible to look back. I did tell Mrs. Claus, which is still allowed. (Part of the Santa code.)
Now back to the crazies. I have been quite busy with the kids, and Santa in not feeling the best, so whenever there was a break/lull, I walked 10 feet from the Big Chair to get a drink of water. As I sipped my water a gentleman (a loose term, if there was one) walked up about 3-4 feet from me a proceeded to question why Santa was not in the chair. Elf Tasha was a "good girl" and told him Santa will be back in the chair any moment. He snarled, "So he's on a break and we don't know when he'll be back." I almost choked on my water! I said to the man, "I'm right here and getting a drink of water, and that's all." and I pointed out that NOBODY was in line. The man walked around to where the line forms. Then he, his family and his DOG received their photo. He never even thought to say, "Sorry."
Another one was a lady who was mad that she had to pay for her FREE photo. It was explained to her that the photo was free, but if you want additional photos, you need to pay a fee. Now the fee is dependent on what you buy (hard concept) the cheapest is $2.99. She just walked away.
There were others, but I think you get the drift.
On the flip side, the kids were fun and all dressed up. I had an infant that was just days old. She was so light, I could not even feel her in my arm. We also had a kid that wore "Bubba Teeth" and other kids in Santa suits. Some kids wanted to see Santa so badly they were shaking, and even crying.
It does not matter what the kids wear. They just want to see and talk with Santa.
Santa needs his beauty sleep...
Santa
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Happy First Thursday in December.
Hello to all,
Well, let's start with a Santa "Get Well" shout out to Mr. Santa Claus, the "Talent", the Dude in the Red Suit. Yep, I'm talking about me. The big Guy is sick...but is still showing up for duty! Santa has an infection in his throat. It is not contagious. It hurts and it will get worse, but there's really nothing they can do for it. I could lose my voice (but I can still type). We'll have to wait and see. Otherwise, I am a perfect Dude. (We will not take into account my throat or back...)
Okay, now on to what you really want to see. We had 130 little gems come through the Big Chair. We also had a couple of dogs - a Beagle (Snoopy dog) and a Black Austrian Yapper. It kind of looks like a Pomeranian, but very black.
No one kid stands out for me tonight. We had a lot of couples and family photos. I always find it funny that the skinniest person tells me they are soooo heavy and that they don't want to break my legs. One person must have weighed a whole 100 pounds, but I - the Claus - made it through. We had a group of 5 senior high/college-age boys, a family of five, and a family of nine. I think the funnest was a high school group (one female with three males). Let me tell you! She ran those boys. I could tell the boys did not want to do it, but they came. Ohhh, the power of the female persuasion!
Well, Santa needs his beautiful sleep,
Santa
Well, let's start with a Santa "Get Well" shout out to Mr. Santa Claus, the "Talent", the Dude in the Red Suit. Yep, I'm talking about me. The big Guy is sick...but is still showing up for duty! Santa has an infection in his throat. It is not contagious. It hurts and it will get worse, but there's really nothing they can do for it. I could lose my voice (but I can still type). We'll have to wait and see. Otherwise, I am a perfect Dude. (We will not take into account my throat or back...)
Okay, now on to what you really want to see. We had 130 little gems come through the Big Chair. We also had a couple of dogs - a Beagle (Snoopy dog) and a Black Austrian Yapper. It kind of looks like a Pomeranian, but very black.
No one kid stands out for me tonight. We had a lot of couples and family photos. I always find it funny that the skinniest person tells me they are soooo heavy and that they don't want to break my legs. One person must have weighed a whole 100 pounds, but I - the Claus - made it through. We had a group of 5 senior high/college-age boys, a family of five, and a family of nine. I think the funnest was a high school group (one female with three males). Let me tell you! She ran those boys. I could tell the boys did not want to do it, but they came. Ohhh, the power of the female persuasion!
Well, Santa needs his beautiful sleep,
Santa
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Oh, that was my back!
Hello,Today we had 79 little sweet-hearted people through the "Talents" lap. We only had a couple of pooches - a Golden-Poo puppy (a cross between a Golden Lab and a Poodle), a German Short Haired Pointer, and a Chocolate Lab.
Uncle Miltie used to say" you should NEVER work with dogs or kids" and guess what, I do both. Milton Burle was a wise man. The puppies are almost as cute as me, but the kids come the closest...
We had a interesting day. I expected a lot more people due to the rain, but it was still up from last year. I had a lady (I say that loosely) get mad at Santa and the photo elves. She wanted her child's picture taken and we were wasting her time. Plus, Santa sent her kid away and we did not talk. Okay, let's pick this lady's anger apart. First off, we did the picture right away as we always do. I had already talked to her child, received her wish list, and the photo was already printed. Now here's the rub. She was mad because she did not see the flash from the camera! (There is none, due to all of the lighting. (The flash startles the kids.)
We had a interesting day. I expected a lot more people due to the rain, but it was still up from last year. I had a lady (I say that loosely) get mad at Santa and the photo elves. She wanted her child's picture taken and we were wasting her time. Plus, Santa sent her kid away and we did not talk. Okay, let's pick this lady's anger apart. First off, we did the picture right away as we always do. I had already talked to her child, received her wish list, and the photo was already printed. Now here's the rub. She was mad because she did not see the flash from the camera! (There is none, due to all of the lighting. (The flash startles the kids.)
Today elf Cindy is back from her fact finding mission in Tennessee, and she recommends paper bags of Reindeer Dung. She is uploading a new naughty list for my approval as I type...
Santa is into toys and not electronics for a reason. I still can't turn on my IPod, but it's all charged up!
Well you can say one thing about Harrisburg PA - it rains. Last year it rained almost everyday, so I was smart this year and brought a heavy duty rain coat that Steve gave me (he's Santa's brother-in-law). Guess what? I get use out of that coat almost weekly. Today it poured and poured; and yep, it rained a little. Thank you for the rain coat! It was raining so hard when I went to work the hotel drove me the one block to work. And no, I did not ask for the ride. But I took it (I'm not totally nuts, Mr. Hirsh).
Okay. Now to the pictures. The first one is a bit hard to see, but I have my hand covering my mouth trying not to laugh. That little guy talked soooo fast, and was soooo funny with his requests/descriptions. Basically, he wanted enough stuff to play Civil War. I really like the the reindeer, so there they are in the second picture...and they stand so still around the kids. The last picture is the Big Guy all alone (his posse is in the wings) showing off his freshly fluffed and brushed suit!
Good night to all!
Santa
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Now back to normal...
Hello to all,
Today we had 96 people come through Santa's photo spot. We also had the following pooches come through - an Akea seeing eye dog, a German Shepard, a velvet black Great Dane, and a mutt.
I promised photos today, but I forgot my camera at the hotel. I did not think Bass Pro would like me going to get it. Sorry folks. Hey, I still call the instant photos as film, and not a 3-ink color process on high quality photo paper. Most people don't even know what film is, or what a slide is. I saw in the USA today paper that only one place in the whole USA does slides anymore, and Kodak will stop supplying them when stock runs out. I still say photos taken by film is better, right Cheryl?
Anyway, all of our "Get Well" shout outs to elf Jeremy must have done something. He showed up today just to prove he was alive, but he is still out for the season. Besides, he kind of walks like a duck that just had knee surgery...lol
We had two boys in to see Santa today who at first glance seemed great. Well, they were terrors of Santa's Wonderland. They pushed other kids away from toys (when their parents were not around) so they could play. They purposely derailed the model train set, and tried to break off toy people from their places. That is when elf Janelle had enough. She unplugged the train and put them away, and told the kids to quit touching the display. That is just a small sample of what they did. And for most of it, their mother was there!
But to balance off the two above, we also had a couple of the sweetest little girls come to see Santa. The girls were dressed up with just a hint of perfume. They were polite and smiled when asked, and were just plain good kids. The kind of kids that make Santa's day! I know Santa is reaching, but I really pray and have big Santa wishes that more of those kids come to pass in their generations. Oh please, Lord!
I know if you watch the news on TV things seem kind of grim. But when you look into the eyes of some of these kids and see the joy of Christmas, it really brings hope that we will be alright.
May tomorrow bring happier news, and some photos.
Take care and see you in the morning.
Today we had 96 people come through Santa's photo spot. We also had the following pooches come through - an Akea seeing eye dog, a German Shepard, a velvet black Great Dane, and a mutt.
I promised photos today, but I forgot my camera at the hotel. I did not think Bass Pro would like me going to get it. Sorry folks. Hey, I still call the instant photos as film, and not a 3-ink color process on high quality photo paper. Most people don't even know what film is, or what a slide is. I saw in the USA today paper that only one place in the whole USA does slides anymore, and Kodak will stop supplying them when stock runs out. I still say photos taken by film is better, right Cheryl?
Anyway, all of our "Get Well" shout outs to elf Jeremy must have done something. He showed up today just to prove he was alive, but he is still out for the season. Besides, he kind of walks like a duck that just had knee surgery...lol
We had two boys in to see Santa today who at first glance seemed great. Well, they were terrors of Santa's Wonderland. They pushed other kids away from toys (when their parents were not around) so they could play. They purposely derailed the model train set, and tried to break off toy people from their places. That is when elf Janelle had enough. She unplugged the train and put them away, and told the kids to quit touching the display. That is just a small sample of what they did. And for most of it, their mother was there!
But to balance off the two above, we also had a couple of the sweetest little girls come to see Santa. The girls were dressed up with just a hint of perfume. They were polite and smiled when asked, and were just plain good kids. The kind of kids that make Santa's day! I know Santa is reaching, but I really pray and have big Santa wishes that more of those kids come to pass in their generations. Oh please, Lord!
I know if you watch the news on TV things seem kind of grim. But when you look into the eyes of some of these kids and see the joy of Christmas, it really brings hope that we will be alright.
May tomorrow bring happier news, and some photos.
Take care and see you in the morning.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Hello Monday ?
Hey,
Today is the last day in November. That means Christmas is on the next Calender page. I am so excited! Lets all flip the page together now, on 3. One. Two. Hey, no early flipping Greta! OK Three. Good job, Michelle! Daniel, I see you turned late, but Santa forgives you.
There. Doesn't that feel better now that we're all on the same page?
Alright, now to the good stuff. Today we had 283 little wonders (and boy do I wonder sometimes) who had there picture with the Dude in the Red Suit. We also had a few dogs - a Shepard/Border Collie mix, a cute Yellow Lab, and a very Black Lab. Tasha was off...lol. I also have, as promised, a total from the tote board. We have done 5474 picture's. That is way over from last year at this time.
Today was a long work day for a Monday - 9 hours. It was longer because it is a holiday in PA for the opening of Deer Season (rifle). Because of all the hunters, all the schools close and some companies.
Hey, we also need to give a Santa "Get Well" shout out to Elf Jeremy. He had knee surgery. Unfortunately, he will not be able to fly Sleigh #2 into position this holiday season. He's the Captain of that sleigh. So a temporary replacement elf is in the works. (I'm wondering if emergency elf John T. would like to FLY on Christmas eve?) Now you are all wondering what I am talking about. There is no possible way I can carry all the toys in the main sleigh, so we use a backup and reindeer-in-training to have items ready to switch over when I arrive. It works pretty slick, as I have been doing this for a while. If you only knew the logistics of something this complex!
We had some fun kids today. We just need to get the parents in the holiday mood; the grumps. I had two sisters that were all smiles and just little giggler's. Soooo, to Santa that means to test messing with them. It was green for go from the very first second. I wiggled them, I had my hands in their faces, and just before the picture was taken I bounced them on my knee. I am getting "Santa, behave." from elf Courtney, but the kids and parents just loved it. I also had a little boy who his mom said was up to the challenge of Santa. She was not kidding! I did the leg wiggle, and he wrapped his legs around mine to get it going faster and I had to use both of my arms to stop it. I tried the hand in the face and he put both of his in mine. And lastly, I attempted the age old jumping bean, and he pushed off the floor to go higher. Oh, and when I stopped each part he looked at me and gave me a monkey face. It was sooo cool and everybody was laughing.
Well I have a busy day tomorrow. I have laundry, shopping, and the office (BPS). So off to bed Santa goes. I will try to get some pictures up tomorrow, I know how much you all like them.
Santa
Today is the last day in November. That means Christmas is on the next Calender page. I am so excited! Lets all flip the page together now, on 3. One. Two. Hey, no early flipping Greta! OK Three. Good job, Michelle! Daniel, I see you turned late, but Santa forgives you.
There. Doesn't that feel better now that we're all on the same page?
Alright, now to the good stuff. Today we had 283 little wonders (and boy do I wonder sometimes) who had there picture with the Dude in the Red Suit. We also had a few dogs - a Shepard/Border Collie mix, a cute Yellow Lab, and a very Black Lab. Tasha was off...lol. I also have, as promised, a total from the tote board. We have done 5474 picture's. That is way over from last year at this time.
Today was a long work day for a Monday - 9 hours. It was longer because it is a holiday in PA for the opening of Deer Season (rifle). Because of all the hunters, all the schools close and some companies.
Hey, we also need to give a Santa "Get Well" shout out to Elf Jeremy. He had knee surgery. Unfortunately, he will not be able to fly Sleigh #2 into position this holiday season. He's the Captain of that sleigh. So a temporary replacement elf is in the works. (I'm wondering if emergency elf John T. would like to FLY on Christmas eve?) Now you are all wondering what I am talking about. There is no possible way I can carry all the toys in the main sleigh, so we use a backup and reindeer-in-training to have items ready to switch over when I arrive. It works pretty slick, as I have been doing this for a while. If you only knew the logistics of something this complex!
We had some fun kids today. We just need to get the parents in the holiday mood; the grumps. I had two sisters that were all smiles and just little giggler's. Soooo, to Santa that means to test messing with them. It was green for go from the very first second. I wiggled them, I had my hands in their faces, and just before the picture was taken I bounced them on my knee. I am getting "Santa, behave." from elf Courtney, but the kids and parents just loved it. I also had a little boy who his mom said was up to the challenge of Santa. She was not kidding! I did the leg wiggle, and he wrapped his legs around mine to get it going faster and I had to use both of my arms to stop it. I tried the hand in the face and he put both of his in mine. And lastly, I attempted the age old jumping bean, and he pushed off the floor to go higher. Oh, and when I stopped each part he looked at me and gave me a monkey face. It was sooo cool and everybody was laughing.
Well I have a busy day tomorrow. I have laundry, shopping, and the office (BPS). So off to bed Santa goes. I will try to get some pictures up tomorrow, I know how much you all like them.
Santa
Sunday, November 29, 2009
And today was Sunday !
Hi!
Well, my friends, today was a better day all around. Santa was able to sleep in for two whole hours and the elves were in a good mood. There were a lot of dogs/puppies in to see Santa. Plus all the equipment worked.
Today we had 399 photos taken of the kids and the kids-at-heart as they passed through Santa's lap. We had two of the biggest dog's I have ever seen and I don't know anything about them. When they were sitting on the floor their heads were even with my elbow (I am sitting in the Big Chair!) AND they were considered puppies at 9 months old. We had a 5-month old German Shepard Pup; a Black Lab pup; a Pug; an 8-week old Golden Retriever pup (still had the puppy breath as it licked my face); an 8-week old Red Nosed Rottweiler pup with the fun breath; a Golden Retriever that wears a camo baseball hat; a 3-month old golden Lab pup; a older Golden Retriever; a pure bred Mutt (owners words) it looks like a cross between a lab and a retriever; and probably the most important dog, a Chocolate Lab pup that was being trained as a guide dog. (It is kind of fun to watch them, because they have to be exposed to everything, and they have all there ID's so they can go anywhere!)
I told you we had a lot of dogs in today! We won't even talk about Tasha who learned the signal for "rollover" and "Good Girl."
You could tell the long weekend was wearing on people and that they are looking for things to do today. So of course BPS is on their list. Tomorrow I will start four hours early due to the extra traffic expected as it's the opening of rifle deer hunting. Moms are are expected to be bringing in kids to keep them occupied. So it shall be interesting!
The kids were generally good, but the parents and grandparents were a real trip! They were pushy, demanding, rude, and wanting things there way, and they were the nice ones. Did anybody tell them BPS is NOT Burger King?
The kids came in all dressed up for the most part, and a lot of kids in Santa suits, in Santa Hats, and even elf hats. Needless to say they were almost as cute as me. Some kids even wore suit's and the girls wore dresses, they really tied to do the portrait thing to the max for the free picture. Oh, and the Mall Santa's camera broke so we got all their business (which is not much to begin with, but again it something).
The most memorable kids of the day were from a family that I had last year...and man, they were worse this year! The mom grabbed and slammed her kids (who were dressed perfectly) in to me, each other, my chair, and even the set. The lady would not allow us to make suggestions on placement of the kids. I was almost to the point that I was last year when I said I would leave if it would help her any? But she stopped, and she used mom spit to fix a few faces and even an out-of-place hair on one of the boys. Just incase you were wondering, she was not in the picture. Her kids were all in the teenage stage, and not one of them were happy about being there or with her. I could see the pain in their eyes...
Also, as tomorrow is rifle season for deer, a guy and his wife and two kids came to see Santa. The kids were first, and they were fine. Then the parents, and he was not so fine. As we finished the parent's photos, the husband said he was going hunting to kill Rudolph. I could not let that go by, so I said something like "Hey, that's nothing to say in front of Santa or the kids." He laughed it off, but his family did not...as I soon found out. A short time later he came back to me and handed me a letter from the "Dear Santa" letterhead and apologized in blue crayon. I have no idea what was said by the kids, but something was said.
I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I get to sleep in again....
Have a wonderful night's sleep,
Santa
Well, my friends, today was a better day all around. Santa was able to sleep in for two whole hours and the elves were in a good mood. There were a lot of dogs/puppies in to see Santa. Plus all the equipment worked.
Today we had 399 photos taken of the kids and the kids-at-heart as they passed through Santa's lap. We had two of the biggest dog's I have ever seen and I don't know anything about them. When they were sitting on the floor their heads were even with my elbow (I am sitting in the Big Chair!) AND they were considered puppies at 9 months old. We had a 5-month old German Shepard Pup; a Black Lab pup; a Pug; an 8-week old Golden Retriever pup (still had the puppy breath as it licked my face); an 8-week old Red Nosed Rottweiler pup with the fun breath; a Golden Retriever that wears a camo baseball hat; a 3-month old golden Lab pup; a older Golden Retriever; a pure bred Mutt (owners words) it looks like a cross between a lab and a retriever; and probably the most important dog, a Chocolate Lab pup that was being trained as a guide dog. (It is kind of fun to watch them, because they have to be exposed to everything, and they have all there ID's so they can go anywhere!)
I told you we had a lot of dogs in today! We won't even talk about Tasha who learned the signal for "rollover" and "Good Girl."
You could tell the long weekend was wearing on people and that they are looking for things to do today. So of course BPS is on their list. Tomorrow I will start four hours early due to the extra traffic expected as it's the opening of rifle deer hunting. Moms are are expected to be bringing in kids to keep them occupied. So it shall be interesting!
The kids were generally good, but the parents and grandparents were a real trip! They were pushy, demanding, rude, and wanting things there way, and they were the nice ones. Did anybody tell them BPS is NOT Burger King?
The kids came in all dressed up for the most part, and a lot of kids in Santa suits, in Santa Hats, and even elf hats. Needless to say they were almost as cute as me. Some kids even wore suit's and the girls wore dresses, they really tied to do the portrait thing to the max for the free picture. Oh, and the Mall Santa's camera broke so we got all their business (which is not much to begin with, but again it something).
The most memorable kids of the day were from a family that I had last year...and man, they were worse this year! The mom grabbed and slammed her kids (who were dressed perfectly) in to me, each other, my chair, and even the set. The lady would not allow us to make suggestions on placement of the kids. I was almost to the point that I was last year when I said I would leave if it would help her any? But she stopped, and she used mom spit to fix a few faces and even an out-of-place hair on one of the boys. Just incase you were wondering, she was not in the picture. Her kids were all in the teenage stage, and not one of them were happy about being there or with her. I could see the pain in their eyes...
Also, as tomorrow is rifle season for deer, a guy and his wife and two kids came to see Santa. The kids were first, and they were fine. Then the parents, and he was not so fine. As we finished the parent's photos, the husband said he was going hunting to kill Rudolph. I could not let that go by, so I said something like "Hey, that's nothing to say in front of Santa or the kids." He laughed it off, but his family did not...as I soon found out. A short time later he came back to me and handed me a letter from the "Dear Santa" letterhead and apologized in blue crayon. I have no idea what was said by the kids, but something was said.
I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I get to sleep in again....
Have a wonderful night's sleep,
Santa
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Black Saturday Lives---Run for it!
Hi there!
Well as most of you should know Black Friday is usually the busiest day of the Santa season. But NO. Black-er Saturday wins this year!
Today we had 639 little darlings who had their pictures on my lap. That is more than 119 pictures over last year's Black Saturday. We also had an 8-month old rabbit (How smart is that in a hunting store with dogs?) and a LOAD of dogs. We had Golden Retriever triplets, a Golden Lab, a pure bred Shih-Tsu, a beautiful Akea, a Shih-Poo, and a cat. Oh, and we had one that could be Janelle's twin, but more on that never.
The photo above should tell the tale of the day. Santa is running a tad ragged. Even Bobby was back to give me my lunch break today and some kid blew lunch on him. Welcome back, Bobby! The other photos show the people in on Blacker Saturday, and the green moss pond in front of the store. It is really calming.
Today was a day Santa needed something extra to get himself through the day. I was dragging. So all is not well in Santa's world. But with the help of the elves we all got Santa through the day. I just wish my back could be better at this. OK, Santa will stop whining now....
I had the pleasure of picking on elves Tasha and Janelle for the longest part of the day. While elf Courtney got it pretty good during the first part of the day. To keep me going in the first half, I just plunged through it with the help of Diet Coke (remember the older ad's people), and only really messed with a few kids. But after lunch I messed with a good portion of the kids, and elf Tasha got it good. But she gives just as good as she gets, so she was a "good girl," and she could "sit" and "stay" on task, and did not"roll over" when the kids were too tough on her. Elf Janelle was just elf Janelle. I'm wondering if her elf hat was on too tight? But at least she was sanitary from my point in the Big Dudes Chair.
I had the pleasure of picking on elves Tasha and Janelle for the longest part of the day. While elf Courtney got it pretty good during the first part of the day. To keep me going in the first half, I just plunged through it with the help of Diet Coke (remember the older ad's people), and only really messed with a few kids. But after lunch I messed with a good portion of the kids, and elf Tasha got it good. But she gives just as good as she gets, so she was a "good girl," and she could "sit" and "stay" on task, and did not"roll over" when the kids were too tough on her. Elf Janelle was just elf Janelle. I'm wondering if her elf hat was on too tight? But at least she was sanitary from my point in the Big Dudes Chair.
I think I need to talk about Elf Roxy tomorrow, but where to start?
The kids today were odd to say the least. I think they were still tired from being dragged all over on Black Friday. I also think the parents were looking for something for them to do while shopping and said, "Let's go to Bass Pro." (Hey, it rhymes.) I have to admit there is something for everybody here. But the "Talent" digresses. How do I explain when some of this needs to be experienced?
We have been getting a lot of kids in infant Santa suits for pictures. They are really cute! Now what bugs Santa? Yep. Screaming kids that are plopped in my lap for the enjoyment of the parents. We had a TON of those today.
My brain is sleeping, so this must be a good place to end for tonight.
Happy Sunday,
Santa
Friday, November 27, 2009
Black Friday is here...Run
Hi my tired friends,
Well if today is any indication on how things went for Black Friday around the USA, the place got a deal and the recovery is on... But somebody forgot to tell Santa!
Today we did 512 pictures in my 12 hrs at BPS, and that included some dogs. We had a deaf and blind Terrier who really liked Santa's beard, a yappy Yorkie, an American Bull dog that loved my beard and washed my nose, two Shih-Poos, and a brown short-haired Mutt (who was the seeing eye dog of the Terrier, really). We had some slower times but it was steady all the time. Which for all you math majors gives me 1.4 minutes per kid/photo. Wargo, Santa needs a raise!
I had a few strange things happen today:
1) It was fun to have at least 50 people come up to me and say that they remembered me from last year and that's why they came back! And they remember the Wonderland set being across the hallway facing the windows. (This year we have our backs to the windows.) I have to admit I was taken a bit back that they would remember me. But again, when you have it you have it and the "Talent" has "IT" to spare.
2) The other thing was learning that there was a seeing eye dog for another dog. That just blew me away!
3) Another is all the different countries that came through today - China, Japan, Korea, Mandarin, Spain, Jamaica, India, Russia, and Israel. With all those languages being spoken, we also had a little English from time to time. The countries listed above do not have "Santas," they just see them in movies and Satellite American TV. So they were just fascinated and wanted to touch my coat and beard, and they liked the tassel on my hat.
Well, my friends, my theory on the people that do Black Friday is this - YOUR NUTS! They completely destroy stores, get in fights, steal items out of other people's carts, trample people, and get mad at a drop of the hat. All this fun to save two bucks on a sweatshirt! For an example, while on a very short break, I passed a set of tables that had four ladies folding sweaters. I was gone less that 10 minutes and the table/sweaters was a complete shambles when I walked back. Santa fails to understand so I stay out of the way. Now I have to admit to save 51% on a name brand GPS unit is a good deal. But, come on! How many do you think a place has for that price? Sorry, no rain checks.
For a day of pandemonium, the kids and adults were generally in a good mood when they came to see me. I was in a good mood too. I really like to watch people, and I love the kids.
The elves on the other hand...oh, could I go on! But I'm too tired and another 12-hr day is approaching fast.
Santa
Well if today is any indication on how things went for Black Friday around the USA, the place got a deal and the recovery is on... But somebody forgot to tell Santa!
Today we did 512 pictures in my 12 hrs at BPS, and that included some dogs. We had a deaf and blind Terrier who really liked Santa's beard, a yappy Yorkie, an American Bull dog that loved my beard and washed my nose, two Shih-Poos, and a brown short-haired Mutt (who was the seeing eye dog of the Terrier, really). We had some slower times but it was steady all the time. Which for all you math majors gives me 1.4 minutes per kid/photo. Wargo, Santa needs a raise!
I want to give a "Hey!" to Janelle. She had a sneezing spell and she sneezes down inside her shirt. She then grabs the Sanitary wipes and cleans herself up thoroughly. I guess it's for her Marine boyfriend. I would hate for him to catch a cold... I could go on but he's bigger than me.
I had a few strange things happen today:
1) It was fun to have at least 50 people come up to me and say that they remembered me from last year and that's why they came back! And they remember the Wonderland set being across the hallway facing the windows. (This year we have our backs to the windows.) I have to admit I was taken a bit back that they would remember me. But again, when you have it you have it and the "Talent" has "IT" to spare.
2) The other thing was learning that there was a seeing eye dog for another dog. That just blew me away!
3) Another is all the different countries that came through today - China, Japan, Korea, Mandarin, Spain, Jamaica, India, Russia, and Israel. With all those languages being spoken, we also had a little English from time to time. The countries listed above do not have "Santas," they just see them in movies and Satellite American TV. So they were just fascinated and wanted to touch my coat and beard, and they liked the tassel on my hat.
Well, my friends, my theory on the people that do Black Friday is this - YOUR NUTS! They completely destroy stores, get in fights, steal items out of other people's carts, trample people, and get mad at a drop of the hat. All this fun to save two bucks on a sweatshirt! For an example, while on a very short break, I passed a set of tables that had four ladies folding sweaters. I was gone less that 10 minutes and the table/sweaters was a complete shambles when I walked back. Santa fails to understand so I stay out of the way. Now I have to admit to save 51% on a name brand GPS unit is a good deal. But, come on! How many do you think a place has for that price? Sorry, no rain checks.
For a day of pandemonium, the kids and adults were generally in a good mood when they came to see me. I was in a good mood too. I really like to watch people, and I love the kids.
The elves on the other hand...oh, could I go on! But I'm too tired and another 12-hr day is approaching fast.
Good night and dreams sweet,
Santa
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Rubber Ducky...You're the One!
Hi again,
I am one tired Santa! Today we did 198 photos in Santa's Wonderland. We also had a few dog's. We had two Yorkie's, a Chocolate lab, a Shih-Poo (a mix of a Shih Tzu and a Poodle), and a Black Lab.
Now a little on the Chocolate Lab. He wanted Santa for dinner. The big dog was scared of the Big Guy, and every time they brought the dog near me it would bark and it's saliva would foam up. The owner gave me treats to give to the dog. Nope! Finally, I was getting worried about the kids and adults in the area so I told the owner we would try only one more time for a picture, and then we're done. Well, I don't know what happened between the last time and this next time, but the dog turned into a kitty cat. The dog sat next to Santa with the owner holding the leash. (Good plan!) Santa was glad it was over and the owner was happy with the photo.
The kids were a fun mix to say the least. There was a lot of kids dressed up and now Turkey day is over.
One group really stood out in my mind. We had a group of eight from India. They came to Harrisburg so they could go to Hershey World, but it was closed. So they came to Bass Pro until they had to leave to return to India. We felt sorry for them and gave them extra pictures with Santa to show at home. Now the "Talent" will be famous in India! We did our best to make their time fun. None had never seen Santa in person before - only in movies - and they even saw Santa boogie!
A lot of kids wanted to stand next to me today which is strange because usually everyone wants to sit in my lap. There was one little girl that stood next to me and held my hand. Hey, whatever works! I can understand why teenagers do it because they are too cool to sit with Santa. That is unless there is a teenage girl involved; then she makes him sit in my lap. Just remember, nobody is "Cooler than the dude in the Red Suit."
The pictures above are of the BIG GUY himself! The one with the rubber duck is Janelle's idea. She tossed it at me because she was being mean!
The one with my leg up on the railing is Santa being Macho...! And it worked for me!
The last one is me just being me. We can all stand in awe of the "Talent."
Well, Santa really needs his sleep so nighty night,
Santa
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
T minus 30 day's til Home !
Hi there,
Yes, it's true. Thirty days from now Santa, the Big Guy, the "Talent", or if you prefer, "The Claus" will be back at the North Pole.
Yes, it's true. Thirty days from now Santa, the Big Guy, the "Talent", or if you prefer, "The Claus" will be back at the North Pole.
Now back to reality. Today we had 123 little darlings and one dog. It was a Cockapoo -a high bred cross between a Poodle and Cocker Spaniel. Not the cutest dog I've ever seen.
What a difference a day makes. No really! Yesterday just about everybody was a grump, but today people we happy, laughing, and looking forward to the Holidays.
The real boss at BPS is Jim's Administrative Assistant Deb. She made an off-the-cuff comment about Jimmy O staying with me for Thanksgiving. Well I could not let that go. So I started sharing about Jimmy O and the "Talent" sharing a double bed in NY last year. (Now you need to know that Jimmy is a BIG dude, but a teddy bear, and I slept on the couch.) So Jimmy O, Jim Wargo and myself went on and on about that because it was hilarious! And it still is! Between all of us we could hardly talk because of laughing so hard. What a way to start the day! So what's really happening is that Jimmy is staying at the same hotel as I am because of working late for Black Friday and being in no shape to drive home.
The kids were very cute today and a couple of girls came up just giggling to see Santa with there horrified brother. I cannot not let two giggling little girls go by without a memorable thought of Santa, so I started to mess with the girls and was caught off guard because they have other brothers and they get messed with by their siblings. So when I moved my hand in front of their faces, they grabbed my hand in less than a second! They had vice grips for hands and there was no way I could get away. That was very funny and even the elves thought it was just dessert for Santa. Santa had almost met his match...
The picture above is of the hotel staff in elf hats. They surprised me as I headed out for Santa duty today... Kind of cool.
Keep Santa in your prayers, it is a long stretch starting tomorrow - 5 long days in a row.
Night,
Santa
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
OK, who let out the Grumpys?
Hey there,
Today we had 108 little darlings through my lap. We also had two dog's - an American Bull Dog and a Pomeranian.
Today we had 108 little darlings through my lap. We also had two dog's - an American Bull Dog and a Pomeranian.
The above photos are, as promised, of the hotel I am living at. One is of the outside. (The building is brand new, they were finishing it last year.) The other three are of the inside of my room. I call it 60's retro as the lamps, fixtures, and furniture are all from that era. I am NOT complaining at all, it is very comfortable and very well run. Yes, I would stay here again.
Now to the kids. Let me put it as a true professional would. They were grumpy all evening! I thought it was just my keen senses that are always in tune, but the highly-trained elves noticed it also. Plus, it was not just limited to the kids. It was also the adults.
We had a little chap that just got up on the wrong side of the earth. He was a bugger! He wanted his picture taken, but no smile. Mom is going to get Jimmy smile. "NO" he said, and he crossed his arms. Well I uncrossed the arms and the NO's continued for a good 5 minutes. Needless to say, there was no smile.
I say this because with the other darlings, the NO's continued, along with the hitting of parents, a kicking of a parent, and general all over siblings being siblings. Oh, and the crying was sometimes even in stereo. Now to every rule there are exceptions. I had this little kid that was all about giving Santa a hug, and then two more. Yes we had "grumpy kids/adults" day. But you know, just 1 or 2 cute kids really make your day. I am the "Talent" after all.
As the "Talent" I saw myself on the local Fox 43 TV Station tonight and I did an exceptional job. If you don't believe me, just wait for the Emmy nominations.
Well I need extra rest tonight because the next four long days are about to start. And my new pad has not arrived yet for my big chair. Oh, and I have an extra special announcement tomorrow, so stay tuned...
Sweet sleep,
Santa
Monday, November 23, 2009
Oh, Give me a Break
Hey there,
Today we had 82 little darlings through Santa's Wonderland. We also had three dogs. One was a Black Lab mix, and the other two were pure breds. Santa was asked if he has a new total, so here it is. To date we've had 3213 photos taken. Last year we did not get to 3000 until Black Friday. Santa needs a raise!
I was asked by Mrs. Claus to take some pictures of my hotel room so she can see where I'm staying. I will take some on Tuesday and then post them in my blog.
Tasha, sit! Stay. Good girl. I'm putting this in because a beautiful dog came in today named Tasha, and so the jokes began. (And not by me.) I just joined in to be nice...lol
I have to admit that today there was nothing too special going on. Bass Pro was focused on gearing up for Thanksgiving at Fox & Friends. Elf Troy will be going up and cooking turkeys. I wish him well and hope he does not end up cooking a frozen bird. They have to be fresh, otherwise they will blow up in the deep fryer.
We did have one memorable incident. As you know, we give away one free picture. Sounds easy enough, but for some reason people have a hard time with that. We had this beautiful infant come in all nice in her dress. However, she would not stop crying when I had her, and then she would stop when mom picked her up (very normal). So the mom put the child back in my arms, and guess what? She freaked. Mom took her back again, and she would quit. Do you sense a pattern? Well this went on for awhile...like 5 times. Mom would not accept the fact that her all-dressed-up little girl would not mind and she wanted a picture with her perfect. An elf had a chat with her and she finally stopped. And yes, she had her one photo. And yes, the baby was crying.
I hope you all have a great night,
Santa
Today we had 82 little darlings through Santa's Wonderland. We also had three dogs. One was a Black Lab mix, and the other two were pure breds. Santa was asked if he has a new total, so here it is. To date we've had 3213 photos taken. Last year we did not get to 3000 until Black Friday. Santa needs a raise!
I was asked by Mrs. Claus to take some pictures of my hotel room so she can see where I'm staying. I will take some on Tuesday and then post them in my blog.
Tasha, sit! Stay. Good girl. I'm putting this in because a beautiful dog came in today named Tasha, and so the jokes began. (And not by me.) I just joined in to be nice...lol
I have to admit that today there was nothing too special going on. Bass Pro was focused on gearing up for Thanksgiving at Fox & Friends. Elf Troy will be going up and cooking turkeys. I wish him well and hope he does not end up cooking a frozen bird. They have to be fresh, otherwise they will blow up in the deep fryer.
We did have one memorable incident. As you know, we give away one free picture. Sounds easy enough, but for some reason people have a hard time with that. We had this beautiful infant come in all nice in her dress. However, she would not stop crying when I had her, and then she would stop when mom picked her up (very normal). So the mom put the child back in my arms, and guess what? She freaked. Mom took her back again, and she would quit. Do you sense a pattern? Well this went on for awhile...like 5 times. Mom would not accept the fact that her all-dressed-up little girl would not mind and she wanted a picture with her perfect. An elf had a chat with her and she finally stopped. And yes, she had her one photo. And yes, the baby was crying.
I hope you all have a great night,
Santa
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Today was another steller day.
Hi there.
Here is one tired Santa, and one Santa that is in trouble. So let's start with why I am in trouble. Today was BPS' Christmas Party and I was going to stay for the whole party...but did not. I helped get things going, and I manned the soda pop station until everybody had at least one soda. But I felt out of place and it really was BPS employees' party, so I snuck out. Well, AnnaMaria is back and she is a real staunch supporter of mine. So when I found out later that she was looking for me to do the prize drawing, I knew was in the dog house!
The good news is we did 349 pictures today, including some dogs. We had a large Schnauzer, Golden Retriever, and a Yellow Lab. This is 29 more pictures than last year on this date. I want you to know that this will be my last comparison to last year, except in special circumstances as I don't see us going under last year's counts with the busiest part of the season coming up.
Now lets talk kids. With it being a Sunday, the kids were very cute having come straight from church in the morning. The girls were in dresses and the boys were all in good clothes. It made my morning!
We had a little boy that that came to see the Talent who was waving at me down the hall (as did others), but he was extra excited. I figured he was 25-30 minutes away and all that energy would be gone. Well, I kept a half an eye on him and as he made his way to the Big Guy I thought he was more calm. I was so wrong. When I waived for him to come up, the boy bolted for me. I made a grab for him as he made it to me, and as I touched him he jumped and twisted to land in my lap...but he missed, as did I. Let me give you a glimpse of what happened. His head hit my chin, the elbow planted firmly in my gut and his foot planted just above my jingle bells. I planted him in my lap and the elves were looking at me like, "Do you need a doctor?" Well, luckily I did not...and I was not bleeding - much to my surprise. I took care of the little boy just like the other kids, but maybe a little slower for awhile.
We also had this meek little girl come up and I really did not take special notice of her except she had blonde hair and was in elementary school. She handed me a card-sized envelope and I could tell it was thicker, so I said I would put it in my pocket and read it later. Elf Cindy came up and whispered in my ear that I should really open and read the note right away as the girl would be "devastated" if I didn't. The elves don't whisper in my ear often so I knew I had better take a look. It was really beautiful hand made (scrapbook style) card. It had small Santa hats, a wreath, pine cones, and other Christmas decorations. The inside had some text about the night before Christmas story on Velum and some hand markings. I made a really big deal about the nice card and put it back in my pocket. I then placed the trembling girl on my lap. She was so excited she was shaking.
I would like to wish elf Cindy and her elfin family well as they head out for a fact finding mission in Tennessee (Thanksgiving). I wish her safe travels and I am looking forward to her return and her full report on the Wednesday after next.
Here is one tired Santa, and one Santa that is in trouble. So let's start with why I am in trouble. Today was BPS' Christmas Party and I was going to stay for the whole party...but did not. I helped get things going, and I manned the soda pop station until everybody had at least one soda. But I felt out of place and it really was BPS employees' party, so I snuck out. Well, AnnaMaria is back and she is a real staunch supporter of mine. So when I found out later that she was looking for me to do the prize drawing, I knew was in the dog house!
The good news is we did 349 pictures today, including some dogs. We had a large Schnauzer, Golden Retriever, and a Yellow Lab. This is 29 more pictures than last year on this date. I want you to know that this will be my last comparison to last year, except in special circumstances as I don't see us going under last year's counts with the busiest part of the season coming up.
Now lets talk kids. With it being a Sunday, the kids were very cute having come straight from church in the morning. The girls were in dresses and the boys were all in good clothes. It made my morning!
We had a little boy that that came to see the Talent who was waving at me down the hall (as did others), but he was extra excited. I figured he was 25-30 minutes away and all that energy would be gone. Well, I kept a half an eye on him and as he made his way to the Big Guy I thought he was more calm. I was so wrong. When I waived for him to come up, the boy bolted for me. I made a grab for him as he made it to me, and as I touched him he jumped and twisted to land in my lap...but he missed, as did I. Let me give you a glimpse of what happened. His head hit my chin, the elbow planted firmly in my gut and his foot planted just above my jingle bells. I planted him in my lap and the elves were looking at me like, "Do you need a doctor?" Well, luckily I did not...and I was not bleeding - much to my surprise. I took care of the little boy just like the other kids, but maybe a little slower for awhile.
We also had this meek little girl come up and I really did not take special notice of her except she had blonde hair and was in elementary school. She handed me a card-sized envelope and I could tell it was thicker, so I said I would put it in my pocket and read it later. Elf Cindy came up and whispered in my ear that I should really open and read the note right away as the girl would be "devastated" if I didn't. The elves don't whisper in my ear often so I knew I had better take a look. It was really beautiful hand made (scrapbook style) card. It had small Santa hats, a wreath, pine cones, and other Christmas decorations. The inside had some text about the night before Christmas story on Velum and some hand markings. I made a really big deal about the nice card and put it back in my pocket. I then placed the trembling girl on my lap. She was so excited she was shaking.
I would like to wish elf Cindy and her elfin family well as they head out for a fact finding mission in Tennessee (Thanksgiving). I wish her safe travels and I am looking forward to her return and her full report on the Wednesday after next.
All three pictures are of the BPS Harrisburg Christmas party...
Santa needs his beauty sleep, so until tomorrow good night!
Santa
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