What does Santa like to have for breakfast? Mistle -toast!

Good morning and welcome. We will see what we can do with today, Monday, December 5, 2016. We had a little of this, that, and a whole lot of the other since we last visited. This had mostly to do with the Santa Enterprise and I am happy to report that it is on the tracks and steaming full speed ahead. We worked four different events beginning Friday evening. That included the participation of my number one sidekick, the one and only Mrs. Claus, who was right there with me for every appearance. I know she is not close to being completely healed from her back fracture, but, she is a trooper, beloved by the children, and always such an encouragement to yours truly. This morning I will be leaving for a little while to make a brief visit to some special needs adults to take photos with them. They are residents at an apartment complex where our local Church has a weekly service with them. Many of these folks are older but they are just as excited as children to have their photos made with Santa. I will run to the house, do the quick change, spend about 30 minutes doing the photos, then back to the house, change into my working man's attire, and back to the workplace. That's part of fulfilling my duties as assigned. Some time ago, I had a dialogue with some fellow wearers of the Red where we were discussing scheduling issues related to our Santa business. I was the only one in the discussion who still worked full time. One fellow was very direct in his assessment. He said I should retire immediately and pour 100% of my efforts into bringing joy to children. He went on, saying that life is way too short and it consists of more than making money. Are you kidding me? I was just doing forth and back with these dudes and I had no idea I would end up on the receiving end of a sermon. That was last year so you can see I have not yet taken his advice.

We do live in a world where folks will try to come up with something funny about any and everything under the sun. I know all of the ladies who read the little story in that photo will enjoy the sentiment being expressed. It is a play on the general theme of men being too stubborn to ever stop and ask for directions. We've seen that one time and time again. Why did the children of Israel wander in the desert for forty years? Because Moses refused to stop and ask for directions. Ha ha. A 2010 study concluded that men drive on average 276 miles per year directly attributed to them being unwilling to ask for directions. The study added insult to injury by estimating the wasted cost of fuel in a man's lifetime was an average of $3000. Here's a submission from a lady identified only as Lorraine. It too reflects similarly on this subject. ~   The top ten reasons God made women: 1)God worried that Adam would be lost in the Garden of Eden because he wouldn't ask for directions. 2)God knew that someday Adam would need someone to hand him the TV remote. (Parenthetically, it has been noted that men don't want to see what's ON TV; they want to see WHAT ELSE is on.) 3)God knew that Adam would never make a doctor's appointment. 4)God knew that when Adam's fig leaf wore out, he would never buy a new one for himself. 5) God knew that Adam would not remember to take out the garbage. 6)God wanted man to be fruitful and multiply, but he knew Adam would never be able to handle labor pains and childbirth. 7)As "keeper of the garden," Adam would need help in finding his tools. 8)Adam needed someone to blame for the Apple Incident, and for anything else that was really his fault. As the Bible says: "It is not good for man to be alone." And the No. 1 reason of all . . .God stepped back, looked at Adam, and declared: "I can do better than that." ~

Just having a little fun at my own expense. I feel the vibrations from all the ladies out there nodding their heads in agreement. My wife would tell anyone that when it comes to the 'ask directions' situation, I'm not like other men. She would say that I am ten times worse. I was out trying to find a location one day for the Company. I had a printed Google map. It was in a fairly remote area. I drove up and down that same boulevard several times but I couldn't make sense out of the street numbers. After about 30 minutes, I did the unthinkable. I pulled into one of those filling station convenience stores and stood in line to ask the fellow if he knew where that particular company was located. He pointed out the window and said it was across the street one block further down. I don't think many of the other people in the store spoke English but they all, when he gave me the answer I sought, chuckled in the same language. Turned out to be a big building. I was close but now you know one of the many reasons men do not stop to ask directions. It's not easy listening to foreign looking fellows laughing. One example only. Okay. I've had my confession for the day and now it is time to move on. Take care, and may God bless each one. Amen.  ....More later.