Return From Alaska

Well, I'm back from the wilds of the far north. Sunshine all day and night...2000 miles in a minivan and a moose.

I have lots of stories to tell, but they need processing. It will be Monday
before the next installment : )

I will give you this, my favorite one:

My friend and I stop to get dinner just South of Fairbanks in a small town named North Pole. The first chinese restaurant we try is full up so we see a small place around the corner. Its empty which is not a good sign, but actually, the food was great- fast and fresh... As we near the end of our meal we ask the waitress, a high school aged girl, about a place to stay for the night. She gives us a recommendation and we call but its full. While trying to decide what to do, we ask her what its like to live in a town dedicated to Santa and she tells us a FABULOUS STORY.

This story reminded me that everyone has something to tell you if you'll just listen.

This guy gets hired to be Santa. Grows his beard, legally changes his name to Kris Kringle- whole nine yards. He settles in to a nice winter and summer as Santa. People pay for the right to sit on his lap and have their picture taken.

Apparently, everything went fine for a while, until... He gets in trouble at the North Pole Santa House for "fingering the girls." Yep. That's the word she used. Not molesting, not inappropriate touching but Fingering. So they fire him.

Then, somebody, she wasn't sure if it was related to the fingering, goes to his home and he shoots them. Yep, Santa shot the trespasser.

So now? He's working as a cab driver in North Pole Alaska. She didn't know what had happened yet with the touching or the shooting.

Mental note: don't hire a cab in North Pole Alaska.

We drove on up to Fairbanks for the night laughing our asses off at the Santa Pervert.

We did however return the next day to mail postcards. I did not choose to have my picture made with Santa.