Merry Christmas To All

[naamanf]

Happy Holidays to all!

[blessingx]

Yule time for all.

Edited December 25, 2013 by blessingx

[ironbut]

Ooh, I scorched my eyebrows on that unscreened flame!

 

This ones for "you know who".

 

http://www.applegate.com/bacon-yule-log

[Voltron]

Merry Christmas and to all a good night!

Edited December 25, 2013 by Voltron

[Dusty Chalk]

Merry Christmas to those that celebrate it!

Happy day off to those that aren't working and appreciate it.

Happy No-S.A.D. to all of youse, even the scrooges and grinches (and I include myself in this unlively lot)

Enjoy your Chinese takeout to those that partake of that particular custom (I'm a gonna try -- haven't missed in several years, this might be the first one I miss in a long time).

[morphsci]

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.

[Wmcmanus]

Merry Christmas, everybody.  I'm pretty much done with my season now, but will probably get dressed one last time tomorrow night to make my rounds at the hospital again to be there for any sick children and their families.  It was dead quiet in there tonight, with only one child admitted, an 8 week old baby boy.  Usually there are about 10 admits in the Children's Ward, so that was a pleasant surprise.  

 

My friends at the Cayman Islands Motorcycle Association collected over 900 toys this year for Toys for Tots, and as usual gave me the odds and ends that weren't sufficient enough to be wrapped as separate gifts.  Things like slinkies, small dolls, etc., which find their way to some unfortunate child, either at the hospital or wherever I find them in the next week or two.  Often the children of domestic helpers, maids at the hotels, women who work for the janitorial companies, or in certain retail jobs.  It's usually easy to find people who will be glad to take them.  I've probably got 50 small items that I'll be duty bound to disperse until the toy bag is empty.  

 

But I don't need to be all dressed up for that... just one more time tomorrow night at the hospital, and then maybe a few stops to see some friends with kids that I wasn't able to get to this year because of all of the scheduled/paid bookings.  So it's kind of over.  All 78 events on my schedule have come and gone, and I didn't mess up any of them by not showing up!

[Voltron]

Congrat on an awesome Santa Season Wayne! That is really something special and I hope you are proud of all the good tidings and joy you bring. Take a rest tomorrow and maybe the Big Guy will bring you something too! Cheers.

[Voltron]

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Yeah, that's it!

[emelius]

I hope your holiday is both holly & jolly in equal measure...

[Wmcmanus]

Thanks, Al.  Hope you have a good one too.  I had 2 events booked for tomorrow morning, but was able to reschedule them both for tonight when the Marriott at 3:30pm called me while I was on my way to them for a 4-8:30pm booking and said, "We'll only need you until 7:30 tonight, but don't worry, they've already made out the check!"  Bingo!  Now THE prime time hour of the entire year for Santa is wide open.  Pulls out his cell phone, gives two families the option of moving it back to tonight, which is what they both wanted to being with!

 

Within an hour, both had called the front desk at the Marriott as I had instructed them to, and agreed to do the event tonight.  In one case, it meant being able to do it at a large extended family gathering of 25 people or so instead of with just mom, dad, and two kids in the morning.  They gave me a $150 tip on top of a $250 fee for a visit of less than 30 minutes, I think because they did a "pass the hat" type of thing and everyone was just excited that I could pull it off at the last minute.  

 

Then the next family just wanted a 10 minute visit, although it would have been nearly an hour on Christmas morning, but now it was different, they insisted and just wanted in and out.  No problem, I can do that.  While I was there, their next door neighbor called and wanted to crash the party with their kids, but the host wisely told them, "Santa is ahead of schedule.  Let me see if he'll come to see you at your place!"  She essentially negotiated a deal for me without me even knowing about it, and told them it would be $300 which is a little higher than I normally go, but they agreed.  So it was just a matter of walking out of one door and into another at the same triplex.  Easy.

In total, I ended up doing 3 more events than scheduled, still got paid by the Marriott for the full time booked, picked up an extra gig that was right next door, and got the stuff from the morning knocked out so I can sleep in.  I'm good with that.  I'm kind of "done" at this point anyway on a physical/emotional level anyway.

Giving some serious thought of buying the World Famous Cyber Sleigh and bringing it to Cayman as a complete game changer.  Asking price was $85k a couple of years ago.  He's now down to $50k.  Maybe I should sell some headphones.  

 

[mikeymad]

Since it is Christmas day now... -- Merry Christmas HC crew wherever you are...

 

Cheers you crazy fucks with some scotch wine and pliny... 

[Hopstretch]

Merry Christmas from Cape Town. It's 78 degrees, the moon is still up over Elephant's Eye, the kids are in the pool and I've just started prepping lunch (slow roasted leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary) with the assistance of the day's first beer.

 

 

     

Edited December 25, 2013 by Hopstretch

[Dusty Chalk]

78 and lamb with garlic sounds awesome, jelly.

 

Santa, you rawk as always.  Well other than the complete lack of dogging women this season. 

 

Whenever I say, "cyber sleds" (my favourite arcade game), people always think I am saying, "cyber sluts".  (Hint:  I'm not.)

[skullguise]

Al and Peter said it best.....big congrats Wayne, doing good and doing well!  And also jealous for the lamb.....sounds delicious, especially in that location.

[Aura]

Happy holidays everyone, love you all!

[tom_hankins]

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!! Hope the coming year is nothing but good health, and good times!

[jvlgato]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

[grawk]

[ironbut]

Wayne,..

All I can say is "you are awesome"!

What an amazing way to celebrate the spirit of Xmas and make some coin in the process.

 

The Cyber Sled looks like a cool thing to take out on a date!

[bhjazz]

Good stuff, Wayne!  Glad those events went well after hearing about some of the ones in the past!

 

35 and foggy here in Woodinville, WA.  Will have my mother over for Christmas day today, so it'll be calm and quiet, hopefully.  The lamb (above) sounds great, although I think we'll be having Manhattans and teriyaki chicken here.  No, I don't know which country that combination comes from.  Probably Headcaseistan.

 

Happy Christmas day to everyone.  

[Wmcmanus]

Good stuff, Wayne!  Glad those events went well after hearing about some of the ones in the past!

 

By far, the biggest problems I've ever had with Santa events (dating back some 20 years) have been the ones that I did for free (for many, many years) for community organizations.  If your price is zero, that's exactly the value they will place on your services.  You show up on time and they're not ready.  You wait around for 10 to 40 minutes while they go on with their program as though you're not even there.  

 

Then they expect you to stay another half hour later, and even when all of the kids have left, all of the self congratulatory "team" that just put on an absolutely horse shit event want you to stand around for photos with them and expect multiple shots in every combination and permutation possible... and then, "Wait, wait, Santa... we need a pic with MY cell phone."  Fucking email, have you ever heard of that?  

 

But now that I'm no longer allowing myself to be used, nobody is using me anymore.  Amazing how that works!  I really had nobody to blame but myself during all those years while I was learning the trade and selling myself short, or trying to raise money for ungrateful charities.  Ehh... that's all in the past now, and I'm finding that the more I charge people, the happier they are.  They still think they are getting a great value and are proud to have the "best" Santa that money can buy.

Last year, I did private room visits at the Ritz for $125 Cayman dollars ($150 US).  Got 3 bookings.  This year, I did the same visits for $250 Cayman ($300 US) and got 17 bookings.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Wmcmanus

[CD44hi]

I remember your narration of the bad experience with the charity event a few years ago. You do an amazing task for those kids in need. It must be emotionally draining. Cheers Santa and merry Christmas to you!

[Wmcmanus]

^ Thanks, man.  I feel more and more like Santa every year, that's for sure!  I'm starting to get the hang of it.  

 

I should also say, in fairness, that some of the best events I've ever done (and still do) are the ones that I do for free.  I shouldn't really rip on those (very few) charitable organizations and community-based events that have gone bad and left a bad taste in my mouth, because they are the exceptions rather than the rule.  There are countless others that I've done over the years where the organizers and all of the parents involved have been extremely grateful and kind to me.  So you just learn to take the good with the bad.