1 Santa on hold with his toy supplier’s help desk. Christmas is just a week away yet shipments are late, and parts of the Naughty and Nice lists have become commingled in the database so now the coal division is bickering with the video game division. To top it off no one knows where Blitzen is. “You should have outsourced the IT and kept the toy-making in-house, not the other way around!” Mrs. Claus is shouting from the back for the twentieth time.
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2 Santa appreciated the opportunity to try out the Armstrong Whitworth Ensign AW.27 transport plane, originally designed to a 1934 British government requirement for an air mail service transport. At over 114 feet long it had good capacity, and its smooth lines, high-wing mounting, and extreme forward cockpit, combined with four Wright Cyclone GR-1820-G102A radial piston engines, certainly made the plane attractive for both looks and functionality. But Santa decided that his traditional sled and reindeer offered the best value and reliability.
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3 “I always make it a point to stop here,” explained Santa. “The coffee is terrific, of course. Bad diner coffee is horrible, great diner coffee is a gift to all of us. But it’s more, really. The service for one. Lena and Maggie have been here for years, since before I started coming in, and they know me and what I like and they take of me. I really appreciate that, it gives me a little relief from the burdens I feel in the latter half of the year. And then there’s the meatloaf and the chicken pot pie, which are my standard selections depending on my mood. I’ll mix it up a bit sometimes – I had lamb and eggplant moussaka last time I was here and it was really good, something different – but I like what I like. Sometimes I’ll have pie.”
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4 Keeping the escapades out of the newspapers took everything North Pole operations had. In the end it was decided that no real harm had been done, other than a couple of broken lamps and a handful of startled hotel guests from out of town. Santa was contrite but didn’t fully take responsibility for his actions, either, mumbling about entrapment and reminding everyone within earshot about all the “really good things” he does for people. “Even the people I don’t like,” he said to no one in particular as he sat on the bench by the door.
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a great New Year!