Only 13 Shopping Days Left

The landscaping crew these 3 guys keep everything on the outside looking good as well as making sure the poinsettas all over inside the mall are kept watered and looking fresh. At the front entrance there are some tree planters and they even put poinsettas in there so that you get the nice Westfield red color when you come up on the main entrance it sure looks good. So todays hats off to Jorge, Julio, and Reynaldo.


Today was a busy day we had 345 visits and 12 dogs. Bringing the season totals to 3302 people visits and 16 dogs. This evening I discovered that with some dogs it should be hazardous duty conditions. I had one minature something or another that I sure thought was going to take my nose off, he was just way too excited. Then there was this pair of dogs one white and one black, some kind of terrier it was hilarious the black one acted like a big kid and the white one sat there on a little boys lap actually whimpering and crying like a little baby. The big dogs were easy, they did not get hyper or anxious at all. It was a lot like the people now that I look at it. The little ones are tense and the big ones are laid back and easy going.

This really does change my perspective on the comparison. A few post back I discussed how some children are just going to cry and you can tell which ones they are almost at first glance. What you can't tell is which ones are the kickers and screamers, those are the ones where Santa needs to have special protection or make sure of where those little feet are going to go when they start in. I have started referring to those as rodeos. I can tell the girls on the camera here comes a rodeo so they are ready to try to get that first quick shot. Like any rough stock events at a rodeo you have to stay on for 8 seconds. Well if I can help it at all those rides don't last more than 3 or 4 seconds. So as a cowboy I would never make it.

A milestone today # 3000 was a little girl named Tiffany

Now for the best request of the day 2 little girls one I would guess to be about 8 the other about 4 both dressed in identical black and gold dresses. I asked the little one what she wanted and she started rattling all sorts of different items she wanted I was not sure she even took a breath and she just kept on going like the energizer bunny. Then as soon as I could get a chance to ask the older one what she wanted, she looked at the little one and said I just want my little sister because I just love her so much. That was when mom told me that they had just adopted the younger one, and the older one just grinned and nodded her head it was just too sweet.

Whenever I have the right crew on the set they will find out what the next childs name is and let me know it so that I can call that one up to sit on my lap it has a real nice affect with the children. Today however I got caught off guard, the girl working the front of the line came up and said Marion wanted to get her photo with Santa. So I looked at the next little girl in line and said ok Marion its your turn to come and talk to Santa. Only to have a lady who I thought was her grandmother come up and say she was Marion. While we were taking the photo she told me she was going through a bunch of old photos and found one where her mother and sister had taken with Santa years ago. She told me that her sister had passed away this year and she thought she would just come to get her photo taken with Santa in memory of the other two. I would almost bet that this one had called Plaza Bonita earlier and talked to Alicia in the office.

When I went up for lunch today Alicia had told me about this call. The lady asked if there was a real Santa there or if they just had one of those young guys with the fake beard. Alicia informed her that Plaza Bonita had the one and only the real Santa. So Alicia gave me one of those warm fuzzy feelings today and I thanked her. She said it was just the truth. Alicia and her daughter Liz had caught me at Wal Mart a couple nights ago while I was trying to get some of my grocery and water purchases done. So she told me today that I had to be the real Santa when I have teens coming up to me in my street clothes and saying as they are just passing by Whasup Santa. Well that is just the way it is when you are Santa all year round, I get the same type of response all year long not just at Christmas time.

more later