For me, the highlight of every year is seeing some of the same staff and personnel that operate this function every year. Not the radio station peoples - they come and go - but rather The Intangibles, Civic, Service and Business organizations (Sam's Club), and just regular folks. It's always good to meet alums who were once on our list and now make contributions to The Toy Drive.
Specifically this year I liked talking with the teacher from Bryan High. His students did a "5 for $500" collection, begging, borrowing, just-short-of-stealing change from fellow students through five days worth of lunch periods with a goal of Five Hundred Dollars. Plus they volunteered at the Toy Tent over the weekend. And it was all THEIR idea.
Also this year it was fun for me to be Santa Gene (at least for the kids who weren't scared). Elizabeth Martinez' daughter kept hugging me every time I got in her vicinity. I spent a lot of in-between-break and after-shift time standing on the Mall Hill (The Grassy Knoll as it's known to Conspiracists) waving to and at traffic. Observation: BCS needs to PUT DOWN THE CELL PHONE AND DRIVE.Saturday, the most climate-friendly of our days, was the best time to be Santa Gene (aka, Tex Kringle), except for the early day cold temperatures when I was buzzing around the heater like a moth to a flame. I was talking with Toy Queen Liz in the KORA tent when she said "Somethings burning". A statement, not a question. It was me. Or my boot, anyhow. My borrowed boot was smoldering and flaming. After quickly extinguishing the Yule Tide Blaze, I began formulating some good story to tell Julie from The Chamber who graciously provided me with the Claus Accouterments. Maybe I'll be buying her a new outfit. Will those be on sale AFTER Christmas?
One last thing: Snow. We've had monsoon rains, wind and ice storms, but I don't think we've ever had SNOW. An estimated 38 flakes fell on the compound Friday and two of the flakes were JUST ALIKE. It could only happen during MASH.
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