very cool.

That's awesome, LT. I'm a bit of a Santa connoisseur, and the ones who "get it" are always the best. You can have the best costume and awesomest Santa throne, but if you aren't lovin' it, the kids know you're not "real."

You're huffing nylon beard fibers all night
I once did a play where someone literally choked on their fake beard. One of the audience members jumped up and did the Heimlich.

That's really cool.

I went to Toronto in July 2005 for the AA World Convention. Outside the convention hall a guy in a red T-shirt and Santa hat was collecting. Probably for beer money, but as it was about 400F in the shade, seeing 'Santa' was a blast and he got a lot of loose change.

One day as I came out of the centre I saw another conference delegate talking to him. I said to them "I have got to get a picture of you guys" because, well, it was twin Santas.

≡ Click to see image ≡

The conference delegate and I walked off up the road together, and he told me he's a professional Santa from New York and that his busiest time of year is not Christmas but the summer when all the Christmas commercials and TV shows are being filmed.

I asked him what I was going to get for Christmas, and he said, with a twinkle in his eye (and he was very twinkly, the perfect Santa) "That depends on whether you've been naughty or nice, so, sister, you've got five months to clean up your act!"

The following December I ran into him again at O'Hare airport as we were both changing planes. It being the time of year and all, he was dressed not in a Santa costume but a sort of Santa-in-his-workshop outfit - brown corduroy trousers, red shirt, dark green waistcoat. Little kids were amazed to see him, and he was able to get the brattiest children to behave simply by taking out a little notebook and pretending to write their names in it whilst giving them a disapproving look.

SantaLand is right next door to me.

One of the most memorable moments of my childhood was running into Santa Claus at the Denny's near my house. He told me I'd get a toothbrush in my stocking (and what do you know, I did!). Santa drives a red corvette during the summer, don't you know - the sleigh doesn't work very well on the freeway.

It was so awesome.

That's SOOO awesome, LT. :)

I'm Santa all this week! All my classes at the language school are being covered by other teachers and I'll be leading everyone from 4-year-olds to adults in a variety of ridiculous Christmas activities! I'm kind of excited, and I think I'll get really into it, but the hours are nightmarish - I'll be out of the house for 12 hours at a stretch! Any advice, LT?

George always played Santa for the kids. He didn't need a fake beard. And Nancy Dawley played Mrs Claus.

LT, that just makes me want to pinch your cheek and say "awwwww, ain't you cute as a little button?" (But really, I can see you totally rocking the Santa thing. Your inner child being not-so-inner and such. In a good way.)

I bet you make a great Santa, LT. And I'm sure everyone would love to see a photo of you as Santa with Miko on your lap. ;-)

EJ - that's a great story!

The mister's cow-orkers are pushing him to keep his beard all year and let it grow a bit longer so he can play Santa. He'd be an awesome Santa, right up there with LT.