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I didn’t blog much or at all over the Christmas break. I did have an encounter or 2…or 3 that had caught me quite off guard early Christmas morning. I had debated whether or not to blog about this, but it seemed almost appropriate and that there was a message of some sort to be told. I will try to only give generalities as divulging any specifics might force some to never return to this blog.
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Warning: Though trying to make the following as “family friendly” as possible…I don’t know if I can. You might want to stop reading…now. But now that I have everyone’s curiosity peaked, go ahead - read on… ;)
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When one commits him or herself to become a newspaper carrier, one quickly comes to the realization that there is no such thing as a day off. If you do need time off, for a vacation or what not, it’s your responsibility to find a suitable “sucker” to cover for you. Needless to say, it is impossible to find such a “sucker” to fill your shoes on Christmas morning. So, a few weeks ago marked my second opportunity to deliver newspapers Christmas morning. I’d rather have been in bed.
.
The first time, in 2007, I remember vividly driving around early to make the deliveries. It was freezing, it was snowing, and the wind was blowing. I was absolutely miserable and at the time swore that this was the first and last time I’d be spending this holiday in this fashion. During this brief little snow storm, I was being targeted by a police officer. I knew he was following me, trying to be discreet…but he wasn’t as sly as he thought he was. With the wind blowing the snow and making the visibility almost non existent, at the distance he was trying to keep, the officer could not see that I was throwing newspapers. He just saw that I was driving slowly through the neighborhoods. After being tracked for 45 minutes, he kicked on the red and blues, pulled me over, and we had a very brief conversation to clarify what I was doing. “Believe me officer – this is the last place I’d like to be at the moment.” I offered him a complimentary newspaper and we parted ways. I finished my duties and made my way home. Tired, worn out, not feeling anything…I wanted to sleep through Christmas Day.
.
Christmas delivery 2008: I was expecting it to go basically the same way as the previous year. We had already had a good drop of snow, and there was more forecasted to come Christmas Eve. I was already dreading the inevitable. My wife and kids came home from the annual feast at the in-laws; as usual I was exhausted and passed out on the living room floor. I only intended to take a 30 min power nap as I wanted to participate in our traditional reading of “The Night before Christmas”, set milk and cookies out for Santa, and tuck the kids into bed. I missed it. I missed it all. My wife could see I was spent and decided to let me sleep. Bless her heart, but I felt like a complete ass of a father not being able to take part in these little things like reading a story and putting out refreshments for the “guy in red”. I think…I got up around 9:30 pm. Splashed water on my face and took off in my car to the next town over to pick up the 700 plus newspapers that needed to find their way to the 700 plus homes Christmas morn. I bet there were probably 700 plus subscribers that couldn’t give a hoot about receiving a newspaper this one day of the year. But who’s to say? The only upside of delivering on a holiday, is that we can pick them up around 10 pm so we can get done early, so we can be at home when the little ones want to open presents.
.
My plan was to go deliver for an hour, come home when the kids have gone to sleep, help my wife “set things up”, then go back out and finish. Hopefully, I would make it back home in time to catch some sleep before the kids wanted to see what Santa had brought. This year was quite different from the last. It was relatively early when I set out for the first round of distribution. There were still a lot of cars out on the road. This forced me to drive slow and be more cautious and did not allow me to navigate the streets in my usual Mario Andretti style of driving. I was listening to the local radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 from Thanksgiving to New Years. For some reason, this had done wonders for me this season. Between these two Holidays, the radio had force fed me what I needed this year to feel that Christmas spirit. To listen to songs about Christ, Christmas, Family, and everything else that makes this time of year so special - really set my attitude for this night. It was peaceful. With the chaotic craziness that life brings daily I was OK being out doing what I had to do. I was at peace.
.
Making my way through the streets, and to each house, I watched as families prepared for Christmas morning. I watched as pickups were being unloaded into garages. Ping Pong tables, Bicycles, and even some huge boxes I could not recognize. I am sure that whatever it was, it was good. I observed parents loading out gift wrapped packages. Just about every home had the blinds open and I could see all of the elves in every household working feverishly to get things set up before tired eyes would catch them in the act. It was an awesome sight to see. My cell phone rang. It was time for me to stop what I was doing and to go home, so I – with my wife, could work our magic.
.
By the time I got home, my wife was close to completion. This turned out to be a good thing as I had not even begun to wrap her presents. I still had much to do. We finished up for the kids. My wife went to bed and I frantically tried to hurry to finish up what I should’ve had done weeks earlier. When I was done, I turned off the lights and headed back out to deliver the remaining newspapers still sitting out in my car.
.
It was shortly after 1:00 am. The hustle and bustle of the neighbor hoods had quieted down. The next wave of snow had begun to float down ever so lightly. It was a beautiful night. Every house that normally would have its Christmas lights off by bedtime had left them on until Christmas morning. Every Christmas tree was lit up in all its glory for the world to see. But really, who would be up at this hour to relish in the beauty that the decorations of this Holiday would have to offer?
.
That would be me I guess, the Paperboy.
.
I was alone with my favorite Christmas hits on the radio. Driving through the streets at a snails pace, I was thinking about how only in a matter of 3, 4, maybe 5 hours, that children would be waking up to the sight of what Santa had left for them. How much happiness would be going through this small town of mine…From the children opening up gifts they had so eagerly waited for, to the parents who receive their joy from just watching the expressions of their children as they tear through all the goodness. I was definitely excited to get home. Yes, deep down I was excited to only be able to catch a couple of hours of sleep tonight. I was giddy in anticipation for what the morning would bring.
This one street in particular was lit up in wonder that could be compared to Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade as seen at Disneyland. Making my way down one side of the street, I caught at the corner of my eye the knocking of someone’s Christmas tree on the opposite side of the street. Knowing that when I reach the end, I would be flipping a u-turn to deliver the other side, and decided I would hesitantly investigate. Why would I investigate do you ask. In my small Podunk town, there had recently been a series of break-ins. Most of the time, the houses that were targeted were done so on Sundays, usually during the time that people would be at church. The homes for the most part were occupied by the elderly. There have been approximately 30 homes that have had police reports filed on. When I heard about this, I swore to myself that I would unleash havoc on any individuals that would cross my path doing the unmentionable. It’s just not cool to be robbing people’s houses…especially on Christmas morning. I wasn’t going to stand for it.
.
Coming back around to the other side, I approached this house that was a subscriber or this particular newspaper. I decided that this house would get its paper porched even though it’s not service I care to provide. I got out of my car and walked up towards the house. I noticed the Christmas tree in the window still looked like it was getting knocked and feared that the Grinch was her stealing presents from the Who’s down in Who-Ville. What was I going to do? Really. I had no idea. I just thought I would see where the adrenaline would take me. With newspaper in hand I crept up to the living room window of this home. Slowly I raised my head to attempt to peer though this window unnoticed…and I succeeded. But this house was not being burglarized…
.
What to my wondering eyes should appear? I saw Mommy kissing Santa Clause. I saw Mommy on top of Santa Clause surrounded by towers of presents. I saw more than what I had ever expected on seeing. It was one of those unforeseen occasions when time seems to stand still. It was a double-take moment because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had to oh so quietly back track to my car that was waiting in idle. Not realizing until after the fact that the radio was up quiet loud considering there were no other noises in the neighborhood. Frankly, I am amazed I went unseen. As I silently got back into my car I remember the only thing going through my mind as I snickered to myself was, “Good for them…good for them”. I continued on…
.
What are the odds to come across something like that? Someone should’ve been placing bets as this was not the last encounter of the night. If fact, there were 2 more similar witnessing. The next was no more than 20 minutes later. The particular house has a garage that is facing the side of the house with an adjacent kitchen…window…that the blinds were…open. You would think if people wanted their intimate moments kept private, they would convene in an area of their home that is not open to the rest of the world. Anyhow, I came whipping around the corner of this house into the driveway to toss in the paper as usual. And again, I saw another Mommy kissing another Santa Clause. If Mommy had anything on, I would’ve assumed that she was doing dishes and Santa was drying them. Uh-uh. It took them long enough to notice me, but I guess when in the middle of it all…you’re not really paying attention to anything going on around you. I left as quickly as I pulled into the driveway. “Good for them.” I continued on…
.
With only 15 or 20 houses left I came upon yet another active household. With my high-beams on I drove onto another driveway, which its angle upon hitting it positioned my car lights to shine directly into a darkened room. And here is where Mommy was modeling the latest in North Pole sleepwear for Santa…”Good for them.”
.
I finished my routes and proceeded to drive home enjoying the scene of the snowflakes falling within the illumination of the streetlights, making a conscience effort to no longer gaze at the houses with their festive decorations on the side of the road. I am not some sick “Peeping Tom” that uses his paper routes as a means to peer into the lives of others. It was just circumstance. That is how the cards were dealt this night. The stars must have been in alignment or something. Finally making it home, I tip-toed upstairs to peel back the covers to get what few moments of shut-eye I could before the kids woke up. Before I passed out, I thought of the Parents unloading trucks with Ping Pong tables and bicycles, the rush to set up Christmas before kids woke up, the joy of the kids waking up to see their presents, and the joy that the parents see when they watch their children. And yes, I also thought of the few situations I had found myself in, watching what appear to be an episode of animal planet and the reproduction of different species. All I could think was, “There is definitely something good going on in the world tonight.”
.
One last note: One of these couples no longer subscribe to this newspaper I deliver. Can’t understand why?....
.
Warning: Though trying to make the following as “family friendly” as possible…I don’t know if I can. You might want to stop reading…now. But now that I have everyone’s curiosity peaked, go ahead - read on… ;)
.
When one commits him or herself to become a newspaper carrier, one quickly comes to the realization that there is no such thing as a day off. If you do need time off, for a vacation or what not, it’s your responsibility to find a suitable “sucker” to cover for you. Needless to say, it is impossible to find such a “sucker” to fill your shoes on Christmas morning. So, a few weeks ago marked my second opportunity to deliver newspapers Christmas morning. I’d rather have been in bed.
.
The first time, in 2007, I remember vividly driving around early to make the deliveries. It was freezing, it was snowing, and the wind was blowing. I was absolutely miserable and at the time swore that this was the first and last time I’d be spending this holiday in this fashion. During this brief little snow storm, I was being targeted by a police officer. I knew he was following me, trying to be discreet…but he wasn’t as sly as he thought he was. With the wind blowing the snow and making the visibility almost non existent, at the distance he was trying to keep, the officer could not see that I was throwing newspapers. He just saw that I was driving slowly through the neighborhoods. After being tracked for 45 minutes, he kicked on the red and blues, pulled me over, and we had a very brief conversation to clarify what I was doing. “Believe me officer – this is the last place I’d like to be at the moment.” I offered him a complimentary newspaper and we parted ways. I finished my duties and made my way home. Tired, worn out, not feeling anything…I wanted to sleep through Christmas Day.
.
Christmas delivery 2008: I was expecting it to go basically the same way as the previous year. We had already had a good drop of snow, and there was more forecasted to come Christmas Eve. I was already dreading the inevitable. My wife and kids came home from the annual feast at the in-laws; as usual I was exhausted and passed out on the living room floor. I only intended to take a 30 min power nap as I wanted to participate in our traditional reading of “The Night before Christmas”, set milk and cookies out for Santa, and tuck the kids into bed. I missed it. I missed it all. My wife could see I was spent and decided to let me sleep. Bless her heart, but I felt like a complete ass of a father not being able to take part in these little things like reading a story and putting out refreshments for the “guy in red”. I think…I got up around 9:30 pm. Splashed water on my face and took off in my car to the next town over to pick up the 700 plus newspapers that needed to find their way to the 700 plus homes Christmas morn. I bet there were probably 700 plus subscribers that couldn’t give a hoot about receiving a newspaper this one day of the year. But who’s to say? The only upside of delivering on a holiday, is that we can pick them up around 10 pm so we can get done early, so we can be at home when the little ones want to open presents.
.
My plan was to go deliver for an hour, come home when the kids have gone to sleep, help my wife “set things up”, then go back out and finish. Hopefully, I would make it back home in time to catch some sleep before the kids wanted to see what Santa had brought. This year was quite different from the last. It was relatively early when I set out for the first round of distribution. There were still a lot of cars out on the road. This forced me to drive slow and be more cautious and did not allow me to navigate the streets in my usual Mario Andretti style of driving. I was listening to the local radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 from Thanksgiving to New Years. For some reason, this had done wonders for me this season. Between these two Holidays, the radio had force fed me what I needed this year to feel that Christmas spirit. To listen to songs about Christ, Christmas, Family, and everything else that makes this time of year so special - really set my attitude for this night. It was peaceful. With the chaotic craziness that life brings daily I was OK being out doing what I had to do. I was at peace.
.
Making my way through the streets, and to each house, I watched as families prepared for Christmas morning. I watched as pickups were being unloaded into garages. Ping Pong tables, Bicycles, and even some huge boxes I could not recognize. I am sure that whatever it was, it was good. I observed parents loading out gift wrapped packages. Just about every home had the blinds open and I could see all of the elves in every household working feverishly to get things set up before tired eyes would catch them in the act. It was an awesome sight to see. My cell phone rang. It was time for me to stop what I was doing and to go home, so I – with my wife, could work our magic.
.
By the time I got home, my wife was close to completion. This turned out to be a good thing as I had not even begun to wrap her presents. I still had much to do. We finished up for the kids. My wife went to bed and I frantically tried to hurry to finish up what I should’ve had done weeks earlier. When I was done, I turned off the lights and headed back out to deliver the remaining newspapers still sitting out in my car.
.
It was shortly after 1:00 am. The hustle and bustle of the neighbor hoods had quieted down. The next wave of snow had begun to float down ever so lightly. It was a beautiful night. Every house that normally would have its Christmas lights off by bedtime had left them on until Christmas morning. Every Christmas tree was lit up in all its glory for the world to see. But really, who would be up at this hour to relish in the beauty that the decorations of this Holiday would have to offer?
.
That would be me I guess, the Paperboy.
.
I was alone with my favorite Christmas hits on the radio. Driving through the streets at a snails pace, I was thinking about how only in a matter of 3, 4, maybe 5 hours, that children would be waking up to the sight of what Santa had left for them. How much happiness would be going through this small town of mine…From the children opening up gifts they had so eagerly waited for, to the parents who receive their joy from just watching the expressions of their children as they tear through all the goodness. I was definitely excited to get home. Yes, deep down I was excited to only be able to catch a couple of hours of sleep tonight. I was giddy in anticipation for what the morning would bring.
This one street in particular was lit up in wonder that could be compared to Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade as seen at Disneyland. Making my way down one side of the street, I caught at the corner of my eye the knocking of someone’s Christmas tree on the opposite side of the street. Knowing that when I reach the end, I would be flipping a u-turn to deliver the other side, and decided I would hesitantly investigate. Why would I investigate do you ask. In my small Podunk town, there had recently been a series of break-ins. Most of the time, the houses that were targeted were done so on Sundays, usually during the time that people would be at church. The homes for the most part were occupied by the elderly. There have been approximately 30 homes that have had police reports filed on. When I heard about this, I swore to myself that I would unleash havoc on any individuals that would cross my path doing the unmentionable. It’s just not cool to be robbing people’s houses…especially on Christmas morning. I wasn’t going to stand for it.
.
Coming back around to the other side, I approached this house that was a subscriber or this particular newspaper. I decided that this house would get its paper porched even though it’s not service I care to provide. I got out of my car and walked up towards the house. I noticed the Christmas tree in the window still looked like it was getting knocked and feared that the Grinch was her stealing presents from the Who’s down in Who-Ville. What was I going to do? Really. I had no idea. I just thought I would see where the adrenaline would take me. With newspaper in hand I crept up to the living room window of this home. Slowly I raised my head to attempt to peer though this window unnoticed…and I succeeded. But this house was not being burglarized…
.
What to my wondering eyes should appear? I saw Mommy kissing Santa Clause. I saw Mommy on top of Santa Clause surrounded by towers of presents. I saw more than what I had ever expected on seeing. It was one of those unforeseen occasions when time seems to stand still. It was a double-take moment because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had to oh so quietly back track to my car that was waiting in idle. Not realizing until after the fact that the radio was up quiet loud considering there were no other noises in the neighborhood. Frankly, I am amazed I went unseen. As I silently got back into my car I remember the only thing going through my mind as I snickered to myself was, “Good for them…good for them”. I continued on…
.
What are the odds to come across something like that? Someone should’ve been placing bets as this was not the last encounter of the night. If fact, there were 2 more similar witnessing. The next was no more than 20 minutes later. The particular house has a garage that is facing the side of the house with an adjacent kitchen…window…that the blinds were…open. You would think if people wanted their intimate moments kept private, they would convene in an area of their home that is not open to the rest of the world. Anyhow, I came whipping around the corner of this house into the driveway to toss in the paper as usual. And again, I saw another Mommy kissing another Santa Clause. If Mommy had anything on, I would’ve assumed that she was doing dishes and Santa was drying them. Uh-uh. It took them long enough to notice me, but I guess when in the middle of it all…you’re not really paying attention to anything going on around you. I left as quickly as I pulled into the driveway. “Good for them.” I continued on…
.
With only 15 or 20 houses left I came upon yet another active household. With my high-beams on I drove onto another driveway, which its angle upon hitting it positioned my car lights to shine directly into a darkened room. And here is where Mommy was modeling the latest in North Pole sleepwear for Santa…”Good for them.”
.
I finished my routes and proceeded to drive home enjoying the scene of the snowflakes falling within the illumination of the streetlights, making a conscience effort to no longer gaze at the houses with their festive decorations on the side of the road. I am not some sick “Peeping Tom” that uses his paper routes as a means to peer into the lives of others. It was just circumstance. That is how the cards were dealt this night. The stars must have been in alignment or something. Finally making it home, I tip-toed upstairs to peel back the covers to get what few moments of shut-eye I could before the kids woke up. Before I passed out, I thought of the Parents unloading trucks with Ping Pong tables and bicycles, the rush to set up Christmas before kids woke up, the joy of the kids waking up to see their presents, and the joy that the parents see when they watch their children. And yes, I also thought of the few situations I had found myself in, watching what appear to be an episode of animal planet and the reproduction of different species. All I could think was, “There is definitely something good going on in the world tonight.”
.
One last note: One of these couples no longer subscribe to this newspaper I deliver. Can’t understand why?....
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