I arrived back on Christmas Eve for which both the boys and Jim were thankful ,as I was I ,as I had vision of Delta stranding me in Atlanta for a not so Merry Christmas. I made the trek myself by Delta's not so friendly skys leaving the boys and Jim to hold down the fort. This year the neighborhood got a real boost in the decorating department with the new residents at the end of the cuddlesack who have gone out all to light up the winter. No matter how much Christmas spirit you think you have, traveling can bring out the grinch in you. I was gone for a few days prior to Christmas to see the mee-maw. He laments every Christmas about living around rednecks or worse yet, trailer trash, when his neighbors come out with the lights. We have a neighbor that believes he is above putting up Christmas decor though we suspect it is really related to laziness or grinchiness. One of the things that I love most about Christmas is the lights and decorations. Then I grabbed a load of fire wood and ran to the car! I gave him one word of advice as I turned over my duties, keep your distance from the old geezers who wink at you.
My toes, despite my double pairs of socks were numb, and my lips felt like they wanted to crack every time I said Merry Christmas. By the time the next bell ringer came along, I was equally excited as my predecessor at the sight of seeing him. I can honestly say that I will not make that mistake. I got some good advice while I was standing there including "Don't put your money in your girdle. I did that once and lost two twenty dollar bills down the toilet". The topper of them all was the old guy who said "if I was drunk, I would ask you if the antlers meant you are horny." I said I think you are already there but since he had put a five and a ten in the kettle, I said I willl say "God Bless You" anyhow. Not to outdone, quite a few old men winked at me and said "are the antlers real?" Of course, I said, why else would I be out in subdegree weather if I was not a real reindeer. A number of children proudly trouted over to put their dollars into the kettle so I would shake the antlers and make them jingle. The reindeer ears were a big hit - at least with the little children and the old men. Then he grabbed a load of firewood from the front of the grocery store and ran away to warm up his car. I knew it was a bad sign that maybe I still wasn't dressed for the weather when the previous bell ringer jumped up and down for joy upon my arrival and exclaimed "you are the best looking sight I have seen all day". I decided to make the most of it bundling in about five layers of clothes and throwing on my jingle bell reindeer antler headgear to top it off. On the one day of the decade that southeast Georgia did not get above freezing, I volunteered to be the bell ringer for the Salvation army kettle.
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