They loved Dr Suess.
I asked her how or why they had two of every Playskool playhouse sets. She said they signed up for the Giving Tree, kind of by accident, then her father bought the exact same set; the kitchen and log cabin and the gifts from the Giving Tree were still bearing the tags from the person who donated them. To Paul from Santa. Didn't seem like the kind of family that needed help with gifts, and then to be expecting another child? Do you not believe in contraception? Or what's the deal? At least that was the last year I believed in Santa.
And, my aunt can claim kit was me that let the cat out of the bag about Old Saint Nick, all she wants. My cousin asked and I told her he wasn't real, to assuage her fears about people coming into her house uninvited, like the robbers.
And, they still left a note for the Toothfairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa, to "leave the goods in the garage and not to enter the premises under any circumstances", for several years after that. I'm suprised they didn't leave one for father time twice a year.
Their unit was the same size as ours, 400 dollars a month. Same as my mom's and mine. So, I know they weren't living impoverished. Her cadet picture had a lot of brass on it.
I didn't say a word when she pulled the label from a little porcelin dish to show me. It was still stuck to a neatly trimmed piece of Christmas wrapping paper.
To: Paul
From: Santa
I couldn't believe she had saved one of the labels, (she thought in some way it paid homage to gratitude she could never give properly). In my mom's handwriting.
To: Paul
From: Santa
We hadn't even lived in the same town! We lived two towns over, where we donated those toys! Now, we were neighbors. What were the odds of that?
To: Paul
From: Santa
I wanted to burst out that it had been me and my mom that donated those toys. I wanted to run home and tell my mom, but it seemed to be the right thing to keep the secret all to myself. So, that's what I did. For 35 years. I never told a soul.
To: Paul
From: Santa
https://x.com/powcupertino/status/1906298829147963779?t=joGOT8hkrSKz3AkPDPeDIg&s=19
ReplyDeleteActually, his dad was a cop.
ReplyDeleteMy mon made 150weekly and got 130 a month in child support.
ReplyDeleteWe had to walk to the laundromat every week. I had terrible allergies and beeded braces, not covered by HuskyCare
ReplyDeleteEach building had washers and dryers but they were usually out of order or smelled nasty.
ReplyDeleteBut, why didn't they intervene sooner????
ReplyDeleteYou falsified an alibi to try and nail me to the wall. Then realized what a snafu it was.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the Pramedics not lie him down before trying to incubate him with his chin on his chest??
ReplyDelete**intubate
ReplyDeleteWith thr adult size instead of the geryatric tool
ReplyDeleteStep 1 check surrounds. Step 2 tilt head back clear airway
ReplyDeleteNot, step one attempt to ntubate with adult intubation kit while child's head lolls on his chest step two administer 5 sets of 3-5 back thrusts
ReplyDeletePlus, patients with primordial dwarfism often have restricted airways. I had the librarian help me learn about it
ReplyDeleteI did nothing wrong, but they tried to hang it on me. The boy's secret Santa
ReplyDeleteHow many procedural failures took place that day??
ReplyDeleteThey were to blame. Plain and simple. Yet, the tricounty fire police saw fit to use it as a reason to violate my 8th amendment rights and stalk me for life, while operating under a "secret agenda"
ReplyDeleteI could see the color drain from his face when I asked, "well, then why hadn't they intervened sooner". Ryan told me to go home after a long pause.
ReplyDeleteSome might say, he's never been wrong. I say, he's never been more wrong.
ReplyDeleteI made my mittens from blue construction paper with green glitter.
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget how confused I was when he pulled up the stool to the counter, reached up to the knife block, sliced his sandwich corner to corner with a chef knife and put the knife in the sink. Then I noticed how worn the custom stool was and that there was a rope on the fridge door
ReplyDeleteI asked the librarian if there were midgets that looked more normal only mini.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's how Elon became Elon(gated)
ReplyDelete