Breaking Out The Decorations

I woke really early this morning to go for a run. If you are just now starting to follow my blog, you may not know that I maintain a very strict exercise regimen in order to be fit for my Christmas Eve activities. I'd like to say that I maintain an equally strict diet regimen... but alas, that is not true. Mrs. Claus' kitchen creations are just a little too tempting. And I must admit, I enjoy dining out at new restaurants... particularly now that there is so much creativity with fusion-style cuisine. Anyway.... it was a beautiful morning for a run. Snow was falling steadily but there was no wind. It was quiet as I stepped outside. I knew it was a peaceful quiet that I don't hear that often up here in the winter, so I tucked the iPod ear buds back in my pockets instead of in my ears. The crunch-crunch of newly fallen snow under my feet much nicer than any power song I could have listened to. (Of course, I kept the iPod going so I could log my miles & time on Nike+... but no music). The run was feeling so good, instead of heading home, I extended the run on into the town square, stopping in front of the coffee shop. They were just opening their doors as I ran up at almost precisely 5am. After downing a couple of cups of water, I ordered a venti egg nog latte and sat down by the window to enjoy it. I watched as the town square began to come alive for the day. Shop keepers turned on lights. The first shift workers started to make their way to their respective facilities. And, to my delight, the decorating crew were just beginning their task of putting up the North Pole Christmas decroations. As I finished my egg nog latte, Snowflake, our CIO, walked in to grab her morning cup of coffee. We chatted for a moment about some network issues we had earlier in the week. I decided I could use a venti Christmas blend for the walk back home so I bought that and picked up her coffee to say thanks for all the work she and her team had put into resolving the slow network performance.

As I walked back out into the square, the decorating team was starting to put lights on the official North Pole Christmas tree, in preparation for tomorrow's tree lighting ceremony. Elves were scurrying everywhere with decorations. There were piles of lights, wreaths, and garland everywhere. Ladders leaning against every building. It was beginning to look like a city under construction. And, in fact, when I returned later in the evening after a day full of appearances around the world and on my way to the All Employee Meeting, it looked like a new city. Every building was covered in lights, there were trees outside every building, and garlands & wreaths hung from every door and window. The elves were still stringing the hundreds of thousands of lights on the official Christams tree. The work is so intricate that it takes them almost 24 hours for the lights and 12 hours for the ornaments. At the pace they were going, they aren't going to finish until just before tomorrow night's tree lighting.

I just got back a few minutes ago from the All Employee meeting. What a great meeting! Literally everyone was there. We had 100% attendance. Obviously, its expensive to completely stop work to have a meeting, so we try to keep it short and focused on key messages. Usually my senior staff makes most of the presentations and I simply wrap it up but this time I felt it was important I take a little more time up front and set the tone of the meeting from the start. I wanted to make sure everyone understands how challenging a Christmas this is going to be for many, many people around the world and how they each play a critical role in bringing just a little Christmas cheer to everyone. When things are going so well at the North Pole, its easy to lose sight that things in the rest of the world may not be going quite so well. Bringing a little joy to people on Christmas, making the world a better place, and reminding people of the True meaning of Christmas is what we are all about.... it is with that focus that we must all approach our work. If we do that, we can make a difference this Christmas. If we do that, we can keep the magic of the Christmas spirit alive and well. It was essentially that message that I brought to the team tonight.

Ok... I have to run off to our end-of-day status meeting and then meet Mrs. Claus for a really late dinner. It will be emails after that... its going to be a long night. I hope you have a good night.

The Christmas Season Is Underway!

Wow! It has been a very busy 3 days. I haven't even had a moment to post until now... I apologize.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. As usual, I made the parade rounds... mostly in the US but I did appear at a couple of events in Europe. Then I returned to the North Pole to watch football with friends and enjoy a late afternoon feast at the banquet Mrs. Claus & I host every year. The banquet went late into the night. I went to bed shortly afterwards as I had to arise early on Friday.

Friday was a 21-hour day for me. Friday morning we officially kicked off this year's Christmas Eve preparations with my staff meeting. Everyone was at the 5am staff meeting... Jingle (Chief of Staff), Melody (Internal Communications, Public Relations, Legal and Community Affairs), Jangle (Chief Financial Officer), Snowflake (Chief Information Officer), Jolly (Chief Marketing Officer), and Candy (Chief Operations Officer). Candy's team is a part of the senior staff meetings. Her team includes Bo (Production), Sprite (Procurement), Star (Advanced RD&D), Ollie (Logistics), North (HR plus Elf & Reindeer Affairs) and Bob (Flight Operations). All areas reported as "ready". After staff meeting, I spent the bulk of the day making parade, tree-lighting, mall, and media appearances all around the world before returning to the North Pole for the end-of-day status meeting. All areas reported a very strong first day. It was a great way to conclude the first day of full-scale operations.

Today was similar. I started the day though with a run. Mrs. Claus had pancakes and a steaming french press of Christmas Blend coffee for me when I got back. She and I caught up as I did not see her at all on Friday.... she was sleeping when I left and she was asleep when I got back. After breakfast, it was back to another whirlwind tour of malls, parades, and tree lightings. It will be that way every Friday-Sunday between now and Christmas Eve.

After I returned, Mrs. Claus and I had an early dinner and then Jingle, Candy, and I toured the manufacturing centers. The place was humming! I couldn't believe how happy everyone was and how fast toys were coming off the lines. We hung out until the shift change at midnight so we could greet the incoming shift workers and speak with the folks leaving for the night. There was a consensus from everyone we spoke to that this Christmas season has a special feel.... something good is in the air. Everyone is excited for this Christmas.

From there, we went to the end-of day status meeting. After two full days, all is on track! And the "nice" list is up as well. While it is typical immediately following Thanksgiving holiday for the "nice" side of the ledger to get a bump, it is up almost 7% this year.... much higher than normal.

After the meeting, I came back here. It's late but I'm going to fix a cup of hot chocolate and catch up on a few emails before I settle in for the night. It looks like a great start to Christmas 2008!

Thanksgiving Eve 2008

At the moment, I have my laptop, a steaming mug of Starbucks Thanksgiving Day Blend coffee, a roaring fire, and I'm reclined in my favorite leather arm chair in my den. It is a brief interlude between what has been a chaotic day and what is sure to be a busy night. I can feel the Christmas buzz building as we are on the cusp of the Holiday season tonight, but.... I also need this brief respite. I usually post a little later on Thanksgiving Eve; however, I know this is going to be a very long evening so I wanted to go ahead and write my post now rather than trying to keep my eyes open at 3am in order to string together a few semi-coherent thoughts for the blog.

Mrs. Claus and I... as well as several of my senior staff members... have been running around like crazy today, trying to complete preparations for the big Thanksgiving Day feast tomorrow. It is a huge event for us every year. Mrs. Claus insists on doing all the cooking herself (and it is FANTASTIC) but all of the logistics are left to me and the elves.

My day today started early as I set the alarm for 4:30a so I could get in a quick run and some weights. I am very happy to tell you that I have maintained a strict diet and exercise regimen during the off-season and my physical fitness is peaking right now. I have never been more ready for a Christmas season than I am this year. I'm well under 230lbs for the first time in years. But I digress....

I have been running errands most of the day. Immediately before settling in for this break, I went down to the southern US to pick up the fresh turkeys for tomorrow's feast. We switched to a provider in Tennessee this year after sourcing from Kentucky for the past 17 years. Anyway, through a series of mishaps & misfortune, I ended up having to take one of my old sleighs to pick up the turkeys. It was the same sleigh I used from 1965 to 1969. Wow... after driving my newest sleigh that I just took delivery on this summer, that thing seemed ancient. It was all over the place... I couldn't seem to control it. It's heavy... built like a tank but takes twice the number of reindeer for the same load as my new sleigh. No seat belt. No air bag. Have to stand on the brakes to get it to stop. I can't believe I didn't have a major accident in that thing. I was afraid to turn on the radio as I remember that it used to drain the battery operating all of the other on-board equipment within a few minutes. It was like a flying heap of junk! The whole trip ended up taking me twice as long. But somehow, it also brought back some good memories. It as fun to fly a classic... even with all the frustrations that it caused.

Anyway, I better wrap up. I need to go check on the banquet room set-up, talk to the manager for the band we're bringing in, and welcome some of our early arriving guests (a couple of celebrities and heads of State are arriving tonight and will spend the evening here, primarly for security purposes). Then it will be off to have a late dinner with Mrs. Claus. Then I'll keep Mrs. Claus company in the kitchen as she finishes up her preparations.

I hope all of you have fantastic Thanksgiving Day... even if, like me, you don't live in the United States, because we all have many blessings for which we can give Thanks.

So It Begins....

The Christmas season really is underway, even if "officially" it doesn't begin until Friday. The Pre-Holiday Reindeer Games completed this weekend... and they were fantastic. Congratulations to Blitzen. Some of the younger reindeer made a run for the title with some big individual event wins but in the end, experience and good ol'fashioned hard work won out.

This is the week that things start to gear up. It's still early on Monday but I've already got a work out in, had a stand-up meeting with my direct staff regarding our status for this upcoming week, and I have opened the New York Stock Exchange. (Let's hope its a good day for the market! We could use a little Christmas magic!)

Upcoming Games

We are breaking with tradition this year and holding the Pre-Holiday Reindeer Games this weekend. Historically, the Reindeer Games are held only once a year, in the spring/summer time frame; however, this year we decided it would be good to "jump start" the Holiday season with a big event. Our primary goal was to help the reindeer with additional motivation for their off-season training. After quite a few years of maintaining a very demanding training regimen, it is often challenging for the reindeer to stay motivated. We also had a secondary goal to attract more people back to the North Pole earlier this year. Typically, the largest arrival day for returning elves and other North Pole staff is the Monday before the U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday. Last year, with the Elves Union strike underway, virtually no one had returned prior to Thanksgiving. There is clearly an economic impact to all of our North Pole merchants when the crews arrive late (or conversely, arrive a week early...), but more importantly, at least to me, there is an impact on the "Christmas buzz". I am talking about that excitement that seems to exude from everyone and permeate everything. It was missing last year at Thanksgiving and I think it held over throughout the season. I can't really quantify it. I can't really point to clear and direct proof either, but I am convinced that with the Christmas buzz peaking, nothing seems to go wrong. And when its waning.... well, watch out! So I am hoping the Pre-Holiday Reindeer Games will get people excited and generate some early Christmas Buzz, even before the final push of arrivals just before Thanksgiving.

It should be a lot of fun. All of the events are sold-out. The reindeer are ready. Currently, Blitzen is the favorite to win... he had an incredible off-season and came back in fantastic shape. He looks really good in the daily drills. But you can not count out Comet or Rudolph... they may not be in their best shape, but those two compete with incredible heart. And don't be surprised if some of the reindeer that aren't on my main Christmas Eve crew, particularly Blaze, also challenge for the title. I think it will be one of the more competitive Reindeer Games we have held.

I hope you can watch it on pay-per-view. Check with your local cable or satellite provider to see if they are offering it. If not, I'll keep you posted.

Thanksgiving Blend Coffee

Most of you know that I absolutely love Starbucks' Christmas Blend coffee. Traditionally, the coffee is available mid-November but I have a tradition to wait until Thanksgiving before I drink it. And I never drink it after New Year's Day. I realize some of you may think its a little silly... Mrs. Claus teases me about it each year... but I believe it helps keep the seasonal blend "special" and its part of why I love it so much. If I could have it all year long, it would lose its appeal.


About mid-October, just as cooler weather sets in, I really start to crave a cup of Christmas Blend. The anticipation builds... and frankly, every year I'm tempted to have a cup before Thanksgiving but I always resist. Its almost unbearable. But this year, there is relief! There is reason to rejoice!


Starbucks has released a Thanksgiving Blend! Yes, Thanksgiving. I was pleasantly surprised when I dropped in the local Starbucks today. I had no idea that they were releasing a new blend. It is a small thing but it made my day!


It is a bold coffee that hints at the spicy appeal of Christmas blend but overall is smoother. A blend of Sumatra beans and Guataemalan beans, it is the perfect compliment to the blending of sweet and savory foods that are so common on autumn menus and during the Thanksgiving holiday.


Even as I write this, sitting here working on my laptop at the kitchen table, I have a pot of Thanksgiving coffee brewing. I have a fire going in the kitchen fireplace. As I finish here, I'm going to pour a big mug of that coffee, grab today's Wall Street Journal, sit down next to the fire, and savor every sip of my Thanksgiving blend coffee. I think its going to be a great evening...

Living In The Moment

Even at my age, you can still learn a few things. I realized that today as I was given a very important lesson that candidly, I wish I had learned years ago.


I was watching one of my best friend's sons. He is 9 years old. A wonderful child... amazingly respectful, thoughtful, and good hearted. If a kid can be committed to remaining innocent, that is what he is. He always looks for the good in people and seems to ignore the bad. Everyone is his friend... at least that's how he approaches it. And his laughter is contagious. Mrs. Claus and I find ourselves laughing with him for no reason at all. He is truly a pleasure to be around.


Anyway... I'm starting to digress and I should provide some context. I have always been a "big event" kind of guy when it comes to making people happy and showing them how much I care. Given that I'm best known for gearing the entire year towards one huge, blow-out event every Christmas Eve, you are probably saying "No, duh!" right now. Frankly, I've probably discounted the little moments, the small gestures, the simple things... more than I should have.


Today I had flown to London to watch my friend's son. I was at the house when he got home from school. My plan was to get him settled with a snack and a glass of milk and then let him play while I logged in and caught up on email. It would be perfect.... my friend could rest easy knowing that his son was taking care of, the boy would be happy playing video games or football with his friends, and I would have time to get to all those emails I have been putting off. I had been counting on that scenario since my buddy first asked me to do this a few days earlier.


When my friend's son got home, I gave him the snack... cookies Mrs. Claus had made especially for him... and a glass of milk. I had a bit of tea for myself and sat down across the table from him. After a few minutes of catch-up, I asked if he had any homework he needed to complete before playing. It turned out that he had a lot. But he knew he had to get after that before playing. We continued talking for a few minutes while he finished the cookies and soon he asked me, "Uncle Santa," he calls me Uncle, but I'm not really... his father is like a brother to me though. "Can you take me on a sleigh ride? Can I fly? After I do my homework? I have always wanted to fly with you."


Suddenly, I could sense my carefully thought out plans melting away. My initial thought was to say "No." After all, I had ton of emails to get caught up on. And he would have fun playing... so it wasn't like anyone was losing out. Then... for some reason... it occurred to me that there are only so many moments like this in a child's life where we can bring special & unique joy and we needed to seize them, no matter how big or small. This was one of those moments! So instead I answered "Yes, you can fly in the sleigh! In fact, let's go right now and I'll help you with your homework when we get back so we'll have it done before your dad gets home."


We took off immediately. I have never seen such pure joy in a child's eyes. I can not begin to explain how excited he was. He thanked me and hugged me what must have been a hundred times before I left that evening. His father called me a few minutes ago to tell me that his son had not stopped talking about the sleigh ride and that it was something his son would remember forever. And to think, it only cost me a few minutes of my time and a handful of emails that will have to wait a few more hours. I'll pay that price any day.

Prayer For The American President

Tomorrow free elections will be held in the most powerful and influential nation in the free world. Tonight, I offer the following prayer....

"Father,

The American people need a strong leader. The world needs a strong America that is committed to making the world a better place.

Regardless of the outcome, I pray that you work in the hearts and through the lives of both McCain and Obama. I pray that the next President brings security, peace, and prosperity to the US and the world at large.

God, please, bless the United States of America.

God, please, bless this world... your world.

Your sovereign will be done."

Santa Blog To Resume Holiday Schedule

1 November 2008
Press Release

For Immediate Release

SANTA BLOG TO RESUME HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

Effective immediately, Santa Claus will resume regular updates to his Christmas Blog (http://www.clauschronicles.blogspot.com/). Monthly updates continued throughout the "off-season" but Santa plans to return to providing weekly updates through November and near-daily updates through the month of December.

"Once again this year, we are very happy with our off-season results. Despite cutting back to monthly updates, we recorded tens of thousands of unique visitors from the February through the end of October. During that time, we had readers from 159 countries on all 7 continents (yes, even Antartica)! If you are a long time follower, you will know that's more than double last year. For those that did not visit us in the off-season, we encourage you to read the off-season posts from January through today," stated Jingle, Chief of Staff for North Pole Inc.

Jingle reminded visitors that Santa's Christmas Blog is "ad-free". It is purely a labor of love from Santa. The "Big Guy"... as Santa is affectionately referred to by his closest friends... hopes the blog serves to further the Magic of Christmas and add a little bit of joy to the lives of all who read it... children and adults alike.

Beginning this year, you can subscribe to receive updates via RSS. In addition to adding comments to Santa's posts, he can now be reached at SantaNorthPoleCEO@gmail.com. Tentative plans are in place to host two IM sessions with Santa on GoogleTalk later this year.

Enjoy the blog! We hope you share it with your friends and family.

Please Direct All Media Inquiries To Melody In Media Relations & Corporate Communications.