Santa Claus Blog

They Call It Black Friday Because It's Dark Outside!

2010-11-26T10:45:00.001-08:00

It is crazy out here! I'm posting from the east coast of the USA. I have been rushing from mall to mall since MIDNIGHT. Yes... midnight. Who's idea was it to host special "Black Friday" midnight openings? I have got to find better help! I did not know last night when I was posting my "End of Turkey Day" comments that I had a commitment to be at a mall at midnight. I literally had just dozed off minutes after posting and there was a frantic knock at the door. My head of mall operations, Bill, was banging on the door and screaming "Mr. Claus! Mr. Claus! Are you ok?" Mrs. Claus got to the door before I did. Bill quickly explained I was already 5 minutes for my sleigh ride to the first of many, many midnight openings & appearances throughout the night. The reindeer were waiting and ready to go. Everyone was worried something had happened. I arrived in time to hear just enough snippets of Bill's panicked explanation to understand what had occurred and I rushed back up the hall to change. I was out of the house in about 10 minutes. Mrs. Claus was waiting for me at the door with a handful of Via packets (btw... Starbucks created instant Via Christmas Blend coffee just for me this year. You can buy it too but they designed this stuff just for me as they know I love my Christmas Blend and I'm always on the go this time of year. Very nice of them!) I grabbed the instant coffee packs and sprinted to the sleigh. This has been my first break. And let me tell you... it really is crazy out here. But if you want to catch the "Christmas Buzz" and start to get in the spirit and you are in the United States... it might be fun to hop in the car, tune to the local radio station playing Christmas Carols, and take a quick trip down to your local mall for an hour or two. Who knows, I may be there at the same time as you. I'd love to see you.

Ok... I gotta get back to it. The line to see me is getting pretty big and Bill is pestering me to get back out there. See you soon!

The End of Turkey Day

2010-11-25T22:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a day. I guess the Christmas season really is here. Don't misunderstand me... I am completely and utterly excited about Christmas but it seems this year it just slipped up on me. Maybe because I've been so busy with all the administrative responsibilities of my job these past few months, I've just kind of lost sight of the big picture. Or maybe its because I've been dealing with my back for so many weeks now. Regardless, its here and I am ready to go.

Today really did kick me into gear. And I needed it. The alarm went off early this morning because I wanted to get a work-out in. I took my ibuprofen, did 30 minutes of ab work, went for a short run, and then did some weights. I was dripping with sweat when I was done but still craving a cup of coffee. I poured a cup of Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend and grabbed a couple of the newspapers to read while I cooled off.

By the time I got out of the shower, Mrs. Claus was up and busy preparing the Thanksgiving meal. She had my breakfast waiting for me... what a darling! I quickly ate breakfast and then rushed off to meet Jingle at the HQ to review the schedule for the day and the rest of the week (btw... its gonna be crazy! Do you know how many mall appearances, parades, and tree lighting ceremonies there are in North America this next weekend? Then we have to put up all the decorations here at the North Pole on Tuesday. And the following weekend is when all the festivities really launch in Europe... markets, tree lightings, etc.) The good news is that everything is looking great for this year's Christmas Eve operation. All our supplies are lined up, factories are ready to roll, government relations are strong, long-range weather forecasts are favorable, the reindeer are in tip-top shape, and the sleigh has been enhanced yet again to carry a bigger payload, more efficiently. Its as strong as its ever been going into the system.

After the meeting, Jingle and I walked back to the house together. We arrived just in time for the big Thanksgiving day meal. As is the case every year, Mrs. Claus out-did herself. And as is the case every year, I ate way too much. I was feeling quite sluggish as I pulled myself away from the dining table and headed to the flight operations center. There was no time to take a nap... I had to fly down to New York for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And from there it was off to the NFL game between the Saints & Cowboys. What a game! Unfortunately my team lost but it was very entertaining.

Mrs. Claus and I hosted some friends for coffee & dessert so I had to get back quickly after the game. We had a great time visiting but by the time they left, I was exhausted. I think I'm getting lazy in my old age! I kicked back in the recliner to just catch my breath for a minute and the next thing I knew, Mrs. Claus was waking me. I told her to just let me sleep and I'd come to bed later but she reminded me I promised to post tonight. So I poured my last cup of Thanksgiving Blend coffee for this year (tomorrow I break out the Starbucks Christmas Blend! I can't wait... its my favorite!) and made my way into the office, where I am now, to write this post. It's been a very good day... spending it with friends and family, celebrating the Holiday season in New York, and attending a Thanksgiving Day tradition in Dallas. With all that... and now snow falling outside my window and the fireplace in my office roaring & crackling behind me as I type... I'm definitely in the Christmas Spirit. That's a very good thing because the Christmas season is NOW. Merry Christmas, Everyone!

For my friends in the United States....

2010-11-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Just finished a great Thanksgiving Dinner with Mrs. Claus and some of our closest friends. I'll post later tonight but I'm headed for the New Orleans Saints v. Dallas Cowboys NFL game right now. If you are watching on tv this afternoon, see if you can find me in the stands.

A Very Lazy Saturday

2010-11-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect pre-Christmas Saturday for me. Mrs Claus and I slept in until about 9a... which is late for me. And this will be one of the last Saturday's I can sleep in. We didn't get out of our PJs until shortly after noon. I brewed the first pot of Starbucks Thanksgiving blend coffee to start the day and then settled in to watch football (the global version). I flipped between various English Premier League games. My favorite team, Manchester United, won with a goal by Park in the 94th minute... what an exciting game.

After the ManU game, I decided to go for my first run in 3 weeks. I hurt my back 3 weeks ago while helping Jingle move into his new place. I didn't think much of it at the time but I woke the next morning and I could barely walk. I don't wish a back injury on anyone! I got massages, saw the Dr multiple times, treated it with alternating heat and cold... everything I could think of but it took about 2 weeks before I wasn't in constant pain. I could barely sleep it was so bad... in fact, I could only sleep sitting up. Finally, by the third week it began to get better. So today, three weeks to the day I hurt it, I went for a run. It has been hard not working out. I gained 6 kilos in just 3 weeks. So my run today was not easy. I thought I would cough up a lung or something I was gasping for air so badly. And I only ran for 20 minutes because I want to see how my back reacts. Its been good all day but the moment of truth will be when I wake tomorrow morning.

Anyway... after a nice warm shower, I settled back on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee (decaf at this point) and tuned into American college football. Mrs. Claus grabbed her book and snuggled in next to me. She read and I watched football until late. We finally realized it was past time for dinner. We had been planning to go out for dinner but decided it would be easier to order in at that hour. Neither of us felt like getting dressed up and getting out of the house... so we had dinner delivered.

After dinner, Mrs. Claus went to get ready for bed. I put a tea pot of water on the stove to make chocolate mint tea... Mrs. Claus' favorite.... and then came in here to my den to check email and post. I can hear the tea pot whistling... in fact, its been whistling for a couple of minutes. I better go pour the water for Mrs Claus' and my tea. I love a nice cup of that chocolate mint team just before bedtime.

Oh... if you live in the States, don't forget to set your clocks back. We set ours back here last week.

See you soon!

November.... Already?!

2010-11-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! Is it already November?!

I was just watching the last game of the baseball World Series, snacking on toasted pumpkin seeds, and washing it down with a Pumpkin Spice Latte when it occured to me its actually November.... November 1st. Where did the 'off-season' go?! I only have a few more days before I'm back into full swing - 24x7 - in preparation for Christmas Eve 2010. And it also means it is time again for me to start posting regularly to my blog. It's going to be a great Christmas season this year and you will not want to miss any of it. Stay tuned....

Oh... and let me be the first this year to tell you.... "Happy Holidays!"

A Final Word On Christmas

2009-12-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone! I sure hope you had a great Christmas. I know I did. Each year it seems to get better and better. I was very pleased with how well our Christmas Eve Operation went last night given all of the unexpected challenges. We ended up with 100% delivery success and initial polls show that overall satisfaction was around 97%. That's up about 4% from last year (note: last year was actually the lowest we have had since the 1940s) and back within our historically normal range.

It was a very pleasant Christmas for me. It took us about 3 hours after I landed back at the North Pole to wind down the operations. Mrs. Claus and I then had brunch together at the house. Some of the elves were kind enough to prepare it for us so that neither one of us had to cook... it was very nice of them. After brunch, Mrs. Claus and I both took a 4 hour nap. We awoke around 2pm NPT but only because I had set the alarm. Its a good thing I did because we had to get up and prepare Christmas dinner. We invited about a dozen of our closest friends over for dinner. It's nothing fancy but its one of my favorite things about the season.... we (read: Mrs. Claus) make good food, its a great atmosphere, and we share laughs with good friends. We just use the dining room but on Christmas, with the dining room tree (it's a 10-footer, decorated with multi-color lights and hand-made ornaments we have received as gifts from children all over the world... every country is represented) glowing, tens of candles flickering, and the floor-to-ceiling windows revealing the snowy scene outside, and a huge fire roaring in the stone fireplace, the atmosphere was hard to beat. We sat for hours after dinner drinking coffee, sharing memories, and making plans for the future. I hope all of you had a chance to connect with friends and family the way Mrs. Claus and I were able to tonight.

After everyone left and Mrs. Claus went to bed, I retired to the den and took a seat in my recliner. I turned all the lights off except the Christmas tree lights and the lights in the garland that draped all the windows. The fire was burning low in the fireplace and about a dozen candles on the mantle were lit. I started to turn the TV on but then decided not to... instead I turned on the sound system and tuned the satellite radio to the Christmas music channel. I grabbed one last cup of Christmas Blend coffee (I won't drink anymore until next year) and settled in my recliner. I just sat there and enjoyed the moment... soaking in every last precious moment of Christmas. I didn't think about old memories or make plans for the future... I was just truly in the moment. I don't know about you but its rare I do that. I am always thinking about what's next... two, three, four moves down the road. I don't think much about the past other than to consider what I can learn from it but thinking about "what's next" often keeps me out of the moment. So tonight was special. It is something I need to apply more often. If you haven't taken time to just sit and enjoy a quiet, still moment during this very special... even magical... time of year, I encourage you to do so. You will be amazed at the pure joy it provides.

It's time now for me to "hit the hay". It's been an amazing run to and through Christmas this year. As we close this season, I want you to know how much I appreciate all of you. I hope that my role as Santa Claus serves to provide you with joy, hope, and belief. I pray the spirit of Christmas and its true meaning will be with you through out the year ahead. May God bless you and all of your loved ones.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a very blessed night!

Love,
Santa

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T02:30:00.000-08:00

...and to all a Good Night!

The last presents have been delivered, the last cookie eaten, the last glass of milk consumed, and the last stocking filled.

I just recieved the "All Clear" signal from the North Pole Headquarters. We are pointing the sleigh due north and returning home. I hope everyone has had as much fun this Christmas Eve as I have had tonight. Tomorrow is going to be the best Christmas yet!

I will not update my log until late in the day to day as I plan on enjoying Christmas brunch with Mrs. Claus and taking a nap.

Good night, all!

"And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21

Alaska

2009-12-24T23:59:00.000-08:00

I am just entering Alaska. It feels like being back home at the North Pole. Talk about cold! Brrr. I am still behind schedule but we will easily finish our work this evening before the sunrises and kids wake up. It's been a good night... even with a few unexpected challenges along the way.

From here, I will head south to the Hawaiian Islands. I'll make a few stops between but I can shed the jacket for a few minutes and swap out my Starbucks Christmas blend coffee for some 100% Kona coffee while I'm cruising through the Islands. I love it down there!

Mrs. Claus and I will be back in the Islands for our annual vacation in a little more than a week. Can't wait!

To all of you now awake across Europe, Asia, Africa, & Australia/Oceania... Merry Christmas!

Back to BC

2009-12-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

I am still tracking behind schedule but the weather is much, much better. I am currently in the Damascus, Oregon area after spending some time in western Canada.

Once again this year, I spent a little extra time in Vancouver, BC with a little girl I know that is fighting cancer as well. I'll spend time with her sister as well. Regrettably, I can't let them see me... but I am so proud of both of them that I want to take a little time and make sure they are tucked in and sleeping well. It was a tough year for both of them as there were additional follow-up surgeries. Life seems to be a roller coaster when you are battling something like this.

All I can say is that I really admire the entire family for how they handle this along with all the other challenges life brings us. It is not easy but they are doing it. Day to day they are making life go on. As I said last year, I never cease to be amazed by the strength and character of children that face cancer. They are wise & strong beyond their years. And they are truly an inspiration to me. Its well worth spending a few extra minutes with them.

I have deliveries to make so I'm going to sign-off for now. I'll post again soon.

Behind Schedule

2009-12-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

I am behind schedule and experiencing some technical difficulties as I move towards the west coast. I have crossed the Rocky Mountain range in North America and am experiencing much better weather conditions; however, due to the storm across the mid-western United States, I am about an hour behind where I would like to be.

A Perfect Storm

2009-12-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

The weather in the midwestern United States is very challenging right now. We are approximately 30 minutes behind schedule already. The reindeer are having to work very hard as we press against gusting headwinds. Its been very difficult to control the sleigh. I am carrying a fraction of the normal payload or otherwise I don't believe we could keep this thing in the air.

On the ground, due to the sheets of ice, we are having to land in front yards and on neighborhood roads and have me hike (with a pair of crampons on my boots) up to and into the houses. The winds are almost blowing me sideways and snow is falling at the rate of about half a foot an hour where I am at currently.

We'll be headed back for yet another replenishment stop here in a minute. With the lighter load maximums, we are having to stop many more times than normal. The reindeer are looking forward to the break though as they are working hard!

Ok kids... I might be a bit behind schedule and I might have a few challenges, but I am - without question - coming to town. So get to bed!!

Oh.. one last note... given the weather, my posts may be a bit delayed and not just because of technology issues but also because I am going to be largely pre-occupied with navigating this storm, surviving the night, and finishing my deliveries. Don't worry if there is a bit of delay... I am ok.

Home of the King...

2009-12-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

No... not THAT one. Elvis. I am currently looking down at the blue lights of Graceland. What a beautiful sight!

But I can't look too long... we have to clear this airspace quickly. And that is going to be challening given the current weather conditions. This has already been a very difficult night. I anticipate it only growing more challenging as I head into the heart of the storm.

Our friends at FedEx are holding their routes so that we can deliver our presents across the Memphis metro area. I'll be zig-zagging across from Lakeland, TN to Hernando, MS over the next hour or so. I need to stay on time so that I can clear the airspace and let our partners at FedEx (we do a lot of business with them... they help with distribution from our North Pole, China, & India production facilities to our replenishment centers) get back in the air. We definitely don't want them missing their deliveries! So kids... if you live in the mid-South of the United States, its time to get to bed!

Retirement Paradise

2009-12-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

The weather is nice here in Miami. Unfortunately I can't stay very long. I will be headed west and into the storm pretty soon.

As you know, I am constantly getting updates from the North Pole Headquarters. I regret to tell you that once again this year, almost a 100 addresses have been removed from my list of places to stop. The Naughty & Nice list is changing even as we speak.

Kids - please make sure you are behaving your parents tonight. You don't want your address to be removed from my list!

I'll post again soon.

Return To The Scene Of The Crime

2009-12-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

I am back in Manchester. And specifically, I am sitting on the roof of a row of flats where I had a reporter try to catch me last year. He was sneaky guy. And you can bet he was on last year's naughty list and he is on this year's as well. What he did was NOTHING like the girl did this morning in Can Tho... completely different motivation and intent.

I just got back from inside the flat. I must admit I was a little nervous going in again but everything was fine. It was quite interesting to go back in and see everything as it really is supposed to be.

Ok... I'm headed out across the Atlantic soon. Keep following me cause I'll be talking to you soon!

Bad Weather Looms Ahead

2009-12-24T14:45:00.000-08:00

I just got off the phone with Candy, our North America GM, Jingle, my Chief of Staff, and Mrs. Claus who is leading the entire operation tonight from the North Pole Headquarters. The weather across central North America is beginning to worry me. The snow and ice I can deal with... it would be silly to think different... I do live at the North Pole after all! But I am worried about the wind. Winds are beginning to gust at speeds that will cause significant issues for our reindeer.

The logistics team back at the North Pole is currently running scenarios where I could carry a much lighter load (as little as 25% of my normal load) as I travel through the worst of the weather. That means I would have to make multiple (up to 4x as many) replenishment stops. But they are worried the reindeer can not handle the high winds with a full load. They'll keep working on it. I am sure we'll have something figured out by the time we get there. One thing I know for sure... I'm going to replenish my hot coffee before I cross the Appalachian mountains.

Ok kids on the east coast of North, South, and Central America... particularly those of you in Brazil... you need to be going to sleep. I'll be there before you know it.

Its All Greek To Me

2009-12-24T13:31:00.001-08:00

I am just leaving Greece. What a great country. I just love visiting here. Mrs. Claus and I try to spend a week here every August. We rent a little villa on one of the islands (I can't say which...) and just relax. We really enjoy walking into town each morning to shop for breakfast at the market and in the evenings to have dinner at some of the local cafes.

All is well. I am staying very comfortable in my new suit as it adjusts to all the changing tempratures. The on-board beverage machine is keeping me hydrated and I'm interchanging between hot coffee and iced coffee as I change climates.

For those of you that have been emailing me... the reindeer are all fine. They still have lots of energy left! Can you imagine what kind of shape they are in to make this happen?

Ok... I am getting deeper into Western Europe... you kids need to get to bed!

Russia

2009-12-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

It is cold here! But I am quite comfy actually in my new Therma-FIT Santa suit. I am currently in Russia. Actually given the size of Russia, I have been zig-zagging in and out of the country all night. Everything seems to be going well. Of course, we have had our typical number of small mishaps -you can't run an operation this large and this complex and expect everything to be perfect - but everything is on track.

I am currently sipping on big mug of half-caff (half decaf, half regular) Christmas Blend coffee. Love this stuff. The sleigh is being replenished, the reindeer are getting massages, and the elves are checking weather for the remainder of the evening.

I always enjoy visiting the folks in Russia. Many of you may not know this but I come here twice a year! Many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th so I come back the night of January 6th to visit them. I always find it funny that I may visit one house tonight and a couple of weeks from now I'll be back to visit the next door neighbor... but I want to respect their beliefs. The important thing is that they celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus... the date really doesn't matter to me.

Alright... I am getting the signal to move on. Will talk to you soon.

African Savannah

2009-12-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

We just had a scary moment in the African bush. I sat the sleigh down at a camp in Botswana (Little Vurumba camp) while I delivered toys in the nearby village. There are not a lot of people that celebrate Christmas and believe in me here in this part of Africa. Given that, along with the small shelters and makeshift house that make up the village, I usually land and deliver the presents by foot. I mostly bring food and essentials when I visit these small villages.

While I was in town, Elroy (the elf that was accompanying me through this region) watched over reindeer while they ate and drank (Blitzen actually decided to take a power nap instead of eating). But to their surprise, a lion appeared out of the bush. She must have caught the scent of the reindeer and started salivating. She stared at them for a moment and then lept toward Comet. Fortunately, Elroy was already in the sleigh (I think he was taking a power nap himself actually) so the reindeer were able to escape. Startled, they ran quickly across the plain for about 50 meters before actually taking flight and coming to a rest just outside the house I was in at the time. Donner tweaked his leg on the panicked run across the plain but it is not serious... otherwise, there was no harm done. I think Elroy's heart is still racing though.

Ok... all you kids in Europe... go to bed! I am headed that way.

Southeast Asia

2009-12-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone! I am very happy to report that all is on schedule for this Christmas Eve.

At the moment, I am just leaving the city of Can Tho in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. There are actually more people that celebrate Christmas here and believe in me that most Europeans and Amercians realize. Most kids set out shoes on the door step rather than hang stockings, so I stuff them with goodies. And let me tell you... the snacks I get here are fantastic! And fairly healthy too.

Anyway, I just had an encounter with a little girl here in Can Tho who actually "set a trap" for me. She managed to fool my elf scout team into believing she was asleep on the floor next to the tree. I saw the security video that the elves were streaming live to me on the sleigh before I landed and it was just so cute it was hard to believe that she was faking it. But she was. As soon as I popped in the door (there was not a chimney large enough to get down), she jumped up and screamed "Santa!".

I started back through the doorway in full retreat. The elves swept in to surround the house, prepared to erase any video evidence of my presence. Even the reindeer got antsy at the sound of her announcement. Surprisingly though, no one else in the house woke up.

As I got back to the sleigh, I was reminding myself of the standard protocol. If a child catches a glimpse of me, I must leave immediately whether or not I have delivered the gifts. I only return if the security team deems it safe and I have time to return. We can not jeopardize the schedule to return to a house where the kids were awake when I arrived.

Something like this happens every Christmas Eve... often multiple times in one night. And I always follow the standard protocol. But tonight seemed different for some reason... it didn't feel right to follow the protocol.

I climbed out of my sleigh and back down to the door. This time I actually knocked... I don't know why but I did. The little girl opened the door, grinning ear to ear, and invited me in. She apologized for surprising me but explained it was the only way she could meet me. She asked if she could wake her brothers and have them meet me. Against my better judgement, I said yes.
She woke them. By now Jingle was madly texting me to get moving. But I decided to stay for a moment and meet them all. I had to decline photos but we all exchanged hugs before I handed out their gifts. As humble as the gifts were, they loved them. I could see the excitement and gratitude in their eyes. They followed me out as I left and waved as we pulled up into the air and on to the next neighborhood.

I don't know why... I suspect I will never know "why"... but for some reason I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I was meant to spend some time with those kids tonight. I won't be breaking protocol any time soon but I am confident I did the right thing by going back and seeing that (very crafty) little girl and her brothers.

Well.... I have to get back to delivering gifts. Keep on the look-out for me!

Beijing

2009-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

As we were cruising through China and approaching Beijing, suddenly all kinds of alarms and alerts went off in the sleigh. I looked at the radar and saw 3 Chinese fighter jets closing in. Seconds later Jingle, based at the Flight Operations Center, was screaming at me over the radio warning me to prepare for defensive maneuvers. But the fact was, I could now see the jets... they zipped head on toward and past me... one overhead and one on each side. This was completely unexpected. There had been no formal communication. I was starting to get worried. Rudolph dropped us down in a near verticial descent... the toys shifting to the front so violently it almost knocked me out of the sleigh. He pulled up just 500 feet from the ground. And the jets, having circled back around followed. They pulled up beside and behind me. They were close enough I felt I could reach out and touch the wings and I certainly could see them. There was still no radio contact with the pilots but they were clearly motioning for me to land.

I informed Jingle of what was happening though he could observe most of it from the on-board cameras, satellite imagery, and radar. He advised that I land and informed me that he and some of the other senior staff would depart for Beijing within the half-hour to meet with Chinese officials to sort this out. He also told me that Mrs. Claus was already contacting heads of State to make them aware and ask that they stand by in case their help was need to help resolve the situation.

I landed just outside Beijing. I have to admit I was nervous. As we touched down, a local government official walked up to the sleigh, flanked by several army personnel. I sat in the sleigh, deciding it was best not to appear aggressive. "Merry Christmas" I said. He did not reply but the look he gave screamed "Bah Humbug" back at me. He started to lecture me in English (which by the way, his English was very good) but switched when I replied in Mandarin. It turns out we had forgotten to submit a two-page form granting air space rights for the evening. After some debate, he agreed to let me fill out the form and proceed. I had to radio back to the North Pole to have Jingle help me answer some of the questions on the form but I was able to complete it fairly quickly. Meanwhile, the soldiers at the airbase, obviously quite impressed and enamored by the reindeer, brought oats and fruit to the reindeer.

Once the form was complete, the official stormed back to his office building and we were given permission to depart. I didn't waste any time getting off the ground and making my way as quickly as possible through and out of Beijing.

The good news is we made up time and I still appear to be on-track. I will see the rest of you very soon!

First Replenishment Center

2009-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am at the first replenishment center in Australia. Due to security reasons, I can not tell you the exact location of the center.

We are actually slightly ahead of schedule after passing through most of the South Pacific islands and completing our deliveries through out Australia and New Zealand. The reindeer are currently unreined and in "cooling stations" that we put in last year after the heat really took its toll on the reindeer team. With us being ahead of schedule, it will allow us keep the reindeer in the cool air for a longer period. They are eating during this time as well. I am drinking an iced Christmas Blend coffee myself... decaf, I might add. Its quite refreshing.

So keep on the look out for me and stay nice! From here, I head north to Indonesia and then up into Japan & the rest of Asia. Be getting in bed, kiddos!

On The Launch Pad

2009-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I am in the sleigh, moments from take-off, and posting to this web-page via satellite communications. I will be keeping you posted here at my blog, on Twitter.com via @NorthPoleCEO, and on www.noradsanta.org. Please know that there may be some delays in postings at times due to varying flight conditions.

This is going to be the best Christmas Eve ever!

"Now Dasher! now Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet! on Cupid! on Donder and Blitzen! Lead the way Rudolph!"

Operation Christmas Eve 2009 Is Underway!

2009-12-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

The time is now! It is approximately 11pm NPT on December 23rd and I have just officially announced the initiation of Operation Christmas Eve 2009. The entire North Pole Inc. operation is mobilized and the final preparations leading up to my launch - approximately 1 hour from now - are underway. We will be going full speed for the next 26 to 27 hours (including the hour prior to launch and the 2 to 3 hours it takes to wind down the operation upon return).

We have all been going full speed almost all day. I say almost because: 1) for the first time in years I actually took a power nap. I slept for 2 hours this evening, waking just in time to shower and declare the start of the operation. 2) The reindeer took a 4 hour nap earlier. They are awake now and are eating their traditional carbo-loading meal of oats. 3) Mrs. Claus and I actually took time out to have dinner together this evening, as is our tradition. Otherwise, it has been virtually non-stop with most everyone running on just an hour of two of sleep last night.

Ok... its time to get going and get suited up in my brand-new Santa apparel. Look for my updates here, via Twitter.com, and at www.noradsanta.org throughout the next 27 hours or so.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Winners Visit North Pole

2009-12-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

Now THAT was a lot of fun! I just dropped off Megan and Allison, the winners of this year's "Good Deeds @ Christmas" contest.

Rudolph and I arrived just after dark, landing first on the roof of Megan's house. As you can expect, there were quite a few people in the front yard including media. I am guessing it was about a hundred or so kids. Megan's dad had set up a ladder since there was no chimney... plus we had to get Megan up to the sleigh. After I shook hands, gave out hugs, and kissed a couple of babies, I brought Megan and her parents up to the roof with me where they took tons of photos with Rudolph and me. Pretty soon I could here Jingle chirping over the radio that we were behind schedule... so we buckled Megan up and lifted off for Allison's house. Megan screamed for joy the entire way! Clearly she had no fear.

At Allison's house, there were even more people. But they had cleared the street for us. So Rudolph took us in for a nice smooth landing, coming to a stop right in front of the house. Allison ran out full speed and jumped in my arms. Then she leaped over to Megan, hugging her and saying "Thank you, thank you, thank you!".

After the photo opportunities with Allison's family, including her two brothers, Allison and Megan climbed back into the sleigh. Rudolph decided to show off a little and lifted off in a near vertical rise. I felt my stomach jump into my throat it was so fast but as I looked at the girls, they were grinning ear to ear. Rudolph made one quick loop around the house, giving the girls a chance to wave and then it was a straight line for the North Pole.

As we left the Vancouver area, I put special high-tech warming blankets over the girls to make sure they didn't get cold. I also served them hot chocolate from my on-board hot chocolate machine. They loved it. And just as they finished the last drop, we began our descent.

Both girls gasped as we came out from the clouds and the magical lights of the North Pole Village glimmered below. As many times as I have seen that sight, it never grows old. It always amazes me. I can only imagine what it must be like for someone seeing it for the first time.

We touched down on the launch pad at the Flight Operations Center. Jingle and all the other reindeer on my #1 reindeer team were waiting. I introduced everyone... the girls hugging Jingle and each of the reindeer as I made the introductions. After introductions, Jingle hurried us all off to staff meeting. I explained to them that they were going to get to sit in one of my Christmas week staff meetings. They were so excited. And they were full of questions as we walked from the Flight Operations Center to the main HQ building. Wide-eyed and firing questions. I tried to answer as many as I could while keeping pace... we were already late for staff meeting.

When we got there, each of my senior staff introduced themselves. Each had a small gift they had personally made for each of the girls. The girls could barely sit still they were so excited as we began the staff meeting. It was a typical agenda for this time of year... update on Christmas Eve weather forecasts, naughty and nice high level review, and status reports from all areas. I was very pleased that the girls were able to hear that everything is right on track. We are well on our way to the best Christmas Eve ever.

Staff meeting only lasted 30 minutes. We have to be crisp and to the point this time of year. Every minute is valuable. From staff meeting we walked back to the house. Mrs. Claus was waiting with cookies and hot chocolate. The girls jumped into Mrs Claus' arms. They kept saying how surprised they were that she looked so young and so beautiful... not at all what they had pictured. They had even more questions... which I didn't think was possible... for Mrs. Claus. So we all sat down with hot chocolate and cookies (peanut free as Allison is allergic) while Mrs. Claus answered the questions as fast as the two girls could fire them off.

After about 45 minutes, Jingle came in and reminded me we needed to get going if the rest of my night would remain on schedule. Mrs. Claus said she wanted to come along for the ride back... the girls practically burst with excitement at learning Mrs. Claus would go along for the ride. So we all headed back, loaded up, and took off. Rudolph gave us a much tamer lift off this time. He made a low pass over the Village Square as we started to head out. The girls looked down in the square to see thousands of elves waving good bye.

As we approached Vancouver, I asked Rudolph to make a couple of quick circuits around town so the girls could see the city the way I do... plus none of us were ready for this to end. There are very few things I enjoy more than seeing kids get so much enjoyment as they did from this sleigh ride. It really warms the heart. I am convinced this is what keeps me young and alive.

We did eventually set down at Allison's house. Megan's parents were there as well so we dropped both girls at that point. They gave Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, and me big hugs. "I will see you in 48 hours or so", I said. "But you won't see me. I won't be back until you are asleep. Those are the rules of Christmas Eve. Now be good!" We hopped in the sleigh and headed back.

I am writing this post on the trip back. We are almost back to the North Pole. It was so much fun. Rudolph and I will drop Mrs. Claus off, pick up Jingle, and head to a mall in Honolulu... so much left to do today.

Be good! Santa Claus is coming to town.

Megan & Allison Win Sleigh Ride With Santa!

2009-12-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

I am very pleased to announce that Megan's good deed, posted earlier this week, was the winner in this first-ever "good deeds @ Christmas" contest. Her post is displayed below.

Megan requested that the sleigh ride go to her friend, Allison, in the event she won. I was so touched by Megan's selfless actions that I have opted to take both girls on the sleigh ride. Rudolph and I will pick them up at their respective houses in Vancouver, BC tomorrow night. It will then be a short hop to the North Pole where both girls will meet the other reindeer, the elves, and, of course, Mrs. Claus before returning home.

Congratulations Megan & Allison! I will see you tomorrow night just after dark. And for all of you in British Columbia, keep an eye out for Rudolph's shiny nose!

Remember - that first Christmas changed everything! Can Christmas still change the world? What will you do about it this Holiday season?

Merry Christmas, All!

Megan's Post:

I am in 4th grade. This morning I decided to crack open my piggy bank and see how much money I had saved. I have been planning on buying an iPod. All my other friends have one except me. They laugh when I tell them my parents will not buy me one. I have been saving for almost the entire year... putting birthday money, allowance, everything in the piggy bank. But yesterday I learned that one of my friends is dropping out of school and moving over the Christmas break. Yesterday was their last day at school. Her dad lost his job and they have to move to live with her grandparents. She said they wouldn't have Christmas this year because it simply costs too much. So I counted my piggy bank money this morning, put it in a bag, then rode my bike over to my friends house. I gave her the money. I told her that I want her to buy something for herself or her brother or her parents but I want to make sure they have Christmas presents this year. And Santa, if I win the sleigh ride, I want to give it to my friend. She needs it more than I do. Her name is Allison Macy. I hope I can win so Allison can have a good Christmas. Thank you so much Santa! Love, Megan

Good Deeds Contest Deadline Is Approaching

2009-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Win a sleigh ride with Santa & Rudolph! All you have to do is a good deed. But the deadline is approaching as the winner will be announced in a matter of hours! Check the December 10th post for details. Don't miss out.

Final Week Preparations

2009-12-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

I LOVE THIS WEEK! This is when the excitement really begins. There is so much going on. In between hundreds of public appearances, I sit in on meetings reviewing the Naughty & Nice lists, Christmas Eve weather forecasts, production & inventory numbers, and various operational readiness reviews. I also tour production facilities here at the North Pole as well as India & China where we have added capacity over the past few years. I visit Replenishment Centers around the world. I meet with diplomats to shore up air space rights for Christmas Eve. I meet with CEOs to push for filling last minute supply needs. I take test runs with the sleigh.

On the personal front, I try to stay up to date and read as much current news as possible. Mrs. Claus and I also find time to have at least one meal a day together. I try to stay fit too in the days leading up to Christmas Eve so I wake extra early to go for a run or lift weights. And of course there are several parties this week that I have been invited to by friends... I usually go but can not afford to stay long.

And I try to make a point to get some time in my own personal toy making shop so that I can make the 100 or so very special toys I make & deliver each year. Look for my very special stamp on the bottom of your toy... if its there, you will know I personally made it just for you!

Its just so festive here this week as well. We burn the Christmas lights 24 hours a day for this final week. The big countdown clock in the North Pole Village Square begins its countdown.... of course, there are countdown clocks in virtually everyone of the North Pole Inc. facilities. There are choirs of elves wandering around the village singing carols. Christmas music is pumped into every elevator and waiting area. The smell of baking cookies and other goodies just permeate every part of the Village.

So obviously I will not sleep much this week. But its great! I am so excited about this Christmas Eve, I think it will be one of the best ever, that I feel like I have endless energy. Speaking of all the things I need to do, I have a staff meeting in 10 minutes so I better get going.

Oh yeah... a couple of reminders before I sign off here and push the "publish" button...

1) The deadline for getting your request in is fast approaching. Standard letters need to arrive by 11:59PM Tuesday. Email and texts can arrive approximately 4 hours later at 3:00am on Wednesday.

2) If you want to enter the Good Deeds Contest and win a sleigh ride with Rudolph and me, you need to get your post in by early tomorrow morning. I plan to announce the winner Monday night NPT. Enter your good deeds submission in the comments of the 10 December 2009 post.

Merry Christmas, All! Enjoy this festive week!

REQUEST DEADLINE: 22 DECEMBER 11:59 PM

2009-12-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Press Release
For Immediate Release

REQUEST DEADLINE ANNOUNCED

11:59pm on Tuesday, December 22nd is the requested deadline for letters to Santa. Santa and the entire North Pole team love making the wishes and dreams of children real. As such, letters will be received and processed on a good faith effort after the 11:59pm deadline; however, for best results, you should plan to have your letter arive prior to the deadline.

The requested deadlines for email and/or text message letters is four hours later at 4:00am on Wednesday, December 23rd.

Please direct all media inquires to Nova in Public Relations

Santa Answers Your Questions 2009 - Part 2 of 2

2009-12-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

Q. Santa, concerning your luscious beard I was wondering if any product is used. The way it shines and radiates your inner beauty leaves me breathless. What kind of sorcery are you practicing here? Have you ever considered cheating on Mrs. Claus?

A. I am so glad you like my beard. But who do you think I am... Tiger Woods?! Have you seen Mrs. Claus?! Are you nuts?! She is hot.

Back to my beard though. I don't do anything with it other than trim it to keep it from getting too wild. All my hair turned silvery white when I was still very young so I wasn't too surprised that it was solid white when I did finally decide to grow a beard. I guess I was fortunate I didn't have to deal with a salt & pepper beard. I can tell you though... more than a few marketing people have tried to convince me to dye it brown, cut it back to a goatee, or shave it off all together in an effort to update my image. I keep resisting. Partly because its tradition but mostly because Mrs. Claus really, really likes the beard.

Q. Why do my friends always get more than I do. Do you like them better?

A. Yes. Yes, I do like them better... NOT. I am just kidding, of course. The calculation to determine who gets what is very long and complex; too much so to describe here. But rest assured it is a fair process that is designed to best suit your personal needs. And as you well know, while your friends may occasionally get more than you do, you receive way more than many other people yourself. The key thing for you to take away is this: focus on what you have, count your blessings, and do not be envious of what other people have. You will live a much happier, fulfilled, and longer life if you can do that.

Q. Santa do you really go to all the houses in 1 night?

A. I do. I had a similar question last year and I responded with the following: The key is North Pole Time. I am not the right person to explain exactly how it works. It is far too technical for me but, I can say that because we sit at the junction of all the time zones, there are some unique capabilities we have realized in moving easily between time zones. That - in and of itself - is not all that remarkable. But there is something magical about how we can travel within a time zone and return to the North Pole - no matter how long we have been gone - within the same hour we left as long as we arrive & depart from the Launch pad. The Launch pad is directly on the true North Pole. Time doesn't stop so much as it "re-sets". That's not the best description either but its the closest I can relay at this point. It is this capability that we leverage to deliver to 302M homes in a 24 hour period. If you want to know how we determine how many homes, see my December 20, 2007 post

Q. Oh Santa Claus, how do you get into my house on Christmas Eve? We have a small chimney.

A. I am much thinner than I appear. You would be surprised at how many chimney's I can actually get down. I had a similar question on this last year; here is how I responded: Where the chimneys are large enough for me (and many are; I'm not a big as you might think), I have a special dive that I use. But the most important thing for you to remember is that chimney diving is not for everyone. You have to be very well trained. I have trained for years. You should never try it under any circumstance. So with all that said, the fact of the matter is that there are many houses where the chimney is too small for me. In those cases, I enter through other means. I have several scout teams of elves that go in ahead of me to 1) validate I can fit through the chimney, 2) identify alternate entry paths, 3) disable alarms, 4) confirm that everyone in the house is asleep. With their advance information, I really don't have any problems. Now... to your question about breaking and entering... technically it would be in almost every legal jurisdiction around the world except I have a huge legal team that has negotiated special rights for me that allow me to enter. Those rights are only valid on Christmas Eve. And let's face it, when you leave gifts, people don't complain. Now many cities around the world granted me the rights only if I leave gifts, which is why now in many places I just skip a house rather than leaving coal. Coal doesn't legally qualify as a gift... so I just skip the houses in those jurisdictions completely if the residents are on the naughty list.

Q. What's your thoughts on match making Santa? Think for Christmas this year I could get clarity on finding a wife?

A. Russ, thank you for the question. As I have said many times before, I do not deliver wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, etc. I am also not much of a match-maker. That is really Mrs. Claus' domain. As much as I hate to admit it because I often accuse her of meddling, the fact is she has an unbelievable knack of bringing couples together. My advice though for you is to stop trying so hard to find a wife. Just relax, be yourself, and take the time to enjoy the company & friendship of the women you date... don't be in a rush to get serious. And don't settle either. That's the risk when you are just looking to find a wife - you end up marrying the first one to return your interest, whether or not she is truly the 'one'. But trust me... when the 'right one' comes around, you will both know it. It will be undeniable. In the meantime, just be patient.

Q. My daughter has requested to be a mermaid for a day and nothing else - any idea how to overcome this?

A. Meridith - I must recieve 10,000 requests a year from little girls to "be a mermaid". As you know, we can't just go around changing people into mermaids. Even if we had that magical power (which I do not!), it just wouldn't be right. There are way too many unintended and unwanted consequences. Here are a few ideas... there are quite a few mermaid outfits available at costume stores and online. I checked our North Pole Inc. inventory and we are out but I am sure you could find one. Start by clicking the "online" link above. Alternatively, you could take her to a water park for a day and let her experience what it might be like to be a mermaid. There are lots of water parks out there but if you could somehow get to the water parks at Disney World, you'd certainly be able to weave a "Little Mermaid" theme throughout the vacation.

Santa Answers Your Questions 2009 - Part 1 of 2

2009-12-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

You all asked some great questions again this year. Thank you! I going to spread my answers over two days... today and tomorrow... as you asked a lot of good questions and I am really tight on time this week. After you read my answers today, you can click here to read the Q&A from last year as well. I hope you find this informative and entertaining.

Q. Why when you where at the Macy's parade did you say "Happy Thanksgiving" instead of what I have always heard you say "Merry Christmas"? What's wrong with saying Merry Christmas? Isn't that what your about I mean your Santa Claus but don't you and Christmas go together?

A. You must not have heard all of it... I said "Happy Thanksgiving" and "Merry Christmas" interchangeably. It was Thanksgiving, after all. And for the record... there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying "Merry CHRISTmas". In fact, I make a point of saying it rather than Happy Holidays (though on occasion I do say Happy Holidays too). If people stop saying Merry Christmas then we will eventually lose the Christmas holiday altogether. You should check my 15 December 2009 post to see how I feel about so called "political correctness".

Q. Santa, you are known primarily for your generosity to children (I've often heard you referred to as the Patron Saint of Children when people call you St. Nicholas) and have made so many happy with the things you've brought over the years. I'm curious as to what is on Santa's wish list?

A. Thank you for asking. It is very thoughtful of you to be concerned. I really don't want anything material. Realistically, I can have anything material... I have been blessed with the means such that I could either build or acquire virtually anything. What I want most is peace and joy for the world. I know it sounds cliche but it is truly what I want most. Ironically, its one of the few things I can't make happen... if I could, I would have done it years ago. Instead, I just do my part, as small as it may be in the grander scheme. And, of course, selfishly, I want to continue to be loved by those closest to me... I never want to lose their love and admiration.

Q. Do you prefer a certain type of milk?

A. Cow's milk to begin with. And while I like full on milk, I choose to drink fat free milk. It's a choice I make for my health, not for the taste.

Q. I read through the questions from last year, but I'm wondering, did you ever find out how to post pictures? Perhaps I missed something, did you ever get around to posting any?

A. Unfortunately, I did not. I managed with Jingle's help to post a picture of some of the reindeer. Other than that, I haven't figured out how to up load them. Its a shame because I took a lot of pictures through the off season hoping to post them but haven't been able to do so.

Q. My question is....Santa, do you ever get any rest?

A. Yes. Just not between late November and December 25th. I sleep about 2 hours a night during the build-up to Christmas Eve. Don't get me wrong.... I work hard year round. In fact, most week nights during the "off-season", I sleep about 4 to 5 hours a night. But I do get rest. I catch up on the weekends when I sleep in. I often do not wake until almost noon on Saturdays during the off-season. And I take Sunday afternoon naps as well during the off-season. My vacations are also a key time to rest and re-charge. Once I am on vacation, I completely relax and shut-down. So don't worry... I do get rest. And during this Christmas season when I am burning the candle at both ends, I have an almost magical energy. I do get tired but its not that deep exhaustion you might expect given my schedule. Just the thought of Christmas Eve gets me revved up and ready to go whenever my energy levels might slide. Besides, I have December 26th to look forward to! I'll spend that day like I am in a coma.

Q. Santa, what are your travel plans after the holidays? I know you like to spend time in Hawaii, but have you considered somewhere more exotic...possibly Southeast Asia perhaps?

A. Its funny you should ask. I will go to Hawaii like I do every year but I do plan to go to Thailand... likely Koh Samui island... this spring. I hear its wonderful. And yes... I have vacationed a number of times, usually brief stays, in Southeast Asia. My favorite places in Southeast Asia include the Six Senses Hideaway in Vietnam and a number of different resorts in Phuket. Indonesia is nice as well but I am always worried about my security when I am there. I feel much safer in Vietnam and Thailand. I am also considering Africa for a vacation this year.

Politically Incorrect

2009-12-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I got really frustrated today. As I was walking through a mall today in the San Francisco Bay Area - waving and saying "Merry Christmas" - a man tugged on my sleeve and literally pulled me to the side. Of course, I knew who he was immediately. And I instantly recalled the first day he went on the naughty list at the age of 8. He hasn't been off that list since. I also knew exactly what was coming... a lecture. Let's just call him Bill for the purposes of this post as I don't want to reveal his real name. But Bill is that kind of guy - and we all know one - that thinks he is better than everyone else. Superior. You know the type... they are the ones that always have a condescending tone in their voice as they explain how they might do something different. They don't directly address their concern with you but they make their point in a not-so-subtle manner.

So Bill literally pulls me aside. My security team immediately pops out of the shadows and quickly surrounds Bill. I wave them aside. Bill is annoying but he is not a threat. He steps up to me and says, "My name is Bill. It's my pleasure to meet you. What is your name?"

"Santa", I say.

Bill rolls his eyes and chuckles. "No. I mean your real name." He stopped believing when he was 7 years old. What a shame. Who knows how different his life might be if he still believed in the magic of the Christmas Spirit and all of the possibilities this world offers? But he doesn't. He has it all figured out in his own mind. There is no need and no time for wonder.

"Really... I am Santa Claus. But I know you don't believe, Bill. Its ironic that your parents, William Sr. and Angela, both believed their entire lives. Usually the parents stop believing and the kids keep the hope alive... at least for a few years." As I said his parent's names, I saw a brief look of surprise but it quickly disappeared.

Bill turned red. But he quickly controlled his voice and spoke with an obviously forced calm. "Ok then... Santa... I just wanted to let you know that all of us may not celebrate Christmas. If I were playing Santa Claus at the mall, I would say 'Happy Holidays' so as not to offend anyone. Have you considered that option or, perhaps, other alternatives to 'Merry Christmas'?"

"Yes. I have thought seriously about 'Happy Christmas'," I stated confidently.

Bill was obviously flustered. "That's not politically correct. I would think the real Santa, if there were one, would not want to offend anyone."

"Bill, Santa does not want to offend anyone. But Santa celebrates Christmas... not a generic holiday. Santa respects your beliefs... I request you respect mine."

Bill let out an arrogant huff, spun on one foot, and marched off towards the food court. I continued on down the corridor toward the line of kids that were now awaiting me.

I get this every year. And quite candidly, I am growing tired of it. I celebrate Christmas. CHRISTmas. Not a generic, secular holiday. As I told Bill, I respect that others may celebrate different holidays. I don't get upset if someone tells me Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa or Happy Diwali. I don't celebrate those holidays because they don't fit in my religious belief system but I am not offended because someone else does. Tolerance is not about being anti-religious or secular... it is about truly experiencing, practicing, and protecting religious freedom. That means I have the right to celebrate Christmas. I put up a Christmas tree, not a Holiday tree. I send Christmas cards, not Holiday cards. I say "Merry Christmas", not "Happy Holidays"... ok, sometimes I say "Happy Holidays" but not because I feel forced to do so. I sing Christmas carols, not Holiday songs.

And to be clear, I may not agree with your beliefs, but I will be the first to stand up to protect your right to have your own religious beliefs. I expect the same from you in return.

So politically correct or not, you can expect to hear me saying "Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Ho, Ho, Ho!" for many years to come.

Made To Suit

2009-12-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend we awarded the rights to design and produce my Christmas Eve outfit to Nike. I was fitted for the suit on Saturday in Beaverton and by today I was trying on my new outfit. It is fantastic!

My suit from the past couple of years was good but I couldn't seem to keep my temperature regulated. As I changed climates, I would find myself either cold or uncomfortably warm. I never could seem to find just the right temperature. So my staff decided it was time to once again update my Christmas Eve suit. We conducted a pretty thorough initial search and then invited 5 different vendors to make a request for proposal. The finalists came down to Nike and Under Armor. Under Armor had a great story to tell and some fantastic marketing. Everything sounded fantastic but in the final round where we actually sampled product, it was clear that their design & technology was sub-par. The Under Armor product was clearly inferior to Nike's. They were all hype. Their executives weren't the most pleasant to deal with either. Arrogant. And a quick background check, which in retrospect we should have conducted earlier in the selection process, showed that a few of them were on the naughty list. We just can't afford to be doing business with folks on the naughty list. That definitely would be a mistake... and certainly a PR faux pas.

But let me tell you about this suit. I mean... wow! The base layer is the new moisture wicking Nike Pro Combat compression shorts & long-sleeve shirt. I have color choices of "North Pole Ice" (which I call silver),"Arctic Snow" (white), or "Santa Red" (which is my traditional crimson red). The middle layer is a simple, light-weight dri-FIT fleece... upper only. It comes in the same color selection as the compression gear on the base layer. At the moment, I'm leaning toward wearing the "Ice" color for both the base and middle layer.

The outer layer is made from a unique light weight, breathable, moisture repelling material recently developed and pending patent by Nike's ACG division. The entire outer layer... pants and coat both combined weigh less than half a kilogram, despite having the thermal protection equivalent of -75 degrees Celsius This is a top secret material so I can't tell you much more about it. There is only one color selection... my traditional crimson red. I was emphatic that it visually appear like my traditional suit that I have been wearing since the 1950s even though it is far advanced technically beyond what I had back when I first started wearing this particular silhouette. It even has the white fur* trim around the collar and on the cuffs of the jacket and pants. *Note that it is not really fur... its a faux fur designed & manufactured specifically for me. It is so good, even some of the most knowledgeable furriers would not know its fake fur.

Oh, and did I mention that the jacket material is largely made from recycled plastic bottles? Well, it is. The folks at Nike utilize a technique that turns the plastic in your average water bottle into polyester. The polyester is then one of the components of this new material. I learned that they are using this material for many of their products. In fact, just one category of their apparel this next year will use 13 million plastic bottles. That's 13 million plastic bottles that will not be going to the landfill.

They supplied the boots as well. The boots, in traditional black, were designed and manufactured by the team at Cole Haan and it features Nike Air. Extremely comfortable and warm.

The folks at Nike, as did the Under Armor designers, originally wanted me to radically over-haul the suit visually. They wanted to take advantage of my athletic build... ok, maybe that's exaggerating a bit... but they did want to create a sleeker, more fitted, more modern image. While some of my staff agreed with that approach, I just didn't feel it was time to change the look. Maybe in 2050 but not before then. I think, particularly given the current state of affairs in the world, that people want and need some steadfast traditions. The team at Nike heard that. That's another reason I picked Nike. The UA team came back in the second round trying to push their more modern, more aggressive design, even trying to change the outer layer color scheme to a forest green... despite the fact I had made it clear I wanted to maintain tradition. Not Nike... after that first round, they presented everything in the traditional style (even removing the Swoosh... its not visible anywhere on the exterior of the outfit) but continued to introduce new functional features that addressed concerns & needs they had heard from me in the previous rounds. Clearly they were focused on meeting my needs. And they did. I am very happy with my new suit.

I am saving the suit though for Christmas Eve so don't expect to see it on me when you visit at the mall or catch me at some event this Christmas season. But don't try to stay up and see it either... cause if you are still awake on Christmas Eve when I come by, I may have to skip your house. You'll just have to wait and see the pictures in the Nike Press Release.

Ok... its time for me to rush off to dinner with Mrs. Claus before my next staff meeting. I hope you had a great weekend. Not long to go now until Christmas!

Flu Bug!

2009-12-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

As I do every weekend during the Holiday season, I spent most of the day so far visiting children in malls, shopping centers, town squares, etc. I love it. But I think I saw more kids with runny noses and coughs than normal. And at least a dozen kids sneezed and didn't cover it while sitting on my lap. Parents - I highly encourage you to keep your kids at home if they are showing symptoms of being sick. I want to see them but its not worth getting other kids sick.

And maybe its just psychosomatic but I have a headache now. Just a dull, constant headache. And my throat is a little sore. The elf medical team flew in during my last break to run some test. I don't have a fever and all the blood screens looked normal so they sent me back out. Hence the reason I think its psychosomatic. Nevertheless, I wish I had gotten the swine flu vaccination this year. Mrs. Claus and my staff tried to talk me into it but I didn't listen. I think I'll stop by the 24 hour medical clinic and get the shot when I go back to the North Pole later tonight.

Ok... break is over. Time to get back to the kids here at the mall. Enjoy your weekend. And Merry Christmas everyone!

Good Deeds Always Win

2009-12-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

I am very pleased to announce a new contest unlike any we have conducted before. This Christmas you can win a sleigh ride with me and Rudolph. All you have to do is a good deed... well, and write about it.

Here is what you do: Do a good deed. It can be anything. Take that homeless gentlemen on the corner out to breakfast. Donate coats to a local school to be handed out to needy children. Deliver meals to shut-ins. Open a door for someone. Anything. And then post it in the comments below.

My senior team and I will select the "best" good deed post and the winner will get a round trip sleigh ride with me to the North Pole Village from their primary residence on December 22nd. And Rudolph will be pulling the sleigh.

Its a once in a lifetime opportunity... so don't hold back. Go out there and 'do good'.

There is no limit to the number of good deeds you can submit but please only include one good deed per post. The more good you do, the better chance you have of winning.

And remember... I know if you have been naughty or nice. So don't post it if you didn't do it. Otherwise, you'll find yourself on the naughty list for the next decade.

Stay tuned to this blog for the winner to be announced soon.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

What To Expect When Making A Christmas Request

2009-12-08T18:02:00.000-08:00

I have been reading letters from around the world. I've also been skimming some of the "open letters" posted to me on the internet and in newspapers around the world. I love reading all of the kind notes and innocent requests this time of year. If those letters don't put you in the Christmas Spirit, I don't know what will.

I have also started to make mall appearances. And a few snotty nosed kids with attitudes, screaming & terrified toddlers, dirty diapered infants, and adults lamely trying to be funny by sitting on Santa's lap aside, the mall interaction is also largely a lot of fun. And every so often, in one of those interactions with child, I see a little Christmas magic. I see the lights go on in their eyes and I know they leave a different kid... one that will believe in Santa forever. The vast majority of the time, I leave the mall in much better Christmas Spirits than before I arrived. It is this that gives me the energy to get through the day.

Nevertheless, there are always a few requests that I just can not fill or are absurdly insane. "What?!" you may ask incredulously. But let me remind you that I am not supernatural. I have limits just like everyone else. So I want to take this opportunity to set some expectations.

First, I simply can not fill requests for husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. The Legal department here at North Pole Inc. has been very clear that fulfilling any such requests could be construed as an act in violation of International Human Trafficking laws. The risk of such a perception is too great and far outweighs any benefits that could be gained. We can, however, recommend a few good match-making sites upon request.

We also have a number of requests for exorbitant gifts. More often than not, the folks that make those requests are on the "Naughty" list. But for those that are on the "Nice" list, we do have a few rules. We do not deliver gifts over US$25,000 in value unless there is a special exemption granted by our independent auditors. Granting requests over US$25,000 usually requires a pretty extensive background check and involves someone with a life-long tenure on the "Nice" list. Gifts between US$1,000 and US$24,999 also require a minimum of 2 consecutive years on the "Nice" list.

There there are the requests for visiting with me or the reindeer on Christmas Eve. There are so many children that want me to wake them up so they can visit. I would love nothing more than to be able to do that but we are on such a tight schedule, its just not possible. And even if I had the time, I don't think I would risk it. In the early days, when I didn't have so many houses to visit, I would occasionally honor a request to visit and introduce the reindeer. Inevitably though, someone's dog or cat would go into "attack mode" as soon as the reindeer came in the house. It's understandable.... its a natural behaviour for the dog. But the reindeer would get spooked. And on occasion, I'd have a mess to clean-up before I left. Good thing I keep a "pooper-scooper" in the sleigh. Its just not worth all the stained carpets even if I could keep schedule. Now if you really, really want to visit with me and the reindeer, you will have a chance... I will tell you more about it on Thursday's post when I announce a contest to win a sleigh ride with Rudolph.

Speaking of animals... Live animals are another controversial issue. We debate our ability to deliver live animals every year. Each year we re-visit various governmental policies on the import/export of live animals. Inevitably, the topic leads to a heated debate over whether or not we should even be in the business of fulfilling Christmas wishes for live animals. We keep the option open every year... working with the UN and individual nations to negotiate special considerations for our Christmas delivery of live animals... however, more years than not, we have chosen to not fulfill Christmas requests for live animals. As you can imagine, it is a passionate debate with more than one facet to the sides that are taken. While we all feel strongly about making the kids happy, there are some that believe that should trump all other considerations. There is a camp, represented by Jolly, our Asia-Pacific GM and former VP of Marketing, that believes that the risk of the animals falling sick and/or passing away shortly after delivery only serves to hurt our brand. There is yet another camp, predictably led by Ollie, our GM for Europe & Middle East (former VP of Logistics), that simply believes the live animal logistics are so complex - not to mention expensive - that it jeopardizes our ability to fulfill our commitments on other deliveries. Ollie definitely has a point... almost 60% of the qualifying "nice" list kids placed live animal requests of some type last year. And the requests are for a wide range of animals that require vastly different types of care. Of the ones that asked for live animals last year, 36% wanted a horse or pony. 29% wanted a dog. 9% wanted a snake. 12% wanted a cat. 2% wanted a bird of some type. 6% wanted to keep one of the reindeer. The remaining 6% wanted some other type of animal ranging from goldfish to crocidiles. Of course, even in the years when we decide to tackle the challenge of delivering live animals and we clear all of the various governmental hurdles, we still require written parental consent. And we have always denied requests for animals that posed a risk such as poisonous snakes or large predatory animals. In short, even in the best case years, it remains very unlikely a child will receive a live animal. In 2009, we are going to follow the same practices & policies as last year: allowing live animals where it is legal and where we have written parental consent. Given those considerations, Sprite, head of Procurement, believes we'll deliver approximately 25,000 small animals and 5,100 large animals worldwide this year, up slightly from last year. It's a small number as far as a percentage but we are extremely limited by the sheer number of parents that refuse to grant permission.

And finally, there is the issue of "Open Letters" posted on the internet in places such as MySpace and Facebook as well as in the media. Despite the help of my very capable friends at Google, I can not guarantee that I will see your open letter. The North Pole Inc. I.T. team crawls sites during this time of year for Open Letters and produces a summary of links for me. But even with that help, our research indicates that there is still a high likelihood of your open letter being missed. So your best bet is to send me a direct correspondence. Of course, I have noticed that most people send me direct correspondence via emails or handwritten letter for their requests but then use the open letter format to file complaints. Still, I try to read and respond to them all regardless of the spirit.

I hope this has helped to set a few expectations for this upcoming Christmas Eve. I also hope you are not too disappointed. Santa definitely wants to spread Joy throughout the world this Christmas season, so if these restrictions create an issue for you, let's talk. I'm sure there are some very creative ways you can make this your best Christmas ever... And it probably starts with trying to make this the best Christmas ever for someone else!

The First Weekend In December

2009-12-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

I am typing up this post as I lean back in my big leather recliner and put my feet up for the first time since Thursday evening. It's really quite nice. I have my laptop with me and I'm sitting in my private office/den at the house. Mrs. Claus has already gone to bed but she knew I would need a little relaxation at the end of this weekend so she had a fire built in the fireplace for me and a steaming mug of hot chocolate waiting next to my recliner. All the lights are off but I have the light of the fire, the tv is on across the room though on mute, and the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree (did I mention before that we have a Christmas tree in every room?). I took just a few minutes to sit and reflect before I powered up the laptop but found myself starting to doze off... so I powered it up and here I sit typing my note to all of you. I'm sure when I'm done, I'll fall asleep right here in the recliner, wake up a couple of hours later, and then stumble to bed where I'll sleep next to Mrs. Claus for an hour or so before the alarm goes off.

Speaking of, I don't get much sleep at all during this time of year. Mondays are the closest thing I have to a day off. I can really sleep in on Mondays, which means I get almost 4 hours of sleep on Sunday nights. But the truth is... I rarely feel tired. Yes... I know my body is physically exhausted but I just get so much energy from the Christmas season that I just keep going, and going, and going... until December 26th. Then I truly crash for a few days.

Anyway... you probably want to hear about my weekend. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to tell. It was fairly typical with a number of tree lightings and parade appearances on Friday night. Saturday & Sunday both, I bounced around Asia, Europe, and North America making a number of appearances. I got in a really good run at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday... it was Manchester United's Santa Run. That was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed getting to run with and talk to many of you.

The most significant thing I think about the weekend was that something went wrong with our telecommunications network. I am not sure of all the details but I know Melody and her team worked on it non-stop all weekeend. They finally resolved it late this evening NPT. While we were experiencing the issue, neither my iPhone or my Blackberry worked. As a result though, I was "twitter-less". I apologize for those of you following me on Twitter but I just couldn't get to a place to login and tweet.

The other thing I would share is that I met with the manufacturers of the Zhu Zhu Pets to discuss an order increase. Our demand planning team way under-estimated the popularity of the Zhu Zhu pets. We currently have way more Zhu Zhu Pets requested than we have in inventory. The good news is that they are going to do everything possible to increase our order; the bad news is that we will likely still fall short. For those of you making requests via letter, I encourage you to give me an alternate selection in case I don't have enough Zhu Zhu pets to go around. We will be filling the requests on a first-come, first-served basis.

Well... my mug is empty and I'm starting to doze even as I type. I am going to shut down the laptop and drift off to a nice, peaceful slumber. Good night, all.

Ask Santa A Question

2009-12-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Do you have a burning question for me? If so, please enter it in the comments below. I will answer some of the tougher and more interesting questions in a blog post later this month

In the meantime, I highly encourage you to read the questions and answers from last year by clicking here.

Let Christmas Begin!

2009-12-01T23:33:00.001-08:00

It's finally December 1st! And do you know why that's important? It's not because we survived Black Friday and Cyber Monday... which we did. More on that later. Rather, it's because its the day we decorate the North Pole Village for Christmas. I know... most of you just assume that the North Pole is decorated for Christmas 24x7, 365 days a year. But that's not the case. We put up decorations on December 1st and take them down the day after New Years Day. Now don't misunderstand - it's definitely, er... Christmas-y... all the time here at the North Pole Village. But when we decorate, we really decorate. There are literally millions of lights, hundreds of Christmas trees (all live and in planters), and hundreds of kilometers of garland. The highlight though is the North Pole Village Christmas Tree. The annual Christmas Tree lighting is always a grand event that attracts everyone at the North Pole... not to mention a number of celebrities that fly in each year for the lighting. Mrs. Claus officially lights the tree. It's her show. And I simply get to enjoy it. Its a very nice change to sit back, listen to the carolers sing, drink hot chocolate, listen to Mrs. Claus' inspirational speech, and watch as the tree lights up the sky for miles & miles around as she flips the switch. And as always, Mrs. Claus lit the tree tonight. What fun! The entire village is decked out in full Christmas glory. You should see the lights glimmering under the fresh layer of snow we got earlier this evening with stars blinking overhead. You really should come on up and check it out! We'd love to have you visit.

Anyway... I'm getting tired and need to go to bed soon but I promised earlier in the post to tell you about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I actually posted more information about Black Friday at the end of day on the 27th of November. Cyber Monday was equally, if not more, impressive. We recieved literally tens of thousands of hits per second on the North Pole Website. It was all our I.T. people could do to keep the systems up and running... but they did it. I can tell you that I received a record amount of email too as everyone saw my contact info on the website. What a day!

Ok... I am really getting exhausted. It's bed time for Santa. Good night, all!

Origins of Santa Claus - Part 3

2009-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to day 3 of 3 in the telling of the "Origins" trilogy. Today, I complete my re-telling of three classic stories that are intended to give you insights into how I became Santa Claus. There are many other stories through out the 4 years of my blogging, like how I met Mrs. Claus, that also give you much deeper insights into my personal history. As I resume my regular updates tomorrow (which I hope you will read faithfully and will bring you a little Christmas cheer), I encourage you to read back through the years past as well... particularly if you are new follower.

I hope you have enjoyed the series. Merry Christmas, my friends.

As you read in yesterday's "Origins" post, Blitzen saved my life. He found me on the verge of freezing to death after I had been caught in a major snowstorm, deep in the forest, and in the middle of the night. That was my first encounter with a talking and flying reindeer. Before that fateful night, I had believed such things to be the superstitions of old men and creatures of fairy tales. But Blitzen was real. And he opened up a whole new world for Mrs. Claus and I.

Blitzen returned me that night to Mrs. Claus. Later he told me that he didn't think I would make it through the night. He stayed with us in our home in Drobak, helping Mrs. Claus nurse me back to health. By mid-afternoon the following day, thanks in large part to Blitzen, I was beginning to feel myself again. I tried to re-pay Blitzen but he would have none of it. He said that my recovery was a priceless reward for him. But I did make him promise to stay in touch.... I knew he would be a life long friend. Blitzen did stay in touch. Over the course of the following year, he dropped by once a week to visit with us. He accompanied me on my commutes to and from Oslo. We became close friends.

I knew that if there was one talking and flying reindeer, there would certainly be more. But I never asked Blitzen. I understood his need to remain discrete about his abilities. I wanted to respect his privacy. So it was almost a full year later before he ever mentioned anything about his friends or family. And it was another few months before he finally introduced Mrs. Claus and I to all of the other reindeer. What a treat that was!

And eventually, several years later, I was able to re-pay Blitzen for saving my life. The reindeer were being threatened by new development as Oslo expanded and logging increased. Once Mrs. Claus & I became aware of the situation, we promptly used some of my inheritance to buy several hundred square kilometers of land in the northern most part of Norway so the reindeer could live safely & peacefully. That purchase was the first parcel of what is now the full North Pole territory. Mrs. Claus and I fell in love with the land and built our own cabin that we used as a weekend retreat from the shops in Drobak and Oslo. It allowed us to visit regularly with the reindeer.

It was during these weekend visits that we first noticed what we thought to be young children milling about amongst the herds of reindeer. Whenever I would go out to check on the children... concerned because no people lived within a hundred kilometers of our property borders... they would disappear quickly into the woods. The reindeer all assured me that I must have been hallucinating. This happened several weekends in a row. If Mrs. Claus had not also seen the children, I surely would have thought I was going mad. As winter set in, we did not see the children again. By spring, I thought no more about them. But Blitzen, my trusted friend, had not forgotten about the children...

Blitzen knew about my family fortune. And more importantly he knew about my desire to share my good fortune with the less-fortunate. He knew about how I followed my father's tradition of anonymously leaving small bags of gold coins on doorsteps on Christmas Eve. He knew that I had expanded the tradition to secretly pay-off debts of those that had suffered misfortune and to leave some of my hand-crafted toys with their children. I had shared with him how I wished I could extend my reach beyond the Drobak & Oslo areas to help the many others across Scandinavia. And that is why that following Christmas season, on the verge of winter, he told me about the elves.

The elves are human despite what many people may think given their small stature and the rumors of their magical powers (By the way, they aren't anymore magical than you are... it is the stuff of urban myths). They are a race descended originally from the same Siberian-based tribe as the eskimo people. A thousand years earlier, they had migrated north, deep into the Arctic Circle, before turning west and southward and settling in the forests of present-day Norway & Sweden. Living in the forest, they quickly became skilled craftsmen capable of making virtually anything from the timber they cut to make their homes, fuel their fires, and craft their tools. They adopted the reindeer and the reindeer, in turn, adopted them. They forged a deep and critical partnership. It is likely without each other, neither would have survived some of the winters they were forced to endure. For years they were a lost and forgotten tribe altogether; however, a hundred or so years before Mrs. Claus and I built our cabin in this remote land, a missionary... hopelessly lost and on the verge of starvation... stumbled upon the elf village. They nursed the missionary back to health. During his stay, he shared his faith and after hearing the Good News for the first time, the elves were so excited that they immediately broke into celebration. A feast was prepared, music played, elves danced & sang, and gifts were exchanged as was the tradition for all elf celebrations. The missionary told them that it reminded him of how Jesus' birthday was celebrated in other parts of Europe and the Middle East. Hearing this, the tribal elders declared that the birth of Christ would be celebrated in such manner every year. The missionary, fully recovered, set back on his quest and eventually found his way to Oslo. He shared the story of the elves but no one believed him, discounting it as the hallucinations of a starving man. The elves remained forgotten for another hundred years... until Blitzen introduced me to them.

Blitzen knew the elf traditions of celebrating the birth of Christ. He knew about my Christmas Eve traditions. And he knew that with the help of the elves and the other reindeer, I could realize my desire to help even more people. That first Christmas together with the elves, Mrs. Claus & I celebrated with the elves who hosted us in their village. We shared in their traditions. I shared my vision with the tribal elders. And that very Christmas night, we all - the reindeer, the elves, and I - made a commitment to deliver gifts - money, food, tools, & toys - to the deserving and less fortunate people of Norway the following Christmas Eve. From there, the tradition grew....

Origins of Santa Claus - Part 2

2009-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to day 2 of the "Origins" trilogy. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow I am re-telling classic stories I have posted in the past. These stories are designed to give you insight into how I became Santa Claus. I hope you find the series entertaining & informative. I will return to my normal updates on Tuesday, December 1st as the Christmas Season kicks into high gear.

Today's tale is of how I first met the flying reindeer. I first shared this story in December 2005... I hope you enjoy it as much now as you did then.

The first flying reindeer I ever met was Blitzen. It was years ago. It was well before I ever knew reindeer could fly, or knew of elves, or built the North Pole Village.

I was a humble toy-maker in the town I was born - Drobak, Norway. A few years earlier I had met Mrs. Claus, we married, and shortly after opened a toy shop. Our business was starting to take off and I had just expanded into the markets of Oslo. It was a long trip by sleigh in the winter months. I would fill my sleigh with a week's worth of goods so that once I made the trip, I could stay for a full week before returning back along the seldom travelled trails. It was on my trip back late one night in the dead of winter. Even though it wasn't particularly wise to travel the forest alone at night, I was rushing back to be home in time for Mrs. Claus' birthday the next day. I was hoping to arrive just before dawn so I could be there when she woke up. The toy sales had been particularly brisk and I had used the money to buy Mrs. Claus an emerald drop that I had noticed her secretly (or at least, she thought it was secret) admiring in the window on all of our trips to Oslo. As I headed out of town, I noticed the wind picking up and snow beginning to fall. An hour or so outside of town, the storm had arrived. I was unable to see beyond the front of the sled and was forced to stop. It was obvious pretty quickly that I was not prepared. My only shelter was a blanket I huddled under, curled up in the floor of the sleigh. I could feel the life seeping out from me as the cold set in. After a few minutes, I was no longer cold but I could feel my eyelids getting heavier. Deep down, I knew I was going to die yet my only thoughts were about taking a nap. I don't know to this day if it was minutes or hours later... but I suddenly felt an extremely cold blast on my face as the blanket was pulled back. A warm nose brushed against my face. I was certain I was hallucinating... surely I wasn't talking to a reindeer. Surely he wasn't offering to fly me home. Even the next morning, when I woke up in my own bed back in Drobak, I thought for sure it was a dream. Or it was a hallucination. But it wasn't. It was Blitzen.

After that day, Mrs Claus and I both grew very close to Blitzen. Over time, he trusted us enough to introduce us to the other flying reindeer that lived in the woods of Norway. He was also the one who introduced us to the elfs and their tradition of selfless gift giving. Without Blitzen, it is conceivable that their never would have been a Santa Claus.

To this day, Blitzen remains my lead reindeer. Rudolph may be the most famous of all.... and we love him like we do every one of the reindeer... and he is in front of the team on Christmas Eve but Blitzen is my favorite. Even at his age, he remains the fastest, smartest, and most cheerful of the reindeer.

Origins of Santa Claus - Part 1

2009-11-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the "Origins" Trilogy. Today through Monday I am going to re-tell three classic stories about my past that will help you understand how I became Santa Claus. I hope you enjoy the stories. I will return to posting my regular (and original) updates on Tuesday, December 1st as the Christmas Season really kicks into high gear.

The first Christmas I remember was when I was 3 years old. I lived with my father and mother near the small village of Drobak. My father was an exiled king. Before I was born, he had ruled a kingdom that stretches across much of what is now Germany. S oon after my mother became pregnant with me, my father's younger brother, who had been the next in line for the throne, conspired with a neighboring king to overthrow my father. Fearing for the life of my mother and me, my father fled to Norway. Though my father remained extremely wealthy, having escaped with much of the family treasures, we lived like paupers so as not to draw attention to ourselves.

Our house was just outside the Village. My father had built it with his own hands. It was probably the first thing he had ever built. It was small, drafty, and almost perptually dark as it sat under the deep cover of the forest... the only warmth coming from a stone fireplace and the only light from that fire and the candles my mother had made. Yet when we were all there together, it somehow seemed to glow with warmth. Back then, there was no Santa Claus (obviously!) to bring presents, no Christmas parades, no Christmas parties, no Sales at the mall, no TV Holiday Specials, no Christmas carols, nor gift giving. There were certainly no Christmas lights. In fact, the only semblance of a decoration for most families at that time was a small tree. Traditionally, a small tree was cut each year and brought inside on Christmas Eve to be decorated by the family. As you can tell, our Christmases were pretty "bare" by today's standards.

From that 'first' Christmas, aged 3, I remember getting in the sleigh right after we finished decorating our tree on Christmas Eve. We traveled several kilometers through the woods to the closest church. I remember my father crying - a small tear running down his cheek - as the priest told the story of how God had sent His only Son to the world - not as a prince but as a poor baby sleeping in rags in a stable - in order to save the very people that no longer believed in God. After the service, he knelt and prayed for the longest time. I do not know until this day what he prayed but as I now look back, I can imagine that he gave thanks and prayed that he would have the strength to be an example of that kind of love. It was dark by the time we started our trip back home. We stopped several times. Each time my father would jump out of his seat, pull something from the sleigh, and bound through the snow towards a nearby cabin. As I grew older, and after many years of the same stops, I figured out that my father was leaving small bags of gold coins at the doors of those most needy. The next morning, the residents would wake up to find the coins at their doorstep and their quality of life changed forever. Never again would they wonder where the next meal would come. No one ever expected it to be my father and that was exactly how he wanted it. I fell quickly asleep once we returned home. As I would every Christmas after that until I moved out, I awoke to the sounds of people chattering excitedly about Christmas morning. The smell of pancakes and hot cider permeated the air. Most of the villagers were gathering at our house. We didn't have much space, but somehow, almost everyone squeezed into that small, 1-room home for a delicious Christmas morning breakfast that my mom had stayed up all night to prepare. She did not want anyone to be alone on Christmas Day. She told me that morning that she believed Christmas was a day of Hope, intended to be spent rejoicing with friends and family rather than focusing on every day trials.

I will never forget that Christmas, though I was merely 3 years old. At the time I did not know it, but this was our annual Christmas tradition. My father never stopped weeping at the Christmas story. And he never stopped giving anonymously to those in need. And my mother never stopped hosting the village in our home on Christmas Day. As I grow older, I realize that my parents lived life, and approached every decision, with that same spirit of Christmas every day. The lessons they have taught me, will never leave me. I only pray to set the same example of selfless giving that my father & mother set before me.

Merry Christmas, all!

They Call It Black Friday

2009-11-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

I ended up and didn't sleep much last night. After I posted, I went to bed but laid there wide awake for two hours before the alarm went off at 3am. I was so excited about the official start of the Holiday season I just couldn't sleep. It's much the same feeling that I suspect you have when you go to bed on Christmas Eve... the excitement and anticipation are just too much, even for an exhausted body.

So when the alarm went off at 3am, I quickly shut it off to keep from waking up Mrs. Claus and I gleefully hopped out of bed. I put on my running shoes and headed out for quick run through the Village. When I got back, I brewed my first pot of (decaf) Christmas Blend coffee and the first cup was ready when I got out of the shower. I slammed the coffee along with a protein smoothie I had put in the fridge the night before and headed out the door for my 5am (NPT) staff meeting. I checked my iPhone (I am using both iPhone & Blackberry... I interchange them based on how much email I am going to do that day. I prefer Blackberry for email and the iPhone for viewing reports & applications) on the way to staff meeting for the Naughty & Nice Executive Scorecard. It was there. North America had the typical post-Thanksgiving "bump" in Nice by almost 10% since last quarter... it happens every year. Central & South America and Europe & Middle East regions were both slightly up in the Nice category. Central & South America up 1.2% and Europe & Middle East up 0.3%. Africa was virtually flat (down 0.02%). Asia-Pacific was disappointing, down almost 5% (i.e. Naughty list up 4.7 points).

Staff meeting was focused on reviewing overall readiness. From there, my Senior Team and I all went over to the Operations Center for an all-Employee meeting at 6am NPT. The teams based in other locations like China and India all watched on video we streamed over the web. After Jingle welcomed everyone, each of the regional GMs briefly reviewed their goals for this Holiday season, and then I officially kicked off the countdown to Christmas Eve 2009. And as soon as the meeting was done and the Christmas carols began to play, everyone quickly scurried out to their workstations and Christmas Season 2009 was underway.

I caught a sleigh to Brussels, where I made a morning show appearance and met with NATO officials regarding air security on Christmas Eve. From there, I flew to the east coast of the US where I made a number of morning show appearances before spending the day criss-crossing the US and Canada for mall appearances, parades, and the occasional local news interview. As I finished up afternoon mall appearances on the US West Coast, I made a quick trip to Asia for a number of public appearances before returning back to the US where I participated in 3 different parades.

Then it was back to the North Pole for a tour of the Production Facility, to the Operations Center for the first look at long-range weather forecast models, a brief tour of the Distribution Center, and to the all-Reindeer meeting where I gave a brief presentation. At 11pm NPT, I met with my staff again for a brief end-of-day status report. I am happy to say that after our first full shift of operations (its not a full day yet, we'll be running 24x7), all areas remained "green".

Mrs. Claus and I then had a late dinner together. She went to bed immediately after dinner but I came back into my home office here to catch up on emails. There was definitely a jump in my email traffic today. I get that every year on Black Friday. And those increased volumes sustain through Christmas Eve. As I started to write this post, I had just finished two hours of reading & responding to those emails. At this point, its time for me to go to bed and try to get a couple of hours of sleep... Saturday is going to be just as busy, maybe busier, than today.

Good night, All. And Happy Holidays!

What A Thanksgiving Day!

2009-11-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Wow. What a day! I had a lot of fun but I must admit I am very happy to be sitting here in my big leather recliner, laptop in hand, roaring fire beside me, a cup of steaming Starbucks Thanksgiving blend coffee resting on the side table next to me, snow falling outside the window, Mrs. Claus across the room reading her latest book club assignment, and - most of all - silence. It is quiet. It was a wonderful day but it was go, go, go! And with the Holiday season really kicking into high gear tomorrow, I am keenly aware that these are my final moments of relaxation for about 6 weeks. So I am enjoying it! And I am very happy to share some of this moment with you... well, at least virtually through my blog posting.

I actually slept in a little this morning. Mrs. Claus had to trick me to get me to sleep in but I'm glad she did. Apparently, after I crawled into bed last night, she woke up and slipped over to turn off my alarm clock. I slept until she came in to wake me up around 9am NPT... almost 5 hours later than I will sleep most days from here on through Christmas. She had prepared breakfast, lit the fire place in our bedroom, and brought breakfast in. Oatmeal, pancakes, two eggs over-hard, bacon, fresh cheeses, German-style pork sausage, and of course a decaf latte. It was way more than I needed but it was really good. After a fairly leisurely breakfast, I showered just to wake myself up and then went for a walk around town with Joe (that's my dog). I made a point of stopping in to the reindeer quarters to wish them all a Happy Thanksgiving. Almost everyone has the day off today except crucial emergency personnel but Joe and I also made our way over to the hospital, fire & police stations, and the NPI operations center to visit with the elves that are having to work. I brought Starbucks Thanksgiving blend coffee, hot chocolate, and doughnuts with me to hand out to everyone. By the time I finished visiting with everyone, I had just enough time to hurry back home, change clothes, and go for a brief run. The run felt great! Very energizing but I was running late so I rushed through my shower and off to North Pole Flight Center, leaving Mrs. Claus behind in the middle of her Thanksgiving Dinner preparations. Blitzen, Comet, and Rudolph then flew Jingle, Candy, and I down to New York for the parade. From the parade, it was off to Detroit for a brief appearance at the NFL game there. Then it was a quick flight down to Dallas, where I stayed to watch the entire game Cowboys game. Mrs. Claus was not happy I had stayed for the game because I was really late getting back to the North Pole. I made it just in time to change clothes for the big Thanksgiving Day dinner.

The dinner was, as always, fantastic. Mrs. Claus made just incredible food. And it was great to see everyone. We had literally hundreds of guests as all the elves and reindeer joined us along with about 50 guests we had invited from outside the North Pole. I think this may have been our biggest Thanksgiving ever. Regardless, I know our guests had a great time. After dinner, Taylor Swift performed for about an hour. The crowd just loved her... particularly her rendition of Ava Maria which she sang in transition from her original songs to a number of classic Christmas carols. After the concert, most of the guests mingled around for another couple of hours. Almost half of them even took advantage of DJ Elroy's presence (he is widely regarded as the best DJ amongst the elves) to dance to his club mix tunes as he took center stage after Taylor was done. Mrs. Claus and I even danced a little. I am not a dancer... not at all... but I had a blast. It's going to be hard to top this party next year.

It was a fun day. I really am excited about this upcoming Holiday season. I believe this will be our best Christmas ever. I certainly hope & pray it will be your best. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas, All!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T11:09:00.001-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

For those of you in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your football, feasts, and time with family & friends.

For everyone else in the world, it is still a good day for you to take some time to reflect on all of your blessings and give thanks. I encourage you to take a moment and tell someone you love how grateful you are for them. Enjoy the day!

Thanksgiving Eve 2009

2009-11-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

For most of you out there in the US, I should say "Happy Thanksgiving!" because its past midnight and technically into Thanksgiving for you. I am on North Pole Time and it is long past midnight for me as I write this post.

While it has been a very long day, I am not in the least bit tired. I have caught the "Christmas fever". I am SO excited for the Holidays. Its a good thing too since the Holiday season kicks off tomorrow for me on a personal basis as Mrs. Claus and I host our annual Thanksgiving banquet and then it kicks off on a professional basis on Friday as our Operations swing into full gear.

I think the Christmas spirit really hit me today because of what I did. First, I started the day especially early, around 4am, with a run. The snow was falling as I ran and that always gets me in the Holiday mood. I finished the run at the Village Starbucks, where I had coffee with Jingle to discuss tomorrow's morning appearances across North America including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and at NFL games in Detroit & Dallas. The egg nog latte was superb! By the way... I have to confess... I have gone decaf for the most part but I did cheat and have a regular, fully caffeinated latte this morning. From there, I had breakfast with Mrs. Claus at the house. Afterwards, I flew with Jingle down to Tennessee to pick-up the fresh turkey's for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner.

We were back around lunch time so I pulled together my staff for an impromptu, informal discussion over lunch. We chatted for awhile personally - sharing things from our weekend, etc - and then discussed the status of the re-org transition and its impact on the team's morale. Overall, everyone was very pleased with how well the re-org has been accepted by the team members. Obviously, we still have some "kinks" in the roles & responsibilities to work out but we are ahead of where we thought we might be.

After lunch, I joined Mrs. Claus to see if I could help with set-up for tomorrow's big Thanksgiving Day dinner. As always, she insists on cooking all of the food and she refuses help from me. So I wandered over to the Hall in which we'll hold the dinner. And let me tell you, I got over there at the right time. Amongst all the elves scurrying to hang decorations, set tables, and generally position everything for tomorrow's event, I found Taylor Swift on stage doing her sound check. Mrs. Claus specifically requested her for this year's banquet and now I know why after seeing her perform. What a voice! Especially for someone so young. It's going to be a real treat for our guests tomorrow to hear her sing. She will perform some of her original work but she is also going to sing a number of classic Christmas Carols.

When the sound check was over, I had Rudolph and Blitzen fly me down to Heidelberg, Germany for the opening of the Christmas markets there. What fun! Even though it was a Wednesday night, there was a great crowd out. I made sure I had a crepe with Nutella before I left. And of course, I sampled all the food that was available in the various booths. The town was beautifully decorated too with lights on practically every building, Christmas trees in every open space, and lights on the street lamps. It was magical.

After the markets in Germany, I rushed back to help Mrs. Claus. She sent me out on a grocery run. Of course, by then it was late and many of the things she needed, like pumpkin pie filling, were sold out at the Village market. I had to scramble around on my sleigh to multiple places to finally find everything she needed. She and I had a snack together after I returned... we had both skipped dinner we were so busy. Ok... maybe you can't call me skipping dinner when I grazed my way through all the Christmas markets, but it wasn't a proper meal either!

Post-snack, I just dove into helping the elves prepare the banquet room. We finally finished a few minutes before I sat down to write this post. I must say it was a good day. And it definitely sparked the Christmas spirit in me. But its time for me to crash... I have a long - but exciting - day ahead tomorrow.

Have a great Thanksgiving, all!

Europe For The Pre-Season

2009-11-24T01:27:00.000-08:00

If you have been following me on Twitter.com (@NorthPoleCEO), you know that I spent last week in Europe. All of the sleighs were in for the annual pre-season service. The reindeer were also taking their annual "rest week" prior to the start of the very busy Holiday season. So I was confined to travelling commerical airlines. And to make matters worse, because of the economic situation, flying "economy" rather than business or first class. Given all of the logistics, I decided to contain my travel over the past 10 days to Europe.

I have to tell you, it was a great few days visiting all across the European continent. Christmas decorations were out in most town centers. In many cities, the Christmas Markets had already opened and I enjoyed visiting them. In fact, I may have enjoyed them a little too much.... they all had those crepes with Nutella. I can't resist those. I am guessing I put on about 5 lbs. Normally that wouldn't be an issue but right here on the cusp of the busy season, I need to be in peak shape.

I did see some really good football while in Europe. I went to the Ireland v. France World Cup Qualifier. Wow! Thierry Henry is without question on my naughty list. I also saw Manchester City take a 2-2 result at Liverpool and Manchester United keep 5 points back of Chelsea with a 3-0 win over Everton. It was quite fun to have a little time to take in football. By this time next week, I'll have no time to attend football games, or any other non-Christmas event, for that matter.

On Sunday and Monday of this week, I returned to Germany. I spent much of my time in and around Heidelberg, where my father had once been King. Stay tuned for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday posts where I will explain about my father being a king. Anyway, I had a great time & great food in Germany and am looking forward to the Christmas Market opening tomorrow in Heidelberg.

But I am back now from the Holiday and ready to go! Stay tuned the next few nights for new posts and more information on my Origins as Santa Clause.

Origins Trilogy Planned

2009-11-23T01:17:00.000-08:00

By popular request, I am going to be posting the "Origins Trilogy" this next weekend. I will have original posts for the day before the US's Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, and the day after Thanksgiving; however, beginning this weekend, I will run a 3 part series that outlines my origins as Santa Claus. These posts will be the re-tellings of classic tales from years prior, but with additional insights introduced into the stories. It also will represent the first time these tales have been told together and in chronological order.

The posts will run on consecutive days beginning Saturday, November 28th through Monday, the 30th of November.

I hope you enjoy the Origins Trilogy!

North Pole Inc. Re-Organization

2009-11-15T22:49:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to announce a significant milestone today in the continued evolution of North Pole Inc. Effective today, just in time for the start of the Holiday season, we are implementing a new organizational structure designed to keep us relevant with the new hyper-connected, global generation. To be very clear... our mission remains to make the world a better place than we found it. I believe that this re-organization will make us more effective in achieving that mission.

It is important to note that there are no job losses associated with this re-structuring. This is not about efficiencies, though efficiencies are important, but rather about being more connected with the world's children and more effective in spreading joy.

Our previous organization was functionally focused. To be closer to the markets in which the world's children live, we are re-positioning the organization to be regionally-focused. We will maintain functional centers of excellence and a process organization to ensure the appropriate level of consistency is maintained and best practices are applied.

My new direct report senior team will now consist of the following:

Jingle will remain as Chief of Staff but also assume the duties of Chief Operating Officer. The responsibilities of the COO are different than previously defined when the role was held by Candy. The COO is responsible for oversight of the various functional centers of excellence (Marketing, PR, Procurement, Production, Merchandising, Logistics) as well as Internal Communications, Legal, Government Affairs, Flight Operations, and the newly formed Process Excellence organization. The functional centers of excellence coordinate across various regions and drive best practices; however, each region is fully self-sufficient with their own dedicated functions. The regions retain full decision rights.

Candy will assume the responsibility of the North America General Manager. She will be responsible for Merchandising, Procurement, Manufacturing, Logistics, Marketing, and Public Relations for the United States & Canada.

Snowflake, previously the Chief Information Officer, will assume the role of General Manager for Central & South America. She will be responsible for Merchandising, Procurement, Manufacturing, Logistics, Marketing, and Public Relations for the Americas minus the US and Canada.

Ollie, former Logistics Director, has been promoted to General Manager of Europe and the Middle East.

Jolly, former Chief Marketing Officer, will serve as the General Manager for Asia-Pacific.

Merry, who recently served as Corporate Controller reporting to Jangle, will take on the role of GM for Africa.

Melody has been promoted to Chief Information Officer, leading the Information Technology function. She replaces Snowflake, who assumed the Central & South America GM role.

Star has been promoted into the newly created role of Global Design Vice President. She will be responsible for the design of all new products as well as the creation of the global line from which the regions will merchandise product.

Jangle will continue as the Chief Financial Officer. North remains the Vice-President of Human Resources as well as Reindeer & Elf Affairs. Both will continue to report directly to me.

I am excited about these changes. I believe that we now have the organization required to move forward into the next decade. As always, we will remain open to change and evolve as the world's children continue to change and adapt to the world we live in. The one thing that will always remain constant though at North Pole Inc is this... we are committed to leaving the world a better place than we found it.

Friday the 13th

2009-11-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Let me be clear at the beginning -I am NOT superstitious. Well, at least I wasn't. I am re-considering my position on the subject after today.

The day started with me spilling coffee on myself just as I was about to walk out the front door for a big meeting. All over the white shirt and tie. By the time I changed shirts, I was behind schedule. I rushed as quickly as I could to the meeting. As I stepped into the elevator I caught a whiff of something foul. Very foul. I was afraid I knew what it was... I lifted my right foot and stared at the sole. Clean. I lifted the left foot... ugh! Reindeer poop. Already late for the meeting, I ducked quickly into the men's room and used a towel to clean the bottom of my shoe. I walked into the meeting 15 minutes late and smelling slightly of reindeer poo.

The meeting, despite being late, went fairly well. I thought the day was turning around as I went to lunch with an old friend. Thai food. In Bangkok :-). But that thought did not linger as I checked a new text message from the North Pole HQ. "Severity Level 1 System Issue - All Systems Completely Down". I immediately called our Chief Information Officer, Snowflake. Snowflake informed me that the systems had been down for an hour, there was currently no known root cause issue and therefore there was no estimated time for recovery. And the systems failure had practically brought the entire North Pole operation to its knees. Every thing was shutdown. If this had happened in January, February, or even as late as October, I would not have been so worried. But by mid-November, even with being merely in "pre-season mode", every day matters.

After lunch, I called Snowflake again. Still no information. I decided I had better head back to the HQ. As we flew over northern Germany, Blitzen informed me that we were going to need to make and immediate emergency landing. Comet had started to cramp up. As we approached the landing area, several hundred miles shy of our destination a t the North Pole, we began to list to the right. Comet could no longer fly. I was afraid a few times that we might roll over.. but Blitzen and crew held it together for a safe - but very rough - landing. I radioed HQ and asked for assistance. Star flew down to take Comet's place. The medical team arrived before Star and transported Comet back to the North Pole. Btw - Comet is going to be fine. He just needed some additional fluids.

When I landed some 3 hours later than planned, Jingle met me at the landing pad. I could tell he had a worried look. I was afraid to ask but I did anyway. Jingle let me know that our airspace rights for Christmas Eve over the EU countries had been revoked. There was no explanation as to why or who made the decision in the notification we had received from the EU office in Brussels. As of the writing of this email, we do not have resolution. I will be going to Brussels personally next week to lobby for the re-establishment of our Christmas Eve airspace rights.

Before I knew it, I was 4 hours behind schedule and already late for dinner with Mrs. Claus. I was still looking at a pile of work and still no system to support me. I called Mrs. Claus and asked if we could re-schedule dinner for tomorrow night. I suggested a few friends she might call for dinner in my stead. She was not happy with me at all.

Finally, by the time I left the office around 10pm NPT (North Pole Time), I was exhausted. The good news is the system was at least partially recovered... hence my ability to make this post. I decided I would stop for a quick decaf egg nog latte on my way home. I figured a nice warm drink would help me sleep. But... of course... they were out of egg nog. So I asked for a sugar-free decaf caramel latte. No luck. Out of sugar free & regular caramel both. I decided a that point that it was time to call it a night. I headed back home, made a beeline for my home office, and began to write this post.

As you can see, it was a rough day. I don't "blame" it on Friday the 13th but I am exhausted. I am going to sleep now and hope for a better day tomorrow. Good night, all.

11/11

2009-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

11/11. The 11th of November. Across the world it is known as Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, Armistice Day, or Poppy Day. It is the day that many nations recognize those who have served, and particularly those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, their countries in the pursuit of freedom, liberty, and justice. It originally began in 1918 when the Allied Forces reached a cease fire agreement with German forces, thus ending World War I. In the following year, Great Britain, France, Australia, Canada, the United States, and several other countries declared November 11th as "Armistice Day"... a day to recognize those who fought so bravely and honorably in the first World War. It remained Armistice Day until the conclusion of World War II, when it was changed to honor all veterans.

Today I will go to the church here in the North Pole Village where I will kneel in prayer and remembrance. I will pray for peace. I will pray for justice. I will pray for the souls of those that want to commit evil. I will give thanks for those that have served in the cause of freedom. I will pray for courage, wisdom, and a safe return for those that serve today. I will pray for comfort for those that have lost loved ones to the fight for freedom. I will pray for rest & a quiet confidence for the families of those who are serving today. I will pray for our kids and future generations that they will know freedom and peace.... I will pray that they never have to go into battle to protect either. And I will thank God for my freedom. May I never, ever take it for granted. May I never forget the sacrifice that so many have made in order for me.. and for you... to enjoy that freedom.

May God bless our veterans, the men & women around the world who serve for freedom today, and their families. Thank you.

A Busy Pre-Season Weekend

2009-11-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a great weekend. I certainly did, though it was very busy and exhausting. Since I only have a few weekends left before I am in the midst of Holiday season, I took this one as a personal weekend to have some fun. Mrs. Claus also took the weekend off but she did her own thing with her friends.

If you were following my tweets, you know it was a sports weekend for me. My sports passions are football (the global version) and American football. On Saturday, I went to the biggest college game of them all... the Alabama-LSU game. If you live in North America, you may have seen me on TV as the national network twice turned the camera toward me. I will never grow tired of the atmosphere & excitement of a big-time college football game. Sunday was particularly busy as I was in attendance at Stamford Bridge for the Manchester United-Chelsea match and then rushed to the Cowboys-Eagles NFL game in Philadelphia. I was really disappointed with the ManU result. Terry was clearly off-sides. The linesman and referee are both on my naughty list. Unfortunately, that won't change the fact that ManU is five points back and not looking nearly as strong as last year. At least the Cowboys game went the way I wanted it too and Dallas is in good position for early November.

My weekend really started on Friday with a very nice and unexpected surprise from a dear friend of mine. She showed up at the office with an extra-large decaf egg nog latte... the first of the season for me! And it was fantastic. It was from Dutch Brothers. As much as I love Starbucks, this was better. Right now, my only retail choice in North Pole Village is Starbucks but I am checking into acquiring a Dutch Brothers franchise for the North Pole. A little competition is good for everyone, right?

Saturday it was good to get down to Alabama. All of that heavy snow we had been getting at the North Pole turned to rain as a warm front came through. All the fresh clean powder turned to a gray slush. After I came in from my morning run, I was soaked head to foot and freezing. In fact, we had some minor flooding in parts of the village. Making matters worse, by the time I returned from the football game, the temperatures had dropped below freezing again and it all froze. Elves and reindeer were slipping and sliding everywhere. It wasn't even worth trying to take your sleigh out... it was best to just stay home if you were already there.

By Saturday night late and into early Sunday morning, the snow resumed. When I awoke Sunday morning, we had a good base of powder snow.. almost 0.5 meters... covering the ice and providing some traction. And that was good because I had to take a couple of my buddies to the airport in Oslo at 3:45a Sunday my time. As you can imagine, I didn't get much sleep the night before. And in case you are wondering... yes, my buddies flew back home from Oslo via commercial airlines. I did not fly them up or back in the sleigh. Reindeer and elves union rules are very strict about use of the sleighs for non-business flights. Mrs. Claus and I can use them for personal use but we have restrictions as to who & when we can take with us on non-business related matters.

Anyway, it was busy weekend and I am exhausted! I am going to hit the sack here soon but before I do, I want to make sure you check out the blog headlines. I am going to be sponsoring a contest in which you can win a sleigh ride with Rudolph! Keep checking in for details on how to win.

Have a good week. It's snooze time for me.

Never Take Yourself Too Seriously

2009-11-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

About this time of year I start to hear all the "Santa jokes". Usually folks are whispering them under their breath so that I won't hear and be offended. Well... remember... I know if you have been naughty or nice. Do you really think I didn't hear that?! Really?

The good news is I think they're funny, so I want to share a few with you. I hope you get a good laugh out of it.

Why does Santa always go down the chimney?

Because it soots him.

Where does Santa stay when he's on holidays?

At a Ho-ho-tel!

What does Mrs. Claus sing to Santy on his birthday?

Freeze a jolly good fellow!"

An honest politician, a kind lawyer and Santa Claus were walking down the street and saw a $100 bill. Which one picked it up?

Santa! The other two don't exist!

Why does Santa like to work in his garden?

Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!

What do you get if Santa comes down the chimney while the fire is still burning?

Crisp Kringle!

What do you call someone who doesn't believe in Father Christmas?

A rebel without a Claus!

What does Santa use when he goes fishing?

His north pole!

What's red & white and red & white and red & white?

Santa rolling down a hill!

What's red and green and flies?

An airsick Santa Claus!

What is red and white and black all over?

Santa Claus covered in ashes.

What does Santa get if he gets stuck in a chimney?

Claustrophobic!

Why won't Santa eat Twinkies?

He would rather eat Ho-Hos.

The Commercialization of Christmas

2009-11-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

Ugh! I have to admit I am frustrated. The last two days I have been scouting malls around the world... from Dubai to London to Los Angeles. And while I found some great new locations that I will add to my normal schedule, I also grew more and more frustrated at how virtually every retail outlet is already decorated for Christmas. Can they not wait for at least mid-November?!

Please do not misunderstand... I am very glad that folks are excited about Christmas and that they want to celebrate it. I also appreciate the fact that the Christmas season is "make or break" for most retailers across Europe and North America. In fact, most of them lose money all year and make a enough during the Christmas period that they are profitable for the full year. Think about that for a moment... it is staggering. I do appreciate that. If it were not for that fact, I would call for a boycott of any retailer displaying Christmas decorations or advertising prior to November 20th. But we all need the retailers to be profitable. A bad Christmas season at retail and our global economic recovery may see a major set-back. That would not be good for anyone.

All of that said though.... the earlier we see Christmas decorations up each year, the more commercialized Christmas becomes. And the more commercialized, the greater the tendency is for us to forget the true reason for Christmas. So I am going to ask you to battle the commercialization of Christmas - not by boycotting retailers (please don't) but by making a point to spread the true Christmas spirit. You can do that by taking the time to:

Read the Christmas story yourself. Don't wait until Christmas Eve, read it now.
Make a point of sharing the Christmas story with at least one child.
Tell someone you love exactly that... make a point of saying "I love you" everyday through Christmas.
Buy mistletoe, hang it up, and use it.
Donate to a charity of your choice. The amount doesn't matter... just give something. In many countries, your donations are tax deductible.
Make dinner for someone you know that is unemployed.
Commit to one random act of kindness each day.
Play like me for one day. Be a "secret Santa" and leave a gift for a neighbor or co-worker.
Take time to reflect on your blessings and give Thanks no matter how big or small those blessings are.

Do these things and I promise, you'll have the best Christmas ever. And you will likely make someone else's the best ever as well.

November Already?

2009-11-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

The first 10 months of 2009 have really flown by for me. I can hardly believe its November already. But I truly am starting to get in the Christmas spirit. Maybe its because it has started to snow here at the North Pole. We have had fresh snow the past 3 days in a row and it really looks like a winter wonderland. Yes... here in the northern most part of the our property, right at the pole, we have snow on the ground year-round but we sometimes go months without fresh snow. The snow does get old, crunchy, and more of an "off-white".... especially in the reindeer run areas, if you know what I mean :-). But new snow changes all that. And there must be at least 2 feet of fresh powder.

It was a busy off-season for me. Lots of travel for both work and pleasure... and sometimes a mixture of both. I spent large amounts of time Europe, China, India, Japan, and the USA on business. Mrs. Claus and I made a few trips to Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, and Kenya on a volunteer basis to help with various humanitarian efforts. And Mrs. Claus and I took a few breaks as well. As I get older, I find I need a little bit more rest & relaxation time during the off-season. Our break times included trips to Maui (1 month), the Six Senses Hideway in Vietnam (1 week... unbelievable place), and simply staying around the North Pole.

Now things are starting to gear up for the upcoming Holiday season. I am excited about it. Pre-season preparations are already underway. I have toured production facilities, met with the team, presented orientation to all of the new hires, etc. Later this week I'll make my annual mall scouting tour to determine which malls I'll personally visit this year (as opposed to sending a delegate. Yes... sometimes it is a delegate and not me. Don't broadcast that to your kids though, ok?)

One thing I'm concerned about though with the upcoming season is my physical fitness. I am definitely getting older. And to some degree I feel I have plateued with my current regimen. That combined with all the work dinners, holiday dinners, parties, etc. that I'm required to be at this year... not to mention my Christmas Eve indulgence of milk and cookies... I feel I have to do something different. Beginning yesterday (Nov 1st), I'm stepping up my exercise routine. I am going to maintain a more intense workout schedule through the end of December. So far so good as I ran hard yesterday (in the snow... it was great) and I have already lifted weights today. Hopefully all of you can watch my blog and if I seem to be slacking off, bug me to get back on schedule. In fact, maybe some of you can join me in committing to staying healthy through the Holiday season...?

Ok... I gotta get to it. The day is calling... and more specifically, Mrs. Claus is calling. The eggs are ready and she's not going to wait on me for breakfast.

Have a great day, everyone! Happy November.

Santa Blog To Resume Holiday Schedule

2009-11-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

Press Release
For Immediate Release

BLOG TO RESUME HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

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

"Santa suspended off-season posts this year after the first few months had disappointing results. Instead, we focused on 'tweeting', which turned out to have a very positive response. Santa will continue his tweets in addition to his daily posts," 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. Santa 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.

Again this year, you can subscribe to receive updates via RSS. In addition to adding comments to Santa's posts, he can now also be reached via email at SantaNorthPoleCEO@gmail.com.

And finally, in Santa's effort to remain as connected and accessible as possible, look for him on GoogleTalk as well.

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.

FOLLOW SANTA ON TWITTER

2009-11-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! It is going to be a great Christmas this year. I am already in the Christmas spirit... are you?

This season I'll be 'tweeting' in addition to blogging. If you want to keep up with me, you can sign up to follow me at www.Twitter.com. My screen name is NorthPoleCEO. I'll be sending tweets regularly.

Love,
Santa

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T22:58:00.001-08:00

May you all have a safe, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year in 2009!

With Love,
Santa

The Final Hours of Christmas

2008-12-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

I hope it was a wonderful Christmas for all of you. I think this may have been my best yet.

My Christmas day started about four hours after we landed back at the North Pole. Mrs Claus and I had to wrap up the Operations before we headed home for our traditional Christmas brunch. For some reason, having a nice, leisurely-paced breakfast with Mrs. Claus after the long night and even longer Christmas Eve preparations seems like a luxury. I really start to relax. As I always do, I took a quick nap after breakfast. But not too long... my senior staff came over for a Christmas Day celebration. Its an intimate little gathering... just 20 or so of us (including guests), good food & drink, and a Holiday-season's worth of stories to tell on each other. We all enjoy each other so much more when the pressure is off and we can just relax.

After everyone left, I fell asleep on the recliner as I do each year, next to a roaring fire, surfing the movie channels (Did I mention, we are getting free movie channels as a promotion from our cable provider?). Mrs. Claus woke me up in the early evening hours so I wouldn't sleep the night away. We went for a walk, hand-in-hand, around the Village to enjoy the lights and the lightly falling snow. When we got back from our walk, Mrs. Claus made hot chocolate while I brought in more wood for the fireplace. Once we got settled, with the fire once again roaring and the hot chocolate in our mugs, we exchanged gifts. Last year I was spot on with the gifts for Mrs. Claus after about 10 years in a row of getting it wrong. But this year, I was right back to my old ways... everything I got was either the wrong size, wrong color, or wrong style. Ugh! Yes, even I have problem giving gifts to my spouse! So don't feel bad if you find yourself in the returns line tomorrow morning. The good news is that Mrs. Claus was very understanding and we had a very Merry Christmas anyway. After all, the gifts are just a symbol.

Well, Mrs. Claus has retired for the evening. I'm pretty tired but I wanted to check in with you before I take a 10 or 12 hour "nap" for the first time in a few months and wish you a very Merry Christmas before the day is over. I hope you have some time this week between Christmas and New Years Day to relax and re-energize for the new year ahead. If you do, take the time to focus on your blessings. If you find you are truly blessed... as I believe you will... make a point to share those blessings with someone else during these last days of the Holiday season.

Merry Christmas, everyone! With Love, Santa

Happy Christmas

2008-12-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

...and to all a Good Night! The last presents have been delivered, the last cookie eaten, the last glass of milk consumed, and the last stocking filled. Once we get the "all clear" signal from the North Pole Command Center, we'll point the sleigh due north and return home. I hope everyone has had as much fun this Christmas Eve as I have had tonight. Tomorrow is going to be the best Christmas yet!

Good night, all! I will not update my log until late in the day to day as I plan on enjoying Christmas brunch with Mrs. Claus and taking a nap.

"And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21

A Cup of Kona Coffee Awaits

2008-12-25T01:10:00.000-08:00

I just left Alaska. Talk about cold! Brrr. Even for us North Pole residents!

But the best news is that I'm headed south to the Hawaiian Islands. I'll make a few stops between but I can shed the jacket for a few minutes and swap out my Starbucks Christmas blend coffee for some 100% Kona coffee. At least while I'm cruising through the Islands. L ove it down there. Mrs. Claus and I will be back in the Islands for our annual vacation in a little more than a week. Can't wait!

To all of you now awake across Europe, Asia, Africa, & Australia/Oceania... Merry Christmas!

Vancouver, BC

2008-12-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

We are back on track! I am currently entering the Vancouver, BC area. After delivering here and north through western Canada, I'll cut back down through the western US. Overall, things are going very well. I'm going to spend a little extra time here with a little girl I know that is fighting cancer as well as with her sister. I can't let them see me... but I am so proud of both of them that I want to take a little time and make sure they are tucked in and sleeping well. I never cease to be amazed by the strength and character of children that face cancer. They are wise & strong beyond their years. And they are truly an inspiration to me. That's one reason I always have a link to St Jude's Children Hospital here on the blog. I encourage you to check out the link.

Ok... we are touching down at the first house now. I'll post again soon.

Mexico

2008-12-24T21:45:00.001-08:00

I am currently just outside Mexico City. I realize its been a little while since I last posted... I've been very busy as we've criss-crossed South & North America. The vast majority of my deliveries are in this section of the world so I've had very little time to post to my blog. I do want you to know that the reindeer are doing well. These final few hours will be the toughest but they are as strong as I have ever seen them. I think it must be all the apples that everyone is leaving out for them. As for me, I'm doing just fine. I've been downing Starbuck Christmas Blend coffee while in flight and filling up on various treats, milk, tea, & hot chocolate at virtually every house (I'm stuffed!!).

Ok... I still have a long night ahead of me, so I'm going to get back to it. For those of you on the Pacific coast, its time to go to bed. I'll be there before you know it.

Blue Christmas

2008-12-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

I am currently looking down at the blue lights of Graceland. What a beautiful sight! But I can't look too long... we have to clear this airspace quickly. Our friends at FedEx are holding their routes so that we can deliver our presents across the Memphis metro area. I'll be zig-zagging across from Lakeland, TN to Hernando, MS over the next hour or so. I need to stay on time so that I can clear the airspace and let our partners at FedEx (we do a lot of business with them... they help with distribution from our North Pole, China, & India production facilities to our replenishment centers) get back in the air. We definitely don't want them missing their deliveries! So kids... if you live in the mid-South of the United States, its time to get to bed!

Over The Atlantic

2008-12-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! I am making my way toward South & North America. I will be there before you know it. We remain on track, despite a few minor incidents & unexpected events. That is a credit to the planning & preparation of the team back at the North Pole HQ. Everything is going well; however, I regret to say that I have had several real-time updates to the naughty and nice on-board database. Approx 25 addresses have been removed from my list of places to stop. Kids - please make sure you are behaving your parents tonight. I'll post again soon.

Mishap In Manchester

2008-12-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

First of all... don't panic. Everything is fine now. But... wow.

We had already made a couple of stops in Manchester earlier tonight when I set down next to a row of flats. The elf scout team had already been in... about half an hour earlier. They were able to gather alarm codes, unlock doors & windows, and verify everyone was asleep. Just like normal, everything was prepped and ready for me to get in and get out undetected and on schedule. Except we were hoodwinked!

I opened the door to the second flat in the row and BOOM! Spotlights came on, cameras flashed, and the red light on two different cameras lit up. Standing at the opposite end of the room was a reporter, who introducted himself by screaming "Gotcha!". I'm not going to mention the name of the network he was with as I now have reason to believe he was operating independent of his employer. I hit my panic button (I always have a remote panic button with me on Christmas Eve) and jumped back out the door. The sleigh alarms went off and within seconds my elf security detail was closing in on the house. I stumbled down the front steps with the reporter and his cameramen chasing after me. As I hit the bottom (on my bottom), the elves tackled all three men. But the alarms startled the reindeer. They immediately took to the air. Two other members of the security detail whisked me into their sleigh. All I could think about was whether or not they got my awkward stumble on the steps on tape.

Fortunately, everything was secured and a plausible explanation was given to all of the neighbors that had gathered outside prior to the police arriving. I was transported to a predetermined site where I met up with my reindeer team and we resumed our schedule. I am very happy to report that all of the tapes and pictures were confiscated & destroyed by the security detail. We are fairly confident the reporter & camera men won't risk talking about the incident with no physical evidence to back up their story.

I'm back on course now and looking forward to heading to South & North America soon. Rudolph also wants me to tell you that the reindeer team is feeling good thanks to all the apples you all have been providing. Thank you!

Western Europe

2008-12-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

We remain on track as we begin the western European phase of our Christmas Eve Operation. I just got off the phone with Mrs. Claus and she is reporting all is well at HQ and at all of our worldwide replenshment centers. The Asia, Africa, and Pacific based replenishment centers are all now formally shut down and the staff are headed home to spend the rest of Christmas with their families. The eastern European and Middle East replenishment centers are now ramping down their operations and should be able to go home within the next couple of hours. In North & South America, operations are standing ready for our arrival. Some snow across Canada and the northern US was causing issues earlier today but those have been resolved.

I do want to take a moment and thank all of the wonderful employees & partners of North Pole Inc. for their dedication to making this night (and tomorrow morning) a such a huge success. They are all... every individual... as responsible for the magical spirit of Christmas as I am. I realize I get a lot of the headlines and credit but without the thousands of individuals around the world that care so much for the children, this would not be possible. To all of you, I offer the deepest and heart-felt THANK YOU. You have made the world a better place.

Before we touch down on this next rooftop, I want to remind you that we do have a battery shortage. There are teams scrambling in North & South America to try and get last minute shipments to our replenishment centers but it remains likely that I may not be able to deliver all of the batteries required. I apologize for that right now but hope that it doesn't keep you from having a great Christmas.

Eastern Europe

2008-12-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

We are currently at one of our European Replenishment Centers in eastern Europe. Due to security reasons, I can not tell you the exact location. I had to wait until we landed here as we have been using the back-up communications system exclusively for communication to the North Pole HQ. While the reindeer are being fed and the sleigh re-loaded, the technicians are looking at our communications system. They are confident we'll be back to our primary communications by the time we leave here.

As we suspected might be the case, we are arriving here in eastern Europe just as the cold front hits. We are running smack into it. We are plenty comfortable though. Africa was quite warm... so its good to be back in the cool weather. Plus my coffee is keeping me plenty warm... I'm on about my 15th mug! The reindeer all report they are feeling good. In fact, Rudolph wanted me to send a message that he says "Merry Christmas!" to all the kids. He didn't want me to tell you this, but he and the other reindeer LOVE apples. If you have an apple you can leave out for them, they would very much appreciate it. In fact, if you have to choose, I'd rather you leave the reindeer an apple than leaving me cookies or other sweets.

Ok... I'm getting the signal that communications are back up and we are ready to go. I'll post again soon!

Africa

2008-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

It's really warm down here in Africa. This is a challenging region as the number of people who celebrate Christmas and believe in Santa is small. And the population is really spread out. And in the rural settings, there are some areas that are really difficult to navigate into. Plus the reindeer are always on alert for predators! Ok.... I'll post again soon.

Mumbai

2008-12-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

I am still running a little behind schedule. Nothing to worry about though. We are currently in Indian airspace. We'll be setting down at our replenishment station in just a few moments. From there we'll cover the much of India & central Asia before stopping in the Middle East for yet another replenishment before heading down into Africa.

We have been experiencing some communication issues just as we did last year. I believe that it has something to do with the communications infrastructure in this part of the world. We are now using our back-up communications systems. My blog posts take second priority to communications with the North Pole Operations. As such, some of my posts may experience a bit of delay.

I do plan on spending some extra time in Mumbai. The citizens here have been through a lot recently. I am very proud of the way they have pulled together and are helping each other. I hope that I can do something... even if its small... to let them know they are in my prayers.

For those of you in Europe.... I'll be there very soon. Get to bed!

Sleepless in Shanghai

2008-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am currently departing Shanghai and headed north. There is quite a bit of turbulence. Gotta keep the lid on my fresh cup of Starbucks Christmas blend... I don't want to be wearing it like I was last year. And it is really cold. I'm not complaining though because the reindeer are much more comfortable in this than they were down south of the equator. And we'll be in the heat of Africa before you know it.

I am a little behind schedule. There aren't a lot of people in China that celebrate Christmas... and even fewer that believe in me... but there were a few folks that were out and up way past their bedtime. I had to re-direct and make some deliveries west of the city and then double-back after they got to bed. I plan on making up the time before I leave Western China.

I did notice two unique things here in Shanghai. There was a beautiful Christmas tree. That was unusual in itself... there aren't many trees here for Christmas. But what was unique was that it was decorated with handmade Chinese ornaments, Chinese fabric swaths, and chopsticks. Very cleverly done... very Chinese. And then in another house, they actually left me a fortune cookie. I don't think I have ever gotten a fortune cookie as one of my goodies. The fortune read "The future is better than the past". I'm not sure what that means but I like it.

Oh... one last thought from China... do you know what I'm known as here? "Christmas Old Man" is the rough translation. How do you like that? UGH!

Japan

2008-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am currently at the second Replenishment Center. Due to security reasons, the exact location must remain undisclosed.... all I can say is that I am in Japan at the moment. As the sleigh is being re-loaded, I'm taking a very brief break to update my web log. The reindeer have been showered and are eating before resuming flight. We are all enjoying the cooler weather. So far, deliveries through most of the Pacific Islands in both northern & southern hemispheres on this side of the International Dateline have been completed as have some deliveries in Japan and other parts of Far East Asia. We are about to double back and cover the remainder of Japan before heading across to eastern Russia and then down the eastern coast of China. We are currently right on schedule. We'll be entering each time zone between 9 and midnight.... so make sure you are getting to bed on-time to help ol' Santa stay on schedule. I'm being told the sleigh is loaded and ready for take-off... so enough for now. Remember you can track my travels today at http://www.noradsanta.org/

In The Land of Oz

2008-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am at the first replenishment center in Australia. Due to security reasons, I can not tell you the exact location of the center. The flight remains on schedule. I have gone undetected throughout the South Pacific & New Zealand. The reindeer remain strong but the warm weather is beginning to get to us. After we replenish here, we'll finish in Melbourne then start to head north through Indonesia and then up into Japan & the rest of Asia. I'm sure the reindeer will appreciate the cooler weather in Japan.

South Pacific

2008-12-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

I love the warm weather! It feels great down here in the South Pacific! Don't misunderstand me... the North Pole is home and there is no place like home, but its hard to beat the warm, summer tradewinds of the South Pacific.

I've had to take my coat and sweater off. I'm down to my short sleeve shirt right now... and its nice. Jingle is with me and he has activated the cooling system that sprays the reindeer team with cool water. They are doing well.... it's amazing how well they handle the dramatic temperature changes. The weather has been good so far...though the launch was a little rough as we had high winds. Overall, its a great start.

Anyway... I'll be keeping you posted on my route tonight. I have my laptop with me and am using the same satellite connection I use to stay in contact with Mrs. Claus to post updates to my blog. Keep checking in. And don't forget, NORAD is tracking me as well.

See you soon!

On The Launch Pad

2008-12-24T02:58:00.000-08:00

The sleigh is loaded and on the pad. All other orders are at their respective Replenishment Centers. The flight plan is confirmed. The reindeer are hitched to the sleigh. I am now on-board the sleigh and communicating my messages to this web-page via satellite communications.

We are "All Systems Go" for lift-off.

You can track my progress at http://www.noradsanta.org/. I will also use the on-board computer to write periodic updates when I have the opportunity.

"Now Dasher! now Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet! on Cupid! on Donder and Blitzen!"

Operation Christmas Eve 2008 Is Underway!

2008-12-24T00:03:00.000-08:00

This is my FAVORITE day of the year! It is just after midnight on Wednesday, December 24th. Operation Christmas Eve 2008 is now fully underway. The entire North Pole crew is in full gear for the next 24+ hours. Many - myself, Mrs. Claus, and the senior elf staff included- started around 4am this morning and we'll just work all the way through. Close to 48 hours of no sleep. But we are powered by pure, high-octane Christmas Spirit.

I am about to walk over to the sled inspection. The reindeer are sleeping right now but will be awakened in about 3.5 hours to eat the big carbo-loading breakfast and begin their preparations. I am ready to go!

I'll be updating my log periodically today. You can also track my progress today at http://www.noradsanta.org/

The Eve of The Eve '08

2008-12-22T22:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Eve... The Eve of THE Eve.... December 23rd.

Most everything seems to be looking good and on-track for this to be the best Christmas Eve ever! The only 'glitch' at the moment is the weather across North America and parts of northern Europe & Asia. We are not yet able to confirm our final flight plan. (note: There is much more information on my weather report at Underground Weather.... check it out by clicking on the link.) That has a ripple effect that impacts where we position replenishment inventory, etc. The good news is, we seem to be firming up on our Naughty and Nice list. (A word of warning... there are a few of you out there on the borderline. Don't think you are safe just yet! Keep being nice!)

As far as today goes... all I can say is "Wow". 1 hour of sleep and then it was back to full speed. It was an exciting morning. I knew as soon as the alarm went off that it was about to be a mad rush to the Christmas Eve finish line. It's 24 hours a day right through the final delviery.

I started my morning with a run. It was snowing heavily but I needed the time to clear my head. There is a lot going on this time of year and even I can get a little stressed.... but the run helped quite a bit. By the time I had gone home, ate breakfast, changed into my work clothes, and headed across the village square to the Head Quarters, the team was already in full force. Everyone was hustling around with last minute preparations.

In addition to the normal mall appearances, I also had staff meetings, a few media appearances, parades, and a brief tour of the production, distribution, and replenishment centers. I can tell you after the tours and staff meetings that overall readiness is very good. It may be the best we have ever been. 2008 is going to be a very good Christmas!

The rest of the day is pretty busy as well. I have another staff meeting, a last minute negotiation with Iraq over airspace rights, and a few media appearances. Then, I'm going to enjoy a nice late dinner with Mrs. Claus in a few hours (closer to 11pm), then at the stroke of midnight, Operation Christmas Eve 2008 officially kicks in. I'm not going to be the only one going non-stop... Mrs. Claus basically orchestrates the entire Christmas Eve operation from the North Pole. She is the one at the command center who calls all the shots. Jingle, as my Chief of Staff, plays a critical role in overseeing the execution of the night's operational plan but Mrs. Claus is in charge overall. She keeps an eye on the big picture, sets the priorities for the night, and approves any changes to plan. Alot of TV shows picture her handing over a scarf and admonishing me to be careful as I leave and then meeting me with hot chocolate and cookies upon my return. The silliness of the suggestion that I'd even consider another cup of hot chocolate or cookies after a night of feasting on it at virtually every house aside, Mrs. Claus is actually in the Command Center, focused on the night's activities. The night's operation doesn't end when the sleigh touches down at the North Pole either. The operation is officially underway until we have verified all the gifts were delivered to their intended destinations, the sleigh is moved to the hangar, the reindeer are fed & examined by our medical teams, and all Centers except the Command Center are shut-down for the night. I am typically at home and waiting for Mrs. Claus with hot chocolate and cookies when she gets home.

Speaking of getting home, I've got a few emails to answer and a phone call to make before I go meet Mrs Claus for that late dinner. Have a good night. Go to bed early, kids!

Final Preparations

2008-12-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

The deadline for requests is quickly approaching. In just a few short hours, time will be up. There are a few extra hours for those of you that choose to use text messaging and/or email.

Toy production is in full swing. Bo reports that we remain ahead of schedule. We have been unable to finalize the flight plan though due to the unusual weather across most of the northern hemisphere. Nevertheless, the reindeer teams and elves have been very busy today shuttling product from the North Pole to the various replenishment centers around the world. We also have cargo planes shuttling containers from the Asia-based production facilities. It was a very busy day for North Pole Inc!

All indicators are that we are set for one of the best Christmases ever. I toured a number of the replenishment centers earlier today. Between stops, I made a number of appearances in town squares and at malls around Europe, South America, & North America. Even with the economic

challenges many people are facing, it was crazy busy out there. I am glad I can fly in, land on roof tops, and fly out without dealing with the traffic. I hope people are actually buying and not just window shopping.

Ok... I have to go. We are conducting a test run tonight along with the top reindeer team and I don't want to be late. Keep your eyes in the skies if you are up tonight.... you just may see us. And don't wait to get that request in... you just have a few hours. Merry Christmas!

Part 2: Answers

2008-12-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

I hope you found Part 1 of my response to the Q&A exercise informative. Given the hectic schedule of this last week, its been hard to find the time to respond for the 2nd part. In fact, I'm actually writing this while I am in route to Buenos Aires. Jingle is flying the sleigh so I can use my laptop and satellite connection to post my answers to the remaining questions. So here goes...
Q. What can you share about your childhood and up bringing that might make all of us better parents to the children you love so much like we do?

A. I lived with my father and mother near the small village of Drobak. My father was an exiled king. Before I was born, he had ruled a kingdom that stretches across much of what is now Germany. Soon after my mother became pregnant with me, my father's younger brother, who had been the next in line for the throne, conspired with a neighboring king to overthrow my father. Fearing for the life of my mother and me, my father fled to Norway. Though my father remained extremely wealthy, having escaped with much of the family treasures, we lived like paupers so as not to draw attention to ourselves. My mother and father both cared greatly for all the people around them. They were always the first ones to pitch in and help a neighbor. Many times, their 'good deeds' were done anonymously and no one ever knew had come to their aid. They were people of great integrity and nothing but doing the right thing ever entered their thoughts, even when it meant personal sacrifice for themselves. But what I think influenced me most was not any one specific action or behavior, but rather a sense I had.... I knew they would me some freedom but with that freedom came accountability. And I knew that no matter what... even while they were holding me accountable... they would always love me. I knew there was nothing I could do that would cause them not to love me. It was that sense of love and accountability, I believe, that had the greatest influence on me. You can read a little bit more about my mother and father in my 16 December post titled "My First Christmas". And you question has inspired me to include some more stories of my childhood during the off-season.

Q. Why is your coat red and white why not blue and green?

A. This is an interesting question because blue actually is my favorite color. I like the darker & deeper blues. Green, particularly forest greens, also happens to be my second favorite color. And I've been told I look much better in blues & greens given my skin tone and blue eyes. But, I chose red and white for a very simple reason. Remember... Christmas is about the birth of Christ. Red is for the blood Jesus shed for our sins. And white is for the purity of our souls after our sins have been washed a way by His blood.

Q. What is your best advice to parents to keep their babies from being afraid of you?

A. A lot of babies are afraid you are going to leave them with me or that they may have to go somewhere with me. Start with reminding them that you aren't going anywhere... that you will be right there where they can see you the entire time. Also, if you think your baby is going to be afraid of me, offer to come up and visit with me first. You can use that time to let me know you think your baby is going to be scared. I'll tone down my Ho, Ho, Hos a little and try to speak a little softer. That helps. If you have a treat or baby toy your child really likes, you can slip that to me as well and I can then offer it to the baby. And if you ask me, I'm willing to stand up and walk over to where you are holding the baby as well... then we can walk back together to my seat. But all of that advice is for right before you come visit me. I suggest you start a day ahead of time telling them that they are going to see me the next day. Show them one of the Christmas shows with me in it.... that goes a long ways toward them feeling like they know me.
I hope that helps!

Q. What type of music do you listen to?

A. Pretty much everything. I like everything from Nickelback to Trace Adkins to Amy Grant. My Nike+ powersong is Greenday's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". My favorite Christmas carol is "Silent Night, Holy Night" and my favorite modern Christmas song is "Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer...".

Q. How do you get down the chimney? When you come down the chimny and into are houses isnt that breaking and intering? If so I would be more careful because people have security systems these days.

A. Where the chimneys are large enough for me (and many are; I'm not a big as you might think), I have a special dive that I use. But the most important thing for you to remember is that chimney diving is not for everyone. You have to be very well trained. I have trained for years. You should never try it under any circumstance. So with all that said, the fact of the matter is that there are many houses where the chimney is too small for me. In those cases, I enter through other means. I have several scout teams of elves that go in ahead of me to 1) validate I can fit through the chimney, 2) identify alternate entry paths, 3) disable alarms, 4) confirm that everyone in the house is asleep. With their advance information, I really don't have any problems. Now... to your question about breaking and entering... technically it would be in almost every legal jurisdiction around the world except I have a huge legal team that has negotiated special rights for me that allow me to enter. Those rights are only valid on Christmas Eve. And let's face it, when you leave gifts, people don't complain. Now many cities around the world granted me the rights only if I leave gifts, which is why now in many places I just skip a house rather than leaving coal. Coal doesn't legally qualify as a gift... so I just skip the houses in those jurisdictions completely if the residents are on the naughty list.

Q. Why do you use reindeer instead of horses?

A. Because the reindeer fly. And they fly really fast.

Q. Is Rudolph still alive?

A. Absolutely! He will be leading my team again this Christmas Eve. Keep an eye out on Dec 24th for that glowing red nose!

I think that wraps it up! And just in time, I see the lights of Buenos Aires just ahead. Have a great evening and enjoy this wonderful Christmas season!

Part 1: Answers

2008-12-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

Wow! You all gave me some tough and very interesting questions. I don't have time to answer them all in one sitting, but I'll take a stab at some of them now...

Q. How do you deliver all those toys around the world in one night?

A. The key is North Pole Time. I am not the right person to explain exactly how it works, it is far too technical for me... but I can say that because we sit at the junction of all the time zones, there are some unique capabilities we have realized in moving easily between time zones. That - in and of itself - is not all that remarkable. But there is something magical about how we can travel within a time zone and return to the North Pole - no matter how long we have been gone - within the same hour we left as long as we arrive & depart from the Launch pad. The Launch pad is directly on the true North Pole. Time doesn't stop so much as it "re-sets". That's not the best description either but its the closest I can relay at this point. It is this capability that we leverage to deliver to 302M homes in a 24 hour period. If you want to know how we determine how many homes, see my December 20, 2007 post.

Q. Do you ever post any pictures? Can I get a picture of every one at the North Pole?

A. You know, I never have posted any pictures. Your questions made me start to think about it and I have decided that I will start posting pictures next year. The primary reason I haven't posted pictures is simply that I'm a blogging novice... even after doing this blog for my fourth year. I haven't taken the time to learn how to upload them. But Mrs. Claus has told me she would show me how if I want to start doing that. So look for pictures starting some time mid-next year!

Q. I have trouble deciding what to get my own niece and nephew for Christmas, how on earth do you decide what each child around the world should have for Christmas?!?

A. It can be a challenge at times; however, I usually have the benefit of a request directly from the child. With email, internet, and all the other various medium available to kids, they find a way to get their requests to me more often than not, even if they don't visit me at a mall. And when I don't hear from a child, we actually have quite a bit of consumer information available about each child. We have a full team of elves dedicated to gathering "consumer intelligence"... they crawl websites, conduct survelliance, poll parents & friends, and use a variety of highly confidential intelligence gathering techniues to compile a complete set of information on each child. If can not identify a specific request, we use very sophisticated consumer analytics against all of that data to match the best gifts with each child. We find it very effective. Unfortunately, I can't give you access to it. I'd suggest you resort to asking the parents....

Q. How do you REALLY know if we have been good or bad - naughty or nice? Does my mom have your number?

A. Trust me... you know. And yes, your mom does know how to get a hold of me if there is something to report. To determine the "nice list", there is a fairly complex algorithm that we apply, but, it really just boils down to the basics here: Do you treat others as you would treat yourself? Do you obey and honor your parents? Said differently, we apply the basic tenets and values of Judeo-Christian tradition.

Q. This might be too personal a question, but are you on the naughty or nice list this year?

A. Technically, since its my list, I'm not on either one. But I do think I'd be on the nice list. Now don't get me wrong.... even ol' Santa (ugh... I don't like talking about myself in the third person...) is not perfect. I am as human and flawed as anyone. None of us are perfect. That is the exact reason why the true meaning of Christmas is so important. If we were perfect, we wouldn't have needed the birth of Christ.

Q. What kinds of animals do you and Mrs. Claus have other than the reindeer? Any cats or dogs?

Mrs. Claus & I have several animals around. In addition to traditional livestock (i.e. cows, pigs, and chickens) that we maintain at our farm just outside the Village, we do have a horse (named Trigger), dog (a German Shepherd named Joe), and cat (named Susie). I love that dog. He follows me all around the North Pole Village and often joins me on my runs. Mrs. Claus probably prefers the cat. A few years back, Mrs. Claus' brother talked us into raising Alpacas. We bought 12 but that didn't go so well. We ended up giving them away to a couple in Idaho.

Q. There are so many store "Santas" and the like around what should I tell the children on who they are?

A. More times than you might think, that's actually me! I get around to more stores & malls that you might imagine. I leverage North Pole Time (see above) and the speed of the reindeer to make as many stops as I can. But you are correct... it is not always me, the real Santa. So when you see someone that is clearly not me, there is a very good chance that they are one of the contractors we have hired as part of our Intelligence Agency. It is one of the many ways that we gather information on what children want for Christmas. Of course, there are always just average people that want to dress up like me... and if that helps put themselves and other people in the Christmas spirit, then its just fine by me.

Oh yes... LaTrell, I do still plan to stop at your house. Jennifer, I am the REAL Santa and not just a helper. Merry Christmas to both of you!

More Q&A responses to come soon. Stay tuned!

Heading Into The Final Stretch

2008-12-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

Its not long now until the Christmas Eve operation will be fully in swing. The days here at the North Pole are growing very hectic. It is all very well organized but with elves, reindeer, and other workers scurrying every which way through and between facilities, the average on-looker would think its total chaos.

Most everyone is working 18 hour shifts at this point, with the exception of the main reindeer team. As we enter this final week, we move to 3 overlapping 18 hour shifts. The result is that we get 54 hours of productivity out of every day instead of the normal 24. I know it sounds tiring but the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve is more than enough to keep everyone going. Besides, it really is a labor of love by everyone here at the North Pole.

The main reindeer team, led by Rudolph of course, are actually cutting back their schedule. They have been training an average of 12 hours a day, with some peak days approaching 18 hours, for the past 4 weeks as part of their annual fitness preparation. If you could see their training regimen, you would be awed. They fly sprints, they pull massive amounts of weights, they make long endurance flights, they fly obstacle courses, and they swim... for hours and they do all of it both individually and also reined up as a team. And when they are training, they are in the training room getting treated for minor aches & pains or in the dining room trying to replenish the enormous amount of calories they burn during the course of the training. But at this point, they are tapering down their schedule so they can be rested for Christmas Eve. They are starting to mix in stretching and yoga into their schedule, fly much shorter routes, avoid any weight training, and getting daily massages. They love this week every year! The good news is, they all look incredibly healthy and ready to go!

As for me, I'm working between 20 and 22 hours a day. Yeah... I know it sounds crazy but I feel great. And its the only way I can get out and see all you kids while still overseeing the whole North Pole operation. I just wish I had a little more time to contribute to the blog here. Please know that I am going to get to responding to some of the questions and answers early this next week, before Christmas.

Ok... that's it for now as I have to catch a flight to Asia. I'm going to inspect our outsourced China and India production facilities this evening (its morning there) before I come back for our end of day staff meeting.

Be good! Don't forget... I know if you have been naughty or nice.

Managing Your Expectations

2008-12-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

I have been reading letters from around the world. I've also been skimming some of the "open letters" posted to me on the internet and in newspapers around the world. I love reading all of the kind notes and innocent requests this time of year. If those letters don't put you in the Christmas Spirit, I don't know what will.

I have also started to make mall appearances. And a few snotty nosed kids with attitudes, screaming & terrified toddlers, dirty diapered infants, and adults lamely trying to be funny by sitting on Santa's lap aside, the mall interaction is also largely a lot of fun. And every so often, in one of those interactions with child, I see a little Christmas magic. I see the lights go on in their eyes and I know they leave a different kid... one that will believe in Santa forever. The vast majority of the time, I leave the mall in much better Christmas Spirits than before I arrived. It is this that gives me the energy to get through the day.

Nevertheless, there are always a few requests that I just can not fill or are absurdly insane. "What?!" you may ask incredulously. But let me remind you that I am not supernatural. I have limits just like everyone else. So I want to take this opportunity, with less than a week before Christmas Eve, to set some expectations.

First, I simply can not fill requests for husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. The Legal department here at North Pole Inc. has been very clear that fulfilling any such requests could be construed as an act in violation of International Human Trafficking laws. The risk of such a perception is too great and far outweighs any benefits that could be gained. We can, however, recommend a few good match-making sites upon request.

We also have a number of requests for exorbitant gifts. More often than not, the folks that make those requests are on the "Naughty" list. But for those that are on the "Nice" list, we do have a few rules. We do not deliver gifts over US$25,000 in value unless there is a special exemption granted by our independent auditors. Granting requests over US$25,000 usually requires a pretty extensive background check and involves someone with a life-long tenure on the "Nice" list. Gifts between US$1,000 and US$24,999 also require a minimum of 2 consecutive years on the "Nice" list.

There there are the requests for visiting with me or the reindeer on Christmas Eve. There are so many children that want me to wake them up so they can visit. I would love nothing more than to be able to do that but we are on such a tight schedule, its just not possible. And even if I had the time, I don't think I would risk it. In the early days, when I didn't have so many houses to visit, I would occasionally honor a request to visit and introduce the reindeer. Inevitably though, someone's dog or cat would go into "attack mode" as soon as the reindeer came in the house. It's understandable.... its a natural behaviour for the dog. But the reindeer would get spooked. And on occasion, I'd have a mess to clean-up before I left. Good thing I keep a "pooper-scooper" in the sleigh. Its just not worth all the stained carpets even if I could keep schedule.

Speaking of animals... Live animals are another controversial issue. We debate our ability to deliver live animals every year. Each year we re-visit various governmental policies on the import/export of live animals. Inevitably, the topic leads to a heated debate over whether or not we should even be in the business of fulfilling Christmas wishes for live animals. We keep the option open every year... working with the UN and individual nations to negotiate special considerations for our Christmas delivery of live animals... however, more years than not, we have chosen to not fulfill Christmas requests for live animals. As you can imagine, it is a passionate debate with more than one facet to the sides that are taken. While we all feel strongly about making the kids happy, there are some that believe that should trump all other considerations. There is a camp, represented by Jolly, our Chief Marketing Officer, that believes that the risk of the animals falling sick and/or passing away shortly after delivery only serves to hurt our brand. There is yet another camp, predictably led by Ollie, our VP of Logistics, that simply believes the live animal logistics are so complex - not to mention expensive - that it jeopardizes our ability to fulfill our commitments on other deliveries. Ollie definitely has a point... almost 60% of the qualifying "nice" list kids placed live animal requests of some type last year. And the requests are for a wide range of animals that require vastly different types of care. Of the ones that asked for live animals last year, 34% wanted a horse or pony. 27% wanted a dog. 14% wanted a snake. 13% wanted a cat. 3% wanted a bird of some type. 5% wanted to keep one of the reindeer. The remaining 4% wanted some other type of animal ranging from goldfish to crocidiles. Of course, even in the years when we decide to tackle the challenge of delivering live animals and we clear all of the various governmental hurdles, we still require written parental consent. And we have always denied requests for animals that posed a risk such as poisonous snakes or large predatory animals. In short, even in the best case years, it remains very unlikely a child will receive a live animal. In 2008, we are going to follow the same practices & policies as last year: allowing live animals where it is legal and where we have written parental consent. Given those considerations, Sprite, head of Procurement, believes we'll deliver approximately 24,000 small animals and 4,800 large animals worldwide this year, up slightly from last year and in line with 2006 numbers. It's a small number as far as a percentage but we are extremely limited by the sheer number of parents that refuse to grant permission.

And finally, there is the issue of "Open Letters" posted on the internet in places such as MySpace and Facebook as well as in the media. Despite the help of my very capable friends at Google (and Yahoo!), I can not guarantee that I will see your open letter. The North Pole Inc. I.T. team crawls sites during this time of year for Open Letters and produces a summary of links for me. But even with that help, our research indicates that there is still a high likelihood of your open letter being missed. So your best bet is to send me a direct correspondence. Of course, I have noticed that most people send me direct correspondence via emails or handwritten letter for their requests but then use the open letter format to file complaints. Still, I try to read and respond to them all regardless of the spirit.

I hope this has helped to set a few expectations for this upcoming Christmas Eve. I also hope you are not too disappointed. Santa definitely wants to spread Joy throughout the world this Christmas season, so if these restrictions create an issue for you, let's talk. I'm sure there are some very creative ways you can make this your best Christmas ever... And it probably starts with trying to make this the best Christmas ever for someone else!

Dry Run

2008-12-17T17:14:00.000-08:00

What a day! We executed a "dry run" of the Christmas Eve operation. A dry run is essentially a full scale simulation designed to uncover any unknown problems or risks. Of course we have to make a lot of assumptions about major variables such as the weather, current status of the naughty/nice list, etc.; however, it is generally effective in identifying areas where we need further work.

We started last night at midnight North Pole Time, just like we will do on Christmas Eve. The teams have the sleigh ready to go, I get a de-briefing on the flight plan & any anticipated problem areas, and then its off we go. For purposes of the dry-run, I only made 10 stops on each continent but I did stop at every replenishment station. At the replenishment stations, the crews were in place and went through a full loading of the sleigh as well as rest & 're-fueling' of the reindeer.

Overall, things went very well. This continues to shape up as one of the best Christmas seasons we have had. There is no reason to believe that this isn't going to be a record Christmas. The reindeer are in great shape. I felt pretty good... though I did twist an ankle going down a chimney in Holland. Don't worry about the ankle, kids.... Jingle was with me and he immediately wrapped & iced it (we keep a fully stocked first aid kit in the sleigh at all times... you should do the same with your vehicle). As I type this, I have my leg elevated and ice on the ankle. Between that and the ibuprofren, the swelling is minimal. I anticipate I'll be up and ready to go for a run tomorrow morning despite Mrs. Claus continual pleas for me to not do so. I gotta get my run in though or it just messes up my entire day. My morning run is a great chance for me to organize my thoughts for the day and I feel much more prepared... and hence less stressed... walking into my first meeting of the day.

Oh.... I did try some new coffee today that I meant to tell you about. I still love my Starbucks Christmas Blend, as well as Egg Nog Lattes, but I was given a gift of coffee and I really liked it. You may get a kick out of this but it is actually "Elvis Coffee".... and I had the "Santa Baby Blend". Who knew? It was good to get a little variety in my holiday coffee traditions.

But for now, I'm going to pour a big glass of egg nog and settle in by the fire with my laptop and catch up on emails. I hope the rest of you can stay warm and stay safe!

CLASSIC: My "First" Christmas

2008-12-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

I have shared this story of my "First" Christmas before but I have had several requests in my email inbox to repeat it again this year. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas! - Love, Santa.

The first Christmas I remember was when I was 3 years old. I lived with my father and mother near the small village of Drobak. My father was an exiled king. Before I was born, he had ruled a kingdom that stretches across much of what is now Germany. Soon after my mother became pregnant with me, my father's younger brother, who had been the next in line for the throne, conspired with a neighboring king to overthrow my father. Fearing for the life of my mother and me, my father fled to Norway. Though my father remained extremely wealthy, having escaped with much of the family treasures, we lived like paupers so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Our house was just outside the Village. My father had built it with his own hands. It was probably the first thing he had ever built. It was small, drafty, and almost perptually dark as it sat under the deep cover of the forest... the only warmth coming from a stone fireplace and the only light from that fire and the candles my mother had made. Yet when we were all there together, it somehow seemed to glow with warmth. Back then, there was no Santa Claus (obviously!) to bring presents, no Christmas parades, no Christmas parties, no Sales at the mall, no TV Holiday Specials, no Christmas carols, nor gift giving. There were certainly no Christmas lights. In fact, the only semblance of a decoration for most families at that time was a small tree. Traditionally, a small tree was cut each year and brought inside on Christmas Eve to be decorated by the family. As you can tell, our Christmases were pretty "bare" by today's standards. From that 'first' Christmas, aged 3, I remember getting in the sleigh right after we finished decorating our tree on Christmas Eve. We traveled several kilometers through the woods to the closest church. I remember my father crying - a small tear running down his cheek - as the priest told the story of how God had sent His only Son to the world - not as a prince but as a poor baby sleeping in rags in a stable - in order to save the very people that no longer believed in God. After the service, he knelt and prayed for the longest time. I do not know until this day what he prayed but as I now look back, I can imagine that he gave thanks and prayed that he would have the strength to be an example of that kind of love. It was dark by the time we started our trip back home. We stopped several times. Each time my father would jump out of his seat, pull something from the sleigh, and bound through the snow towards a nearby cabin. As I grew older, and after many years of the same stops, I figured out that my father was leaving small bags of gold coins at the doors of those most needy. The next morning, the residents would wake up to find the coins at their doorstep and their quality of life changed forever. Never again would they wonder where the next meal would come. No one ever expected it to be my father and that was exactly how he wanted it. I fell quickly asleep once we returned home. As I would every Christmas after that until I moved out, I awoke to the sounds of people chattering excitedly about Christmas morning. The smell of pancakes and hot cider permeated the air. Most of the villagers were gathering at our house. We didn't have much space, but somehow, almost everyone squeezed into that small, 1-room home for a delicious Christmas morning breakfast that my mom had stayed up all night to prepare. She did not want anyone to be alone on Christmas Day. She told me that morning that she believed Christmas was a day of Hope, intended to be spent rejoicing with friends and family rather than focusing on every day trials. I will never forget that Christmas, though I was merely 3 years old. At the time I did not know it, but this was our annual Christmas tradition. My father never stopped weeping at the Christmas story. And he never stopped giving anonymously to those in need. And my mother never stopped hosting the village in our home on Christmas Day. As I grow older, I realize that my parents lived life, and approached every decision, with that same spirit of Christmas. The lessons they have taught me, will never leave me. I only pray to set the same example of selfless giving that my father & mother set before me. Merry Christmas, all!

Q & A

2008-12-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

Do you have a burning question for me? If so, please enter it in the comments below. I will answer some of the tougher and more interesting questions in a blog post next week.

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying a safe and very merry Christmas season.

Race Day!

2008-12-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

I woke up ready to go this morning. The Jingle Bell 5K was top of mind! I actually woke up, turned over to look at the clock, and realized that it was 3 minutes until the alarm was scheduled to sound. I definitely was feeling good by the time I took a warm shower, ate a bananna, downed 4 glasses of water, and 2 cups of Christmas Blend coffee. I have been training for several weeks for the race and I was already dreaming about setting a PR as I drank my coffee. It was even more exciting because my entire direct report team was running the race. And my real motivation.... I wanted to beat Jangle. I had not yet been able to beat Jangle in a race, even though in training, I felt I could keep up with him.

At race time, it was snowing but no wind. I love running in the snow, which is a good thing when you live at the North Pole. And sure enough, everyone from my team was there. 'Feeling good', I thought to myself as I lined up next to Jangle. Neither one of us spoke about the competition between us, but trust me, it was palpable. When the bell rang to start the race, we both sprinted off the starting line and carried an insane pace for the first 800m. I knew neither of us could carry that pace the entire 5K, but I wasn't going to be the first to back off. Jangle was probably thinking the same thing, but thankfully before one of us keeled over, he did finally back off the pace. I slowed but made sure my shoulders were just ahead of him. I passed on water, oranges, and energy gels at all of the aid stations... I couldn't afford to lose the precious seconds it would take to reach for and consume the water.

By the time we got to the 3K mark, I was still on pace for a PR, but I was breathing hard & my legs were heavy. I was doubting my ability to stay on a PR pace... it would take a PR to beat Jangle. And sure enough, Jangle took off at the 3K mark. I decided to let him go. And he did. Around the corner he disappeared. I just focused on sticking to pace. Until I rounded another corner with the final 400m to go. There was Jangle. He was shutting down... paying the price for his early push to the finish. I could see I had a chance to catch him. I kicked it in. I told myself that it was the equivalent of only one lap around the track and that I could gut it out. As Jangle grew closer and it was clear I was going to overtake him with about 50m to go, the energy surged. I blew past Jangle and about 15 other runners that were finishing their race. Mrs. Claus said the smile across my face when I crossed the finish line was the biggest she had seen in 10 years. The volunteers placed the ginger bread medal around my neck and I sat down. Every ounce of energy and strength had been sapped but I felt great. Jangle came over and gave me a big hug. I don't think anyone was happier for me than he was, despite the fact that he really wanted to beat me yet again.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to enjoy my personal victory (to be clear, I did not win overall, but I consider setting a personal record and beating Jangle for the first time a victory). It was immediately back to work. When I stood up to go home and shower before starting the day, my muscles had already stiffened. My calves began to cramp. My thighs felt as though someone had hit me with a baseball bat. I knew at that instant, it was going to be a long, painful day. And it was. But it was worth it.

It was a crazy day as, ironically, Jangle and I had to spend much of the day addressing an ugly, and very false, rumor that we had been asking each of the G8 nations for bail out money. The fact is that we don't need a bail out. We are having to watch our costs but thanks to our centuries long philosophy of only paying cash, we are in good shape. We have no debt and large cash reserves. Regardless, we had to go on the global media blitz to counter the rumor.

I returned here to have a very late lunch with Mrs. Claus. And now I have to rush off to Tokyo to have Saturday morning brunch (it's already Saturday there) with Ninentendo executives. There's a full evening schedule after that before I can finally settle in. At this point, I may just sleep in the hot tub tonight!

Have a good evening, all!

What a Week!

2008-12-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

It was another busy week as we continue to ramp-up our manufacturing operations to peak levels, begin to pre-position inventory at our replenishment centers, update the naughty & nice lists, and continue developing & fine-tuning our flight pattern options for Christmas Eve. As we finalize preparations this week, I had to spend much of my time dealing with issues in addition to making my regularly scheduled appearances around the world.

My "fire-fighting" took me to Beijing in order to negotiate airspace clearance for Christmas Eve, to the US to negotiate with the world's leading battery producer for everything they have left in stock (yes, we're going to be short again this year!), and to the Brussels to resolve what I think was a silly dispute revolving around some obscure clause in the North Pole-EU free trade agreement.

I also spent a lot of time in meetings reviewing every kind of analysis you can imagine. There were at least 15 different "naughty & nice" list scenarios, 7 different weather scenarios, 2 different political scenarios, and all overlaid with various flight plan & replenishment alternatives. My head hurts just thinking about it.

Well... I better get to bed. Tomorrow morning is the Jingle Bell 5K that I have been training for the past few weeks. I want to make sure I run my best race. I'll make sure I post my results sometime tomorrow morning. Good night, all!

Make A Christmas Wish!

2008-12-12T00:56:00.001-08:00

The Christmas Spirit is magical. Amazing things happen during the Christmas season not because of "magic" but because so many of dare to believe. Because we re-examine what it means to love all. Because we fondly remember Christmases past. Because we surround ourselves with loved ones. Because we immerse ourselves in the memories of those that have gone on before us. Because we dream about the future. Because we allow our perspective on life, our purpose here, to be reset in the warm glowing light of THE Christmas story. When enough of us do all this, that creates the "magic".

So start here. I invite you to share your Christmas wishes... no matter how spectacular or how grand... with all of us. You can publish your Christmas Wish by clicking here or by following the "Make A Christmas Wish!" link in the right-hand column.

I hope to see your wish soon!

'Tis The Season

2008-12-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

For me, Christmas is absolutely the happiest time of the year. I would guess that most everyone believes that it should be.... certainly everything in pop culture indicates that it is. But the fact is, for many people, it is a time of misery. Many are lonely. Some mourn the loss of loved ones every Holiday season. Others are tired. Or in debt. Or stressed. Or simply fed up with it all.

We get caught up in traditions & expectations, in obligatory gift giving, and in the frenetic pace of the season. Do you think this is how God intended Christmas to be when He sent His Son to earth? Do you think this is how he wants us to celebrate the birth of Christ?

This Christmas, can you take a moment to step back and focus on what the season is really about? Can you "re-enter" the Christmas story? I challenge you to be a part of giving to those who need it most, to spend time in genuine worship, and to approach everyone with love. If you can do that, I guarantee you that this will be your best Christmas ever!

Was There Anywhere I Didn't Go?

2008-12-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

Whew. I am exhausted. It feels like I was everywhere. In fact, I did go around the world 3 times in the last 48 hours, making appearances in city squares, parades, tree lightings, shopping centers, and sporting events (football matches, American football games, hockey matches, and basketball games). At least the reindeer got a break.... only two joined me on most trips.... so they are still well-rested.

I was able to run both Saturday and Sunday. I am training for the Jingle Bell 5K on Saturday. What a fun run! All of the finishers get medals made out of ginger bread... they're edible. And I might add, quite tasty when dipped in a cup of Egg Nog or Christmas Blend coffee. I run the race almost every year, but this year, Mrs. Claus and my entire senior staff have all committed to run the race with me. I've been training for it the last three months... I really want to see if I can finish ahead of Jangle. He has beaten me every year, usually by about a minute, but I have been getting closer each time. I think this may be my year.

I have been feeling particularly well today. Nothing specific.... I just seem to have a little less energy. I've cancelled our end-of-day staff meeting and my facility tour that were both scheduled for tonight so I can get to bed early. I think a little rest and I'll be back to 100% soon. Its amazing how the excitement of Christmas has kept me going though today. It was jus that little extra shot of adrenaline that I needed. But for now, I'm going to turn in and get some rest. I'll be back at it tomorrow.

First Encounter

2008-12-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

As you have no doubt read in my blog before, Blitzen saved my life. He found me on the verge of freezing to death after I had been caught in a major snowstorm, deep in the forest, and in the middle of the night. That was my first encounter with a talking and flying reindeer. Before that fateful night, I had believed such things to be the superstitions of old men and creatures of fairy tales. But Blitzen was real. And he opened up a whole new world for Mrs. Claus and I.

Blitzen returned me that night to Mrs. Claus. Later he told me that he didn't think I would make it through the night. He stayed with us in our home in Drobak, helping Mrs. Claus nurse me back to health. By mid-afternoon the following day, thanks in large part to Blitzen, I was beginning to feel myself again. I tried to re-pay Blitzen but he would have none of it. He said that my recovery was a priceless reward for him. But I did make him promise to stay in touch.... I knew he would be a life long friend. Blitzen did stay in touch. Over the course of the following year, he dropped by once a week to visit with us. He accompanied me on my commutes to and from Oslo. We became close friends.

I knew that if there was one talking and flying reindeer, there would certainly be more. But I never asked Blitzen. I understood his need to remain discrete about his abilities. I wanted to respect his privacy. So it was almost a full year later before he ever mentioned anything about his friends or family. And it was another few months before he finally introduced Mrs. Claus and I to all of the other reindeer. What a treat that was!

And eventually, several years later, I was able to re-pay Blitzen for saving my life. The reindeer were being threatened by new development as Oslo expanded and logging increased. Once Mrs. Claus & I became aware of the situation, we promptly used some of my inheritance to buy several hundred square kilometers of land in the northern most part of Norway so the reindeer could live safely & peacefully. That purchase was the first parcel of what is now the full North Pole territory. Mrs. Claus and I fell in love with the land and built our own cabin that we used as a weekend retreat from the shops in Drobak and Oslo. It allowed us to visit regularly with the reindeer.

It was during these weekend visits that we first noticed what we thought to be young children milling about amongst the herds of reindeer. Whenever I would go out to check on the children... concerned because no people lived within a hundred kilometers of our property borders... they would disappear quickly into the woods. The reindeer all assured me that I must have been hallucinating. This happened several weekends in a row. If Mrs. Claus had not also seen the children, I surely would have thought I was going mad. As winter set in, we did not see the children again. By spring, I thought no more about them. But Blitzen, my trusted friend, had not forgotten about the children...

Blitzen knew about my family fortune. And more importantly he knew about my desire to share my good fortune with the less-fortunate. He knew about how I followed my father's tradition of anonymously leaving small bags of gold coins on doorsteps on Christmas Eve. He knew that I had expanded the tradition to secretly pay-off debts of those that had suffered misfortune and to leave some of my hand-crafted toys with their children. I had shared with him how I wished I could extend my reach beyond the Drobak & Oslo areas to help the many others across Scandinavia. And that is why that following Christmas season, on the verge of winter, he told me about the elves.

The elves are human despite what many people may think given their small stature and the rumors of their magical powers (By the way, they aren't anymore magical than you are... it is the stuff of urban myths). They are a race descended originally from the same Siberian-based tribe as the eskimo people. A thousand years earlier, they had migrated north, deep into the Arctic Circle, before turning west and southward and settling in the forests of present-day Norway & Sweden. Living in the forest, they quickly became skilled craftsmen capable of making virtually anything from the timber they cut to make their homes, fuel their fires, and craft their tools. They adopted the reindeer and the reindeer, in turn, adopted them. They forged a deep and critical partnership. It is likely without each other, neither would have survived some of the winters they were forced to endure. For years they were a lost and forgotten tribe altogether; however, a hundred or so years before Mrs. Claus and I built our cabin in this remote land, a missionary... hopelessly lost and on the verge of starvation... stumbled upon the elf village. They nursed the missionary back to health. During his stay, he shared his faith and after hearing the Good News for the first time, the elves were so excited that they immediately broke into celebration. A feast was prepared, music played, elves danced & sang, and gifts were exchanged as was the tradition for all elf celebrations. The missionary told them that it reminded him of how Jesus' birthday was celebrated in other parts of Europe and the Middle East. Hearing this, the tribal elders declared that the birth of Christ would be celebrated in such manner every year. The missionary, fully recovered, set back on his quest and eventually found his way to Oslo. He shared the story of the elves but no one believed him, discounting it as the hallucinations of a starving man. The elves remained forgotten for another hundred years... until Blitzen introduced me to them.

Blitzen knew the elf traditions of celebrating the birth of Christ. He knew about my Christmas Eve traditions. And he knew that with the help of the elves and the other reindeer, I could realize my desire to help even more people. That first Christmas together with the elves, Mrs. Claus & I celebrated with the elves who hosted us in their village. We shared in their traditions. I shared my vision with the tribal elders. And that very Christmas night, we all - the reindeer, the elves, and I - made a commitment to deliver gifts - money, food, tools, & toys - to the deserving and less fortunate people of Norway the following Christmas Eve. From there, the tradition grew....

CLASSIC: Meeting Blitzen

2008-12-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

I am re-telling this story that I first shared in December of 2005 partly because I have had a number of requests to do so, but primarily as background for the story I intend to share with you on Thursday. On Thursday, I intend to tell you about how Mrs. Claus & I met the elves. I hope you'll be excited to check back in on Thursday after reading today's re-telling of how I met Blitzen.

The first flying reindeer I ever met was Blitzen. It was years ago. It was well before I ever knew reindeer could fly, or knew of elves, or built the North Pole Village.

I was a humble toy-maker in the town I was born - Drobak, Norway. A few years earlier I had met Mrs. Claus, we married, and shortly after opened a toy shop. Our business was starting to take off and I had just expanded into the markets of Oslo. It was a long trip by sleigh in the winter months. I would fill my sleigh with a week's worth of goods so that once I made the trip, I could stay for a full week before returning back along the seldom travelled trails. It was on my trip back late one night in the dead of winter. Even though it wasn't particularly wise to travel the forest alone at night, I was rushing back to be home in time for Mrs. Claus' birthday the next day. I was hoping to arrive just before dawn so I could be there when she woke up. The toy sales had been particularly brisk and I had used the money to buy Mrs. Claus an emerald drop that I had noticed her secretly (or at least, she thought it was secret) admiring in the window on all of our trips to Oslo. As I headed out of town, I noticed the wind picking up and snow beginning to fall. An hour or so outside of town, the storm had arrived. I was unable to see beyond the front of the sled and was forced to stop. It was obvious pretty quickly that I was not prepared. My only shelter was a blanket I huddled under, curled up in the floor of the sleigh. I could feel the life seeping out from me as the cold set in. After a few minutes, I was no longer cold but I could feel my eyelids getting heavier. Deep down, I knew I was going to die yet my only thoughts were about taking a nap. I don't know to this day if it was minutes or hours later... but I suddenly felt an extremely cold blast on my face as the blanket was pulled back. A warm nose brushed against my face. I was certain I was hallucinating... surely I wasn't talking to a reindeer. Surely he wasn't offering to fly me home. Even the next morning, when I woke up in my own bed back in Drobak, I thought for sure it was a dream. Or it was a hallucination. But it wasn't. It was Blitzen.

After that day, Mrs Claus and I both grew very close to Blitzen. Over time, he trusted us enough to introduce us to the other flying reindeer that lived in the woods of Norway. He was also the one who introduced us to the elfs and their tradition of selfless gift giving. Without Blitzen, it is conceivable that their never would have been a Santa Claus.

To this day, Blitzen remains my lead reindeer. Rudolph may be the most famous of all.... and we love him like we do every one of the reindeer... and he is in front of the team on Christmas Eve but Blitzen is my favorite. Even at his age, he remains the fastest, smartest, and most cheerful of the reindeer.

December Is Finally Here!

2008-12-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

Happy December 1st!

My schedule was a little lighter today. Mondays are always easier as there are typically no parade or media appearances on Mondays and there are significantly fewer mall appearances. As a result, I can spend more time here at the North Pole. I used the time today to conduct 1x1 meetings with all of my senior staff. Today's focus was on reviewing and updating their annual individual and team performance goals. We run our performance management year from February 1 to January 31st. Obviously, we have performance discussions through out the year; however, there are 4 formal review periods: Goal Setting in February, Mid-Year Reviews at the end of the summer (Aug-Sept timeframe), Pre-Christmas Review at the first of December, and the year-end review in late January/early February. The pre-Christmas Reviews that I conducted today are just to ensure that we are fully aligned and prepared for the most critical portion of our year leading up to the Christmas Eve operation. I am happy to say that everyone is performing very well. I could not be more proud of my team. I am extremely confident this is going to be a great Christmas!

I did have a couple of tree lightings though, including the North Pole Christmas Tree Lighting! What fun it was! The best thing about the North Pole Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony is that Mrs. Claus gets the lighting honors. I can just be myself and enjoy the ceremony as a participant. It was quite the event.... of course, as usual, the thing I remember most is the food.... Hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, hot apple cider, ginger bread cookies, etc. There were strolling carolers prior to the start of the ceremony. Beyonce opened with a few modern Christmas carols. She was followed by Michael W. Smith, who sang more traditional carols such as Hark The Herald Angels and Silent Night. It was also a great chance to catch-up with old friends that I had not had the opportunity to see since they had returned last week. Overall, it was a lot of fun.

Mrs. Claus is calling me to join her for a late night snack so I better get going. It was a good day! I hope you are enjoying this Christmas season as much as I am.

Breaking Out The Decorations

2008-11-30T17:50:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

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....

2008-11-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-03T23:12:00.000-08:00

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."