Santa Done Right

I am a stickler for the "right" Santa.

He sets up shop at North Park this time of year. The line to see him snakes around corners and into hallways. There is always at least one baby screaming or crying or generally making a fuss waiting for him.

And, if you don't do things exactly right, you will pay the piper. Trust me. I've screwed this little exercise up many years, so I speak from experience.

But, this year I got it spot-on right.

I showed up sub-9am to get my number. Lucky 24, it was.

We showed up in the middle of dinner time when everyone else wasn't thinking "this would be the perfect time to sit on Santa's lap".

And we went during the week, the week before school let out.

Bingo, bango, bongo. Including shop time for the final picture, browsing in the Lego and GameStop stores AND time to get back and forth from the West 40 to our car*, we finished in one hour.

Those of you who live in Dallas, know this Santa, and have endured the H.E.Double.Toothpicks of standing in line waiting to see him because you forgot to be at the mall at 9am to get a number?

Don't.be.hatin'.

Just take my advice, follow the rules above, and your Christmas visit this year should be just as seamless.

The only downside to my visit? Now I have another dilemma: How the HECK is Santa going to get a hamster from the North Pole to our house on Christmas SUNDAY?

OY.


*Even at Christmas, when valet parking makes the most sense, we're still too thrifty to pay for it.