Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_03 (00:00):
We go.
SPEAKER_04 (00:00):
We're live.
Hello, everybody.
SPEAKER_03 (00:03):
I'm so excited.
SPEAKER_04 (00:05):
Um, welcome to another edition of Independence
because uh tonight is on ourholiday show.
This is so so amazing.
Um, it's like I maybe have tofind out he's driving a red
truck.
I don't know why it's red.
I have a good idea, but hepulled up my son Zenak went
absolutely nuts to the mother.
SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
I was like having like buddy the yellow from out.
SPEAKER_04 (00:29):
I was like, buddy, buddy.
Yeah, yeah.
Send him a welcome.
Welcome to the pod zone.
Well, thank you for having me.
Well, that's a pleasure.
Um, I have to ask, um, is thisyour first like podcast, or are
you doing anything like this?
(00:50):
Or have you become aninfluencer?
SPEAKER_00 (00:52):
Um, I guess I have for some reason.
Um, yes, this is definitely myfirst podcast.
I cool.
I'm kind of like get shook upover this technology, but I did,
I think it was called Zoom.
Yeah, oh yeah, yep.
And it was for some children inEl Paso, Texas.
(01:12):
Oh wow, it was the poorestschool district there.
So I talked with the children,they asked a lot of questions
about when I was a little boy,and they realized that I grew up
a lot like they did.
SPEAKER_04 (01:27):
And amazing comes seeing them.
Amazing.
I can't believe you're sittinghere at my pod table, pod zone
table.
I'm like, I'm I'm just all giddygiddy.
SPEAKER_03 (01:34):
Me too.
Me too.
I'm like, oh my god.
SPEAKER_04 (01:36):
Exactly.
Uh well, again, welcome.
And uh, I know you're insanelybusy this time of the year.
Um, but what made you want tostop by Skip Happens?
The podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:47):
Well, I've known you, young man, for well over my
life 50 years.
Yes.
Well, yeah, well over 50.
Yes, and I've heard you on theradio.
Thank you.
And I saw you at the gala forGigi's Playhouse.
Oh, yes, yes.
And uh, I was at another placehelping out with a fundraiser at
(02:07):
the stadium, and we ran intoeach other again.
We did, we did, and your son,wonderful little boy.
SPEAKER_04 (02:14):
Thank you.
He was, he's just, you know,matter of fact, he he told me
says dad before Santa Lee's hegot to give him my list.
And I said, uh, we got itcovered, honey.
I said, buddy.
I said, but you know what?
You just gotta keep this on thedown low because uh here you are
at at Zach's house in the podzone.
So I don't need anywhere I needto call somebody for security,
(02:35):
if you know what I mean.
Yeah.
So how cool.
It's good to see you though.
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
So good to see you.
Really good to see you again,young man.
SPEAKER_04 (02:42):
And a strong lady.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_04 (02:45):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (02:46):
I'm just in shock.
I really am.
I'm just like, oh my gosh, it'shere in the flesh.
SPEAKER_04 (02:52):
Santa, you know, I have to ask, what's a um a
normal workday like at the NorthPole?
SPEAKER_00 (02:58):
Oh, it's very busy.
It slows down a little bitduring warmer weather because we
don't have air conditioning, butit's still fairly cool there.
But we have trucks arriving allthe time and occasionally an
airplane.
Really?
And they're bringing items thereto help us to build the toys,
you know, wood and other things.
(03:19):
So, and we had a big slowdownduring COVID.
SPEAKER_04 (03:23):
Oh, yeah.
I was sorry about that.
SPEAKER_00 (03:25):
Yes, a lot of the the elves were ill, and a lot of
the people driving the bigtrucks bringing things were ill.
So I said, you know, I hope youkids can understand I might not
be able to have as many toys outthere.
So if you only get one, you'regonna know why.
SPEAKER_04 (03:44):
I get it, I totally get it.
And but I do have to I want toback it up a little bit because
you arrived and I mentioned thered truck, and I'm like, I was
expecting to hear maybe uhreindeer on the roof or
something, or somebody knockingon my roof or the back door, but
uh no, you pulled up in a redtruck.
So, what's that all about?
SPEAKER_00 (04:02):
Well, actually, it's kind of warm for the reindeer.
I get you.
And the local firemen, no matterwhere I go, they loan me a red
truck to use.
SPEAKER_01 (04:13):
Very cool.
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (04:15):
And and red for obviously reasons.
I like that.
Yeah, red.
Red's your favorite color.
Yes, it is, as I can see.
Second favorite is green.
No, yeah, I know.
I was thinking about putting thegreen lights in here along with
the red ones.
You can't see them from wherewe're sitting, but then they are
above you, so that that's kindof cool.
Um, you know, uh, what's harder?
(04:36):
Can I I don't mean to get into alot of the uh the business side
of things or what Santa does atthe North Pole, but uh who's
harder to manage?
You gotta you gotta deal withthe elves, yes, and then you
have to deal with the reindeer,yes, and Mrs.
Claus and Mrs.
Claus.
SPEAKER_00 (04:52):
Yes, by the way, give her give her her our love,
um, yeah, our love.
Well, you know that old thingabout the three ring circus.
Well, I'm supposed to be the guyjuggling everything, but um,
everybody really works togethervery hard.
And the thing is, you know,people don't know that all of
Santa's reindeer are girls.
SPEAKER_03 (05:14):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (05:15):
And I've had children ask me why.
I said, well, I said the girlreindeers they keep their horns
till late, late in the summer sothey can protect the little ones
when they're born, so the boysdon't need them.
And I had one lady say itfigures if there's hard work to
(05:36):
do, a woman will have to do it.
I said, please don't say that orall Mrs.
Claws.
I was gonna say, yeah, is thedoor closed?
Yeah, it is.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (05:44):
So of course, Rudolph is the most famous
reindeer of all, but do you havea famous reindeer, or who's like
who's the reindeer that you likeyou just like you resonate with,
you know?
SPEAKER_00 (05:56):
You know what?
All of them.
All of them, not a single youknow, they are they go way
beyond being like a pet.
They they just work so hard, andyou know, they're all the time
out there practicing, andsometimes they get injured, so
we have to make sure everybodystays in good shape.
(06:17):
And yeah, I um yes, I I know alot of people are surprised when
they hear all the reindeergirls.
Do they ever call in sick onChristmas Eve?
SPEAKER_01 (06:26):
Yeah, no, what happens when someone gets a sick
day?
SPEAKER_00 (06:32):
Oh, actually, knock on wood.
I've never had it happen onChristmas Eve.
And the way everybody pitches infor that big night, and do you
know I couldn't possibly carryall the presents, millions and
millions of them.
(06:53):
And what I do is I swoop down toall these old train stations,
and there you have theresponder, first responders,
yeah, yeah, like firefighters,people in law enforcement, uh,
ambulance drivers andtechnicians, and they are there
(07:15):
ready to hand it.
Doesn't make any difference theweather, they are there to help
me get that sleigh loaded upright off.
SPEAKER_04 (07:23):
Oh, it's amazing you can get that off the ground
because you got so much in theway of gifts and and all that,
and and just and the speed youtravel.
I I I don't get it, I think it'sthe coolest thing going.
SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
I'm like, man, you know, I like speed, I like to go
fast, but well, that's amazing,but you know a thing or two
about going fast.
SPEAKER_00 (07:42):
Well, believe it or not, I hope there's nobody here
from law enforcement, but now wewe keep this hidden.
I used to have a Harley Davidsonreally, and I rode them for
years, and I did have a tendencyto drive way too fast with it.
Oh, well, even Mrs.
Clos didn't complain, she likedit.
(08:02):
She liked to ride it.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, I bet.
I bet.
SPEAKER_01 (08:05):
What role does Mrs.
Claus play that we don't reallylike realize she plays?
SPEAKER_00 (08:12):
Well, she got me a gift several years ago, she got
me a very elaborate GPS.
What she does, she keeps it onher desk, and every time the
United Postal Service has achange in uh, you know, location
(08:32):
as far as any family, they putit into a computer and they send
it to her.
So I always have an updated listof where everybody is, and oh,
it's great.
I get on there, I hit onebutton, and I can follow every
place I have to go.
So it's amazing.
(08:53):
Yes, I get to have well, I dohave some cookies for breakfast.
But I get to I get to havebreakfast with everybody, with
all the owls, the reindeer,anybody that helps me.
SPEAKER_04 (09:05):
You know, one thing, Santa, I don't mean to
interrupt, but um if people arewatching this, uh, because
Santa, I mean, this does nothappen all that often.
No, it's like I can't rememberthe last time Santa sat in on a
podcast, but he's here in theSkip Happens pod zone.
Um, if you're watching this onYouTube, you feel free to
comment.
You want to say hello, you gotsomebody that wants to ask a
(09:27):
question of Santa.
But if you're watching this onFacebook, do me a favor, switch
over to YouTube if you can.
Uh, just go skip happens.
It's gonna come up.
You can watch it and let usknow.
If your little ones are watchingthis, by all means, I'd love to
know.
We'd love to give them ashout-out as well.
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
So, well, you know, Santa's been doing this since
most of the parents uh that havechildren now before they were
born.
I started out in 1970.
Mrs.
Kloss and I had a little girl,oh, and that was the year in
1970, and I wanted to be a Santafor my children.
(10:06):
Well, it just mushroom fromthere.
My fur suit was plastic, youcould see through it, you could
see my street clothes, and IHarley clothes, right?
Yeah, right.
And I from there, a lady startedmaking my suits, this jacket and
pants.
The lady spent over 200 hourshand sewing it.
SPEAKER_04 (10:28):
Oh my goodness, you know, I it looks good on you,
Santa.
Thank you.
It looks really good, reallygood.
You know, I have uh James is onthere, says, Hey Santa, please
define good.
SPEAKER_00 (10:39):
Good is when you do something, even though it's not
fun and it doesn't help hurtanybody, and it puts a smile on
your face.
Can you um let me know if I'm onthe naughty list?
Oh no, I don't do that at all.
You you don't disclose that.
No, I was kind of worried thatway.
(11:01):
Everybody's good right up tillChristmas Eve.
Okay.
And after that, I kind of givethem a pass.
unknown (11:07):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (11:07):
Ah, you're a good Santa.
You're good.
You're good.
What's your um I know you get alot of good when you show up
here on Christmas Eve?
I mean, you have like a greatspread of cookies, and you got
the milk, and we even put alittle reindeer food out front.
You've probably seen that whenyou come by.
I did.
But uh, do you have a favoritecookie?
SPEAKER_00 (11:25):
Well, everybody thinks it's chocolate chip.
But the truth is, I like the nobaked cookies.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
Oh my gosh, it's my baby.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (11:39):
Yes, it's made with oatmeal and uh with cocoa, the
powdered cocoa, and I I like itwith a little coconut in it.
And if you want to throw in somewalnuts, it's really weird.
SPEAKER_03 (11:56):
Wow, that sounds good.
SPEAKER_04 (11:57):
I'll have to let Mrs.
Clark know about that.
So yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
So Christmas.
SPEAKER_01 (12:05):
Do you have any like pre-flight rituals?
Like, how do you prepareyourself the night before
Christmas?
SPEAKER_00 (12:14):
Well, I start off by saying a prayer that I'll have
at least one gift for eachchild.
And there's a lot of timesthere's a single parent um
household.
So I like something also forthat parent.
And I say another prayer thateverything will go well, that
(12:34):
there won't be any injuries orhurt feelings or that.
And you know, my reindeer willactually get down and they'll
squat down.
They say their own prayer thatthey have a safe trip.
Wow, I love that.
SPEAKER_04 (12:48):
You know, there's a lot going on in the world, and
you go around the world.
I mean, it's so like I mentionedbefore, the speed is
unbelievable.
But uh, when you head around theworld and now with all the
uprising in the Middle East,does that any of that worry you,
Santa?
Are you, you know, you got yoursleigh, you're moving through
the atmosphere, you you'retrying to, you know, you've got
guests for everybody, and we'reall human.
Well, we all need to love eachother.
SPEAKER_00 (13:08):
Let me tell you, I have dealt with people from all
over the world, people wherethere's wars and so on.
And I guess could say they havetold me they know my heart is
pure and I want to helpeverybody.
I guess could say that politicsnever enter into what Santa's
(13:31):
doing.
And they know I don't just helpchildren.
They know sometimes people need,I guess, say some encouragement
or whatever about their whatthey're doing.
And you know, Santa does it, butit it does bother Santa.
Now I kind of got this from myparents, but more from my dad.
(13:54):
He was the first Americansoldier to enter DACO when it
was liberated.
SPEAKER_04 (14:00):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00 (14:01):
So I I have really made an effort to go out there
and actually with youth groupsteaching them, look, we may have
differences, but in a lot ofways we're the same.
Yeah.
I gotcha.
I gotcha.
SPEAKER_04 (14:17):
Wow.
I'm just I'm still all giddygiddy.
I don't know what else to tellyou.
I'm just like all giddy giddy.
Um, when it doesn't snow, let'ssay, you know, we've had, and
there's places in the worldwhere there's no snow, but you
still you still show up.
How does the the sleigh and thereindeer handle all that?
SPEAKER_00 (14:34):
I mean you know, I wish I had the answer.
It's magic.
It's you don't even the reindeerdon't know how they say, we just
know that we can, and we haveenough faith to believe we can
do it.
So they do.
Wow.
And you know, it was a shamewhen I first got Rudolph, the
(14:56):
other reindeer made fun of them.
I heard that.
That that was sad.
And then one night, and it was ahorrible night, a really bad
blizzard.
I couldn't see.
And they tweeted wrote Rudolphabout his nose glowing.
And I said, Boy, you know what?
(15:16):
I'll bet you if he was up therein front with that red nose, he
could like the way.
And it was a good lesson notonly for the other reindeer, but
it's like I tell children, youmay have children in your class
that may look a littledifferent, or they may be in a
(15:36):
wheelchair.
My best friend in high schoolwas in a wheelchair his whole
life.
He was such a very smart person.
And you know, I try to point outto kids just because you're
different doesn't mean there'ssomething wrong with you.
Oh, absolutely.
So now I've had little ones tellme that when they've gone back
(15:59):
to school, they make a point tobe friends with these kids.
And I said, you know, they'rereally all very special.
SPEAKER_04 (16:08):
They are.
I know I know very well.
Yeah, well, that almost did mein.
Wow.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (16:18):
What's your your favorite way of receiving
letters?
Do you like the handwrittenletters?
Do you like the drawings of thepresents that the kids want?
Do you like email?
Yeah, like the email.
Do you like the USB file that'sgot the presentation?
I don't know.
Well, I'll tell you.
SPEAKER_00 (16:38):
What's your favorite way to I have the handwritten
letters and pictures and so ongoing all the way back to 1970
when I started doing this?
And I have some families thatI've been doing sanophore for so
long that the infants now havechildren of their own.
(17:02):
And some of those children arein their teens.
So, you know, it goes from onegeneration to another.
SPEAKER_04 (17:09):
How do you fuel your sleigh?
Is it the more you believe, thetime, and the faster you go?
SPEAKER_00 (17:17):
I I think that's it.
And you know, one of the thingsI try to tell children and
parents, it's so cold up there.
But with my suit, I'm plentywarm, and the reindeer are.
But I can't I can't bring petswith me.
It's way, way too cold, and theywould freeze up there.
(17:38):
Oh, yeah, that's a good point.
SPEAKER_04 (17:40):
Yeah, but uh there's gotta be another way though,
because Santa does bring petsfor the kids, so you just can't
do it that way.
Maybe you have them shippedsomehow, somehow, and you you
make sure they end up there.
SPEAKER_00 (17:49):
So no, I I do have helpers.
Oh, that's a secret, and they'rethey're kind of sneaky, they'll
put a little puppy into a greatbig box and leave it on the
front steps, or they'll ring thedoorbell and they'll run, and
the kids will come to the doorand see the box, and they'll
hear the noise.
Yes, one little girl, she got aSaint Bernard puppy.
(18:13):
That's a big puppy.
It was like that is a big puppy,it was definitely like a
full-grown dog, and you know, itwas instant love with the two of
them.
He comes out of the box, runsright to her, she's hugging
them, and he's licking her face,and the parents are staying
there with tears in their eyes.
(18:33):
I said, How much joy can youget?
You know, we my uh Mrs.
Closs and I have a littlerescue, and he's wicked funny,
and he's also wicked smart.
He knows what time it is to eat.
Oh, we have a yellow lab thatdoes that.
Well, I'll tell you.
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
I have a mini Australian that does the same
thing.
SPEAKER_00 (18:55):
I'll tell you what he did one day to me, and I go,
Oh god, I don't need this.
He would eat his dinner at fourin the evening.
So he comes over and he yips,and it says, Yip for I want to
eat.
And I go, No, it's too early.
And I pointed at the clock onthe mantle.
(19:16):
So he disappears.
I'm watching my movie on TV.
He comes back down, he yips,turns, and he looked right at
the clock.
Like, yeah, I know it's fouro'clock.
So you knew it.
SPEAKER_04 (19:30):
Yeah, you knew it.
What um this is the the busytime time of the year for you,
and it all comes to a head likepretty soon in a week.
A week a week from now, it'sgonna be over with.
SPEAKER_03 (19:42):
Yes.
SPEAKER_04 (19:43):
So when you get back to the North Pole, everything
settles down.
Do you does everybody just go onvacation?
Do they chill?
Do you have a party sayingeverybody did a great job?
How does that work witheverybody?
SPEAKER_00 (19:54):
We definitely have a party for everybody.
Extra rations for the reindeer,extra sweets.
Yeah.
For the elves.
And sometime Mrs.
Kloss and I will actually go toupstate New York to go and visit
around the Thousand Islands anduh downtown Sarnack, Placid, uh
(20:16):
all the lakes, the finger.
Yeah, watch out for the bears upthere.
Yes.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (20:21):
I was there when I was in Boy Scouts, you may
remember.
Um, I don't know because Santawatches you all year round, but
uh at uh Camp Sebatis, if weleft left the food out on the
table, it would disappear, itwould disappear.
And the bears would be at the uhdump, but they'd always kind of
wander around.
SPEAKER_00 (20:36):
So yeah, yes, crazy.
Santa had the fright of hislife.
I was out hiking, and I think itwas Warrensburg, New York.
So I sat down and I nodded off,and I heard this hoomph, and it
was it was a bear and it likemade a huffing noise, and I
(20:56):
stood up, turned, and looked,and he looked, and we both ran.
SPEAKER_04 (21:03):
Yeah, but you were in incognito because you weren't
in your I wasn't wearing mySanta suit.
Right, exactly.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (21:11):
The holidays are full of a lot of Christmas cheer
imagination.
Um, what role do you thinkimagination plays in society, or
how important do you think thatthat spirit, that that
joyfulness is for the biggerpicture of things?
SPEAKER_00 (21:28):
I'm a firm believer that anything human beings can
imagine, they can create.
And one of those things, ofcourse, it smiles on people's
faces.
Um walking up to somebody's acomplete stranger and telling me
you're sorry they're having abad day.
Um it's just it's extremelyimportant.
(21:52):
I mean, as you said, there's somany things going on in the
world, and this is like you say,the time of the year when I
really try very, very hard tomake people smile.
Well, you do a good job of it.
SPEAKER_04 (22:07):
Oh, thank you.
Always, always.
I mean, we look forward to it,you know, and Santa, we know
Santa's coming.
That's pretty exciting news.
SPEAKER_00 (22:13):
You know, there's so many ways that people can help
others.
Back in 2000, I was approachedby the Red Cross, and they asked
me if I'd be willing to be abone marrow donor.
Oh, wow.
So in 2000, I got to be a bonemarrow donor, and I I felt very,
very blessed.
But according to the doctor, itwas unusual because he said they
(22:38):
mixed my blood with his child'sblood, who happened to be in
England, uh-huh.
It had never been done before.
The National Institute of Healthhad to create paperwork.
And do you know what?
It took maybe all of two hoursof my life.
But like they say, a man maybecan't give uh birth, but you
know what?
(22:59):
We can give them an extendedlife.
SPEAKER_04 (23:02):
So yeah, Santa, that that's wonderful.
And that's that's great thatyou're saying that.
And again, I if anybody'swatching this and you want to
ask Santa a question, you gotthe kids there, they want to
give a shout out.
Santa, and Santa will give you ashout-out.
Let them know what you want.
You know, yeah, we'll just passalong.
He's sitting right here in theuh in the pod zone, first time
ever on a podcast.
(23:22):
Yes, this is amazing.
It is amazing, isn't it?
Now see, now yep.
When you talk to other peoplearound the world, you can just
go, you know, I saw this guyskip in uh Miss Ray in Syracuse.
SPEAKER_02 (23:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:32):
Well, you know, Santa actually did a seminar for
Santa's from all over thecountry, Ohio, Maine, Rhode
Island, just all over.
And uh this other gentlemanwho's one of my helpers asked me
if I would do a seminar.
And I go, Well, sure, what doyou want me to do?
(23:54):
And he said, I want you to tellall these other Santas what you
do, like raising the money bygoing to house and company
parties and donating it out andthe impact that you can have
when you go and talk tochildren.
You know, it's uh I can't evenbegin to tell you how rewarding
(24:15):
it's gotta be.
SPEAKER_04 (24:15):
It's gotta be.
And Heather, um Heathercommented, uh, Santa, oh how I
love you and the magic you bringto so many of us.
SPEAKER_00 (24:23):
Oh, thank you.
But you know what?
I think Santa kind of gets a lotmore out of it than everybody
because it's just such a joyfulthing to be able to do.
SPEAKER_04 (24:34):
And that's why you've been doing this for so
many years, that you can justkeep going and going and going
because it's it's believing,it's uh knowing what people
need.
Uh, it's that whole thing, itall comes from your heart, you
know.
SPEAKER_00 (24:46):
Well, children will ask me how old I am, and I'm
very honest.
Uh-oh.
I tell them I was born BC.
Oh, okay.
And I was at a house party, andthere were two Catholic priests.
I said, now for Santa, BC meanssomething different.
So the little kids all leanedforward and said, What does it
(25:09):
mean?
I said, I'm so old.
I was born before computers, andthey can relate to it.
They go, Wow, you're really old.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (25:20):
I love that.
I love that.
I was gonna say beforeChristmas, but obviously before
computers, that's what everybodythinks.
Yeah.
That was that was they had noidea, but uh, we don't give out
the numbers, so we don't need todo that.
Yeah, new, not at all.
SPEAKER_01 (25:35):
So during the month of December, you do a lot of
community involvement.
You know, you go and visit kidsall over all over the state, all
over New York State, all overthe country, all over the world.
Um, and then you deliverpresents um on Christmas.
What does a normal day look likeoutside of December?
So up in the North Pole, what isit normally like up there?
(25:56):
What do you I mean, do youcelebrate summer?
Do you do summer?
SPEAKER_04 (25:59):
Oh, most definitely.
Well, he said he does a littleuh camping upstairs.
That's true.
SPEAKER_01 (26:05):
There has to be no snow at one point in your life
if you're Harley Davidson.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:11):
Well, actually, that's something that never
faced Santa.
I rode my Harley Davidson fromBinghamton, New York to
Syracuse, and it was snowing sohard, people were pulling over.
I got caught off guard.
I didn't know it was going tosnow, neither did anybody else,
but I got home.
SPEAKER_04 (26:30):
Wow, if only they had known that was Santa.
Well, that's why.
That's that's that's why becauseyou're Santa.
SPEAKER_00 (26:38):
I mean, come on, you got the magic, you make it
happen.
Well, people waved at me, andsome of them just shook their
heads like this man is crazy.
But you're not Harley Snow.
Yes, yeah.
So was it a fat boy?
No, no, no, I'm the fat boy.
No, it was called a heritagesoft tail, okay, and it looked
(26:59):
like a Harley from oh, the late40s, early 50s.
Sweet, sweet, love that.
SPEAKER_04 (27:06):
So, what do you I mean in the offseason?
You get together and play ballwith the elves.
What goes on?
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
Yes, I'm always up to anything they want to do
that's going to give them a goodtime.
SPEAKER_01 (27:18):
And do you vacation?
Have you ever vacationed?
SPEAKER_00 (27:23):
This sounds like the commercial on television where
the progressive girl said,What's that?
Oh, yeah, you mean like what I'msetting in my well, actually, to
me, a vacation is having time todo some things with Mrs.
Kloss, things to do with theelves.
Like we all will share timetogether.
(27:45):
Uh, we've gone fishing together,we've gone camping together.
And uh, I also have brought themalong because Santa is a
volunteer on a wilderness searchand rescue team.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So they really like that a lotbecause they were taught things
like low angle rescue, whichmeans like if somebody falls
(28:09):
down a cliff or whatever, uhcrime scene preservation,
because we work all the timewith law enforcement.
Uh, we there's just so manythings, and you don't get the
normal first aid when we get ourtraining, because sometimes the
people are way out, you know,three or four miles into the
woods.
So it's a lot of things.
SPEAKER_04 (28:30):
I I never realized Santa was into all that.
I mean, I guess it's like a guyI go back to saying you've got
the magic, you got the belief,you know, you know where things
are and how to fix things andjust make it happen for
everybody.
SPEAKER_01 (28:41):
I'm not surprised by any of this, if I do say so
myself.
Have you ever seen Santa Clausescome into town?
He was so in touch with theanimals, he was he was so in
nature.
He movies they do a great job ofshowing you in your story, of
course.
What's your favorite Christmasmovie?
What's one more that you'relike, you know, I kind of tell
(29:04):
you tells my story.
SPEAKER_00 (29:06):
The Christmas story with Darren McGay.
Oh, yeah, yes.
Now, I'll tell you how I say howmuch that's my favorite.
I actually talked with agentleman who's local, and he
makes a um barbecue sauce, it'svery special, and we got
talking.
He knows the man that played thelittle boy that was in the
(29:28):
snowsuit that puts his arms upin there and he can't, you know,
walk or whatever.
SPEAKER_01 (29:34):
Like the little brother ran.
SPEAKER_00 (29:36):
So he has a snowsuit and he has a big piece of
plywood with a cutout, so peoplecan go up and put their face
there and have their picturetaken with that original snow
suit.
That's it.
And he also has the fire truckfrom the movie.
So Santa's gonna be doing somefundraisers this next year.
(29:57):
Oh, nice.
Uh, one of them will be furs,feathers, and fins, which will
be for basically any type ofanimal.
There's some people they lovetheir pets, but they need a
little bit of help.
So Santa tries to help withthat.
SPEAKER_04 (30:13):
So Abilene, I gotta know from somebody.
Abilene has been especially goodthis year, Santa.
So you need to know that.
SPEAKER_00 (30:18):
You know that, I'm sure that's uh you got the
definitely, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, way to go, Abilene.
Yes, Abeline, and thank goodnessfor the elves on the shelf.
Boy, do they oh do they reportback?
SPEAKER_04 (30:30):
Do they really come on?
They are required to.
unknown (30:33):
Wow.
SPEAKER_04 (30:33):
Tell us about that.
SPEAKER_01 (30:34):
That whole I mean, yeah, and then I I always
happens if a family doesn't havean elf on the shelf.
What what do you do in thosesituations?
SPEAKER_00 (30:44):
Like, how do you I still find you still know?
SPEAKER_01 (30:47):
You still know.
SPEAKER_00 (30:49):
You know, I have been out, I have been out
shopping.
SPEAKER_01 (30:53):
I should have known better.
He knows, he knows.
SPEAKER_00 (30:56):
I've been out shopping in street clothes, and
they think I'm just a guy with abeard and white hair.
Little do they know, yes, littledo they know, so they'll be
misbehaving, and I'll walk up totheir mom because I never give
anything to a child.
I let the parents do that, and Iwill give the card to the parent
(31:17):
and has a magnet on the back.
I said, if they misbehave likethis anymore, keep this on your
refrigerator.
She goes, Oh my god, it's reallyyou, isn't it?
And I said, Yes, it is.
I was just gonna ask kids' eyesget so big.
SPEAKER_04 (31:34):
Wow, that is any close calls of somebody going,
Oh my god, that's Santa.
SPEAKER_00 (31:38):
I know it's Santa.
I I got a phone call from a momand dad whose children were just
raising heck, so they werefairly close by.
So I go to visit, and there's astairway in their garage to go
down into the basement.
It was so loud, the screamingand hollering.
So I knocked on the door, theyopened the door, and I stood
(32:01):
there with my hands on my hips,and I said, What is the meaning
of this?
You promised me you were allgoing to behave.
I said, Where's your mother andfather?
So they came down and I go, I'mso disappointed.
Santa, we're really sorry.
We told them they better behave.
It's close to Christmas.
I go, This is the last chance.
(32:25):
I said, You've promised andpromised.
So next year, if you're notbehaving, I'm not gonna be able
to bring presents for any ofyou, and I don't want it to be
like that.
SPEAKER_01 (32:35):
So someone can have a rough year and still be able
to make it on the good list, orokay, okay.
SPEAKER_04 (32:42):
I was kind of wondering about it.
SPEAKER_00 (32:45):
That is good to know if you're that is good to know.
It's like but three chancesyou're out.
Yeah, it's like adults, theyknow they're supposed to behave.
And I guess you could say asthey get to the end of their
years, they start thinking aboutthat, and they change, I guess
(33:07):
say, the attitude they have, andthey behave like they should
have when they were little kids.
SPEAKER_04 (33:15):
I have to ask, do you listen to music while you're
doing your thing?
Um so and what's on yourplaylist in the sleigh?
SPEAKER_00 (33:23):
Well, of course, I think it's gotta be quick.
My number one button is 92.1, ofcourse.
SPEAKER_04 (33:29):
Yeah, well called that yeah, exactly.
And uh as a matter of fact, Ikind of figured that, and I was
hoping you would say that.
Yes.
But that's cool.
But so you're listening to somecountry while you're you're
getting things done.
SPEAKER_00 (33:42):
Most definitely.
SPEAKER_04 (33:43):
That's cool.
That's cool.
And plus with the the theextensive satellite equipment
that I would assume is on yoursleigh, you can listen to us
anywhere in the world.
SPEAKER_00 (33:54):
Well, Motorola actually helps support our
search and rescue team.
So, needless to say, they knowwho I am and I get some of their
latest equipment.
Here, we just want you to tryit, you know.
SPEAKER_04 (34:06):
Yeah, but speak highly of it, and you can have
yes.
But it all works.
Oh, I get that.
That is cool.
That is cool.
SPEAKER_01 (34:14):
How has the evolution of technology helped
with the delivery of presentsand stuff?
Has it made it easy?
That's a great question.
Or do you struggle withtechnology?
SPEAKER_00 (34:25):
I do some, but um, I have found ways using technology
to get money for charities.
Like one charity needed uh eightthousand dollars for engineering
work and blueprints to get thisbuilding built, which is called
Casey's Place.
SPEAKER_04 (34:46):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
And I'm kind of sneaky, they say I have a little
bit of the devil in me.
But I went to a foundation,didn't ask them for$8,000, I
asked them for$10,000.
They gave it to me, and oh mygosh, they did a they did a big
blown-up check that I had my bagand the children with uh Casey's
(35:10):
place, they were having theirparty at the zoo.
So I said, Young lady, Mrs.
Diane Napa, come here.
SPEAKER_04 (35:16):
Yeah, I know Diane.
SPEAKER_00 (35:17):
Yeah, I have something for you.
And I took it out of my bag,gave it to two gentlemen with a
foundation, and when I steppedaway and she saw the check, she
started crying.
I said, Wait a minute, you'reunhappy?
Isn't this what you want?
And she comes over and shehugged me.
SPEAKER_04 (35:37):
She's oh my gosh.
So Santa comes through.
SPEAKER_00 (35:41):
People want to help.
It's just, you know, it's justnormal.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (35:46):
So I can't say this enough.
If you're sitting there andyou're watching this, uh, this
is really happening.
Santa is sitting here in the podzone, and it's an opportunity
for any of you to, if you have aquestion, maybe you're, you
know, some of your kids aresitting there with you and
you're watching this.
Uh by all means, uh just uhcomment and Santa will respond.
He's sitting right here.
And as I said that, another onecame in.
(36:07):
So let's see what this one's allabout.
I would love Santa to share moreabout how he makes sure kids
with disabilities feel hismagic.
It's my favorite.
So it said, I would love Santato share more about how he makes
sure kids with disabilities feelhis magic.
SPEAKER_00 (36:26):
Well, I'm extremely patient.
And people said you have aGod-given gift because I can
make any child or elderly personin particular smile.
And since about 1980, Santa hasbeen involved with several
(36:46):
different organizations thathelp children with disabilities.
I was one of the foundingmembers of the wheelchair, the
Syracuse wheelchair sports team.
I would take children that wereuh in the youth groups and have
them meet with people withdisabilities.
One gentleman, he didn't haveany use of his legs, only the
(37:10):
use of one arm, and he swamcompetitively.
And he was he was within he waswithin 10 seconds of the Olympic
record for freestyle.
Now stop and think about that.
10 seconds, which is a long,long time.
Yes, yeah, but he only had theuse of one arm.
(37:32):
So he I had him sitting in achair when we had this get
together with the children, andhe's talking about the different
things he did in his life, andhe turns to me.
Of course, we had pre-plannedthis.
He said, Would you go get mychair?
I go, sure.
And I went over, I took hiswheelchair out of the closet,
(37:54):
and those children just satthere with their jaws hanging
down.
Yeah, that's great story.
Santa has done a lot to raisemoney for children with
disabilities.
And I was told that I didmiracles, but I pointed out to
them it wasn't me.
I said there's a power muchstronger than me, and I pointed
(38:17):
up.
I've had so many nonverbalautistic children that I was
able to get to talk.
And when they say it's amiracle, I point out to them.
I look them right in the eye, Iask them a question, and they
know I expect them to answer.
(38:37):
The oldest child that wasnonverbal that talked to me was
15.
unknown (38:43):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (38:45):
So Santa just I'm just happening to be the monkey
in the middle.
SPEAKER_04 (38:49):
No, but you know, and everything you've been
telling Miss Ray and myself, anda lot of things we did not know
about you, Santa, um, that evenwhen it's not Christmas time,
you're somewhere.
Oh, yeah.
And and the people just don'trealize it's you and you're
making it happen.
And oh man, that just wow.
I that's inspirational.
I got goosebumps, I got thechicken noodles.
SPEAKER_03 (39:10):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (39:11):
Well, Santa actually has a big thick binder about
three inches thick with over 400business cards.
So if somebody's going to do afundraiser, I have all these
different cards for bands, food,whatever.
And the director of Make a Wishlocally, uh, Diane Cuperman
(39:33):
said, why don't you put togethersome kind of a, you know, a
binder, a smaller one for peopleso they'll know how to do
fundraisers.
So I did exactly that.
And I can hand that to somebody.
It has everything they're goingto need in there a volunteer
form, a vent form.
So if somebody donatessomething, you can also ask can
(39:56):
we put up a poster?
But Santa has got pretty goodeven.
Guessing how much they're gonnabe.
SPEAKER_04 (40:01):
That's pretty awesome.
That's pretty awesome.
I would like to um, I know I'mI'm seeing um, I guess the
majority of these comments areadults, but if some of the kids
want to come on and just typein, I mean, you can watch over
their shoulder, mom and dad.
But Santa is sitting right here,and um, you know, he I'm sure
he'd love to hear what they wantif they have a question, and
whether it's about the reindeeror whether it's about Santa's
(40:23):
life, what he's been doing, andhow he keeps going and the
motivation to do that, uh, feelfree to uh just reach out.
That's why we're here tonight.
Something a little bit differentfor me with the Skip Happens
podcast.
And different for Santa he'snever done this before.
Well, welcome.
I love it.
But uh normally I have countryartists sitting around this
table, or we're talking to themthrough you know, through the
(40:45):
wonders of today's technology,as you mentioned, Zoom, which
was it's pretty old school now,but uh you know, we use
different methods, but still thesame way.
SPEAKER_00 (40:52):
Yeah, yeah, it's pretty cool.
It's amazing with technology.
SPEAKER_04 (40:57):
It's it's just so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (41:00):
So you teach um children many, many lessons, you
know, to be compassionate, to bekind.
What are some of the biggestlessons that you've learned from
children?
You spoke about some reallyinspirational stories of
swimmer, like that swimmer thatswam with one arm.
What over all of your years umas Santa, how has what what have
(41:23):
you learned from children?
SPEAKER_00 (41:24):
That they are all God-given gifts because some of
the children I've dealt withwere so incredibly sick.
One little boy had cancer threedifferent times, and he actually
had uh two open heart surgeries,and he fell and broke his arm,
and he did all this within liketwo years.
(41:48):
So he was afraid.
I'd visit him at the hospitaland he asked me a question that
completely caught me off guard.
And I knew it was because he wasafraid.
And he said, Santa, am I goingto die?
So I go, God, don't fail me now.
(42:10):
This child is definitely afraidof dying.
I looked him right in the eyeand I was extremely honest.
I said, Well, of course you'regonna die.
Everybody dies, and I startedlaughing, he started laughing.
And I said, What makes you thinkyou're so special?
So we're both laughing.
The nurse walks in the room, shesaid, What's so funny?
(42:32):
And the little boy raised thehand, I said, Oh, he said, We're
just talking about dying.
So she comes over, puts her handon my arm, and she said, You are
the most spiritual person I'veever met.
And I get that a lot from theclergy.
And they ask me, Why is that?
Why are you so spiritual?
SPEAKER_01 (42:54):
You're the Christmas spirit.
I know that's why you're theChristmas spirit, and that goes
all year round, all through andthrough.
SPEAKER_00 (43:05):
Yeah, and the clergy will say, Yes, I I think you
might be right.
You have more faith than we do.
But I go, you know, to me, Ilook at these children and I
know how blessed I am, I knowhow blessed my family is.
And when I would see peoplecomplain, and when they had a
really good job or they had agood life and all that, I just
(43:29):
feel sorry for them.
SPEAKER_04 (43:31):
Oh Santa, you're just wow.
Wow.
Ah, this whole conversation.
I mean, it's like wow.
unknown (43:41):
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (43:43):
It's like what we say.
What do we do?
It's amazing.
I know I I hit the button forthe bells a little bit, you
know, a little sleigh bells, butuh just kind of keep us in the
spirit.
That is uh that's amazing whatyou do, and uh taking the time
out to come and hang out with ustonight.
If there's something you couldtell all the the boys and girls
out there right now, gettingready for Christmas, uh, you
(44:04):
know, like I say, one week fromtoday, by now, all the gifts,
all the gifts would have beenopened for the most part,
depending on how you celebrate.
But I know we do it and we're upin the morning and our gifts are
open.
So at this point in the day,it's all right, we just need a
nap.
We're done, but it'll be overwith.
But is there something you'dlike to tell the young uh boys
and girls?
SPEAKER_00 (44:24):
Yes, I know that you make promises that you're gonna
keep your room clean or you'regonna do this, you're gonna do
that.
And it's a big letdown for mewhen you don't because mommies
and daddies, you know what?
You're only with them for maybe20 years, 25 years, and you go
(44:46):
off on your own.
And then you're going torealize, like I have, what it
means to be a grandparent or tohave little ones.
And it's so important you dothose things that you promise.
SPEAKER_04 (45:01):
Or um, are your grandkids allowed to say, do
they know you're Santa?
They didn't for a long, longtime.
Okay.
How you know, I I don't evenknow how I would react, come to
find out.
What do you mean by grandpaSanta?
Oh my gosh.
You know, it's just wow.
SPEAKER_01 (45:16):
So they gotta feel like the luckiest kids in the
world.
SPEAKER_04 (45:19):
Exactly.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (45:21):
You know, even now that they're in their 30s and
other young people that I knowthat are around that age, they
say, you know, we know that kidsusually they get around nine
years old, ten years old, theydon't believe in Santa anymore.
But trust me, oh no, oh no.
Once they have grandchildren,they immediately start believing
(45:44):
again.
So I said, I know you get pickedon, you get teased.
But I go, let me show you this.
And a young lady who said kidswere making fun of her because
she believed in Santa.
And I had a book with all kindsof pictures in it, a big binder,
(46:05):
and it was letters fromdifferent people, adults and
children, saying how much theyappreciated what I did, but I
point out to them donations comefrom other people.
I just had to be the one in themiddle.
You're Santa.
SPEAKER_04 (46:21):
Come on, you're Santa.
Yeah, I got the bell, I'll ringit.
I mean I'm just saying that wow,and uh, you know, I'm here to
tell you that he's sitting rightover here, so that that's Santa
Claus.
SPEAKER_00 (46:34):
Did you know that the Salvation Army, and I don't
know what city, they have a goatthat rings the bell.
Really?
And they said it's so unique,and everybody gets excited.
They they'll come over for noother reason to see that goat
ringing the bell.
Yeah.
unknown (46:54):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (46:56):
Is there anything this year that anybody can do to
make your job a little easier onChristmas?
SPEAKER_04 (47:02):
Leave lots of cookies.
Unless you like hot cocoa, uhmaybe an extra glass of milk.
SPEAKER_00 (47:09):
Well, Santa's really blessed.
You know what I really like fromeverybody?
Not just the adults, but thekids too, that they say prayers
for the less fortunate.
And if they see a way of helpingthem, like I can remember as a
little boy, people in theneighborhood would run out of
food, and my parents would findout and they go and buy
(47:31):
groceries for them.
And as I got older and therewere some people that were
having problems, I did the samebecause you know there's some
people out there in really direneed, they're so disgusted, they
feel hopeless.
And guess what?
We can give them hope.
SPEAKER_04 (47:50):
And you're doing that too.
We're all doing that, absolutely100%, 100%, Santa.
Wow.
I'm I'm speechless at thispoint.
I've asked my questions.
I know this is so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (48:03):
I am too.
I'm speechless.
SPEAKER_04 (48:04):
I was just, you know, when I was uh mentioning
the fact that you had planned tostop by the pod zone and say
hello to everybody, and it wason my Facebook today, and one of
my neighbors across the streetwas like, Oh my god, big
uppercase letters that Santa wasgonna be here, and it it's just
it's just so cool.
And I wouldn't uh I wouldn't besurprised if when you walk out
to the red truck that they'reletting you drive, that she'll
(48:28):
scream, Santa.
I mean, it's been known tohappen in this neighborhood.
SPEAKER_00 (48:32):
Yeah, yeah.
Santa has a lot of friends inlaw enforcement and
firefighters.
Yep, and this one girl, she gotburned 86 percent of her body
when she was 12.
And I befriended her and I madesure that she had Christmas
presents, her and her two littlebrothers, and we are still
(48:53):
friends.
God bless you.
She is 38 now.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
unknown (48:58):
That's beautiful.
SPEAKER_04 (48:59):
Oh, Santa! Wow, it got warm in here.
I don't know how he's doing inthe nut, you know, in the yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (49:08):
Do you ever get warm in your suit?
SPEAKER_00 (49:11):
Uh, not really because see, it's it's it's
lined, it's lined, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (49:18):
So it's nice.
Is the temperature controlledfor like when you hit those high
altitudes?
Can you like is it just you knowhow we have those heated vests
now?
I don't know if they havesomething for the Santa suit.
SPEAKER_00 (49:30):
No, no, you just I imagine I could find something,
but yeah, um, like the gloveswouldn't be red.
The vest not be right.
SPEAKER_04 (49:38):
You're right.
I got you.
I got you.
You know, Santa, you'rewonderful.
SPEAKER_00 (49:42):
It's warm enough.
SPEAKER_04 (49:43):
And if you know, here's all the more reason to
believe he's sitting right here.
This is awesome.
Santa Claus, um, just first everpod zone in how many years uh
ever, ever.
So yeah, it's happening.
It's happening, Miss Ray.
You have anything else you wantto add there?
SPEAKER_01 (50:00):
Um, I I don't think so.
I think you did great.
What do I want for Christmas?
SPEAKER_04 (50:12):
Okay, we gotta go now.
SPEAKER_01 (50:15):
I was I really want to get this in.
I know we were gonna try to dosomething funny, but I'm gonna
genuinely ask.
SPEAKER_03 (50:21):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (50:22):
I love records and like vinyl and stuff, so I just
want as many of those aspossible.
That's that's really it.
Okay, okay.
That's my wish list is recordsand vinyls.
SPEAKER_04 (50:34):
I just want to continue to be happy.
SPEAKER_01 (50:36):
Okay, no, I sound me too.
SPEAKER_04 (50:39):
No, no, but no, no, you know, here Santa, I mean,
here's the difference.
SPEAKER_01 (50:45):
I was just sorry.
No, no, go ahead.
I was gonna kind of ask aquestion.
So with Christmas, you can wishfor a lot of things.
Yeah, there's materialisticthings, there's emotional
things.
What do you dare I say think isthe most important?
Do you think the materialistic,like, do you think that that
like getting somebody the giftis the most important, or is it
(51:07):
the the happiness, the spendingtime together?
SPEAKER_00 (51:10):
Well, if you're giving them, say, food or
clothing that they need, youknow, that's really extremely
important.
If you know somebody is in needof help and guidance, like Santa
does a lot with Bera House, andum, they asked me to do a TV
spot for them, which I did, andI pointed out that's not just
(51:35):
children and females, but alsomales that are being abused.
And they said it I was soinformative they wanted to go
with what I had lived with.
SPEAKER_04 (51:47):
And move that microphone a little closer to
you, Sandy.
SPEAKER_00 (51:50):
There you go.
We I I think we all owe it toeveryone else.
If we see we can help someone,we should do it.
SPEAKER_01 (51:58):
In any way, right?
SPEAKER_04 (52:00):
Whether it's emotional, it's not about the
gift sometimes, it's about theemotional side.
Yeah, like the giving as familyand friends and being together
and celebrating, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (52:11):
And just thanking people, you know, like people in
law enforcements, firefighters,you know, people on a systems,
people in the military, nurses,nurses.
SPEAKER_04 (52:23):
When was the last time that you know of somebody
actually doing that?
Think about it.
You know what I mean?
I mean, I'm sure you do it.
Uh I've got a first responderbackground.
Miss Ray knows a little bitabout it.
Uh, but uh just for the everydayperson, when was the last time
you actually walked up to apolice officer or a firefighter,
the men and women that protectus every day, the ambulance
(52:45):
corps, you get all that.
There's so many differentavenues of that type of work.
When was the last time youwalked up and said, you know, I
just want to say thank you.
Thank you for doing what you'redoing.
And I think it's uh, Santa, if Imay say, no, I'm gonna go off
here.
No, in a good way, in a goodway, please.
In a good way.
SPEAKER_01 (53:00):
I interrupted earlier, so please.
No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_04 (53:02):
I just it just bothers me that all these
individuals are taken forgranted and they're they're
expected to be there on aminute's notice.
But when was the last time youactually said thank you?
And let me give you a goodexample of what happened just
the other day.
I know that we're kind ofgetting off a little bit here
with Santa, but uh at work, wework in the inner harbor at the
inner harbor, right in the downSyracuse in that area.
(53:26):
And uh the fire department wentflying by, the rescue truck went
by, the ladder truck went by,the ambulance went by, uh, a
mini went by towing a boat.
I'm going, uh oh.
I bet you they found somebody inthe harbor.
So I get really curious, and Iget in my vehicle and I drive
over and I pull in the otherside where I could see what was
going on.
Two firemen jumped in that coldwater, jumped in the cold water,
(53:50):
and the guy, thank the goodlord.
Uh I wouldn't be talking aboutit if he didn't survive.
But the guy was alive and theypulled him out.
But without those firefightersdoing what they did, not even
thinking twice about whatthey're going to do, pulling
that gentleman out of the water.
It was just, you know, just thisis why you need to say thank
you.
Thank you.
(54:10):
Because that could have beenyou, it could have been me,
could have been anybody.
SPEAKER_00 (54:13):
So ironic, you just said that.
That young girl that got burnedso bad.
I bought a bunch of presents andsigned from the Syracuse
firefighters, and we met at hergrandmother's house.
That was just a probably not amuch bigger room than this, the
living room.
So she was opening all thesegifts, and I asked her, What is
(54:36):
the best gift you got tonight?
She said that these firemen whodidn't even know me rescued
their lives to save me.
And you know what?
All these big tough firemen,they all had tight tears in
their eyes as they were walkingout, and they kept thanking me
(54:57):
for inviting Michael.
Absolutely.
I thank God for you people everyday.
SPEAKER_04 (55:01):
Exactly.
And you know, right from Santa,you just heard it.
Make sure you say thank you.
I mean, just you know, even do alittle something for them.
They're gonna be working on theholiday Christmas, the men and
women, they give up their timewith their family to to do that,
you know.
Uh, it's just so maybe maybedrop off some cupcakes, maybe
drop off a you know, dosomething.
Just say we're thinking of you.
Thank you for being there incase we need you.
(55:22):
So Santa, I want to say thankyou for being there.
SPEAKER_00 (55:26):
Thank you for having me.
I really enjoyed this.
SPEAKER_04 (55:28):
Oh my goodness.
So, I mean, yeah, here you are.
I only gotta lighten this up alittle bit.
It was getting pretty heavy, butuh so I have to be here again
next year, right?
Hey, you you want to come nextweek?
I wouldn't after afterChristmas.
No, you need to you need to resta little bit, so we wouldn't do
that to you.
But uh absolutely uh, you know,and I know we've had a lot of
(55:52):
people watching, not too manycommenting, but there's a lot of
viewers, so that which is prettycool.
And they've heard what Santa isabout and what you're doing, and
uh just you know, if you don'tbelieve, now you believe maybe.
You know what I mean?
Look at I am when you pulled upand to see the look on my son's
face when you walked throughthat door was priceless, and
Miss Ray is like I know him,yes, in my head.
SPEAKER_01 (56:17):
Yes, yes, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (56:18):
Santa, thank you for being here.
God bless you.
Safe travels on Christmas Eve.
Thank you.
Thank you for all the inspiringwords as well.
I mean, just it's good to youknow to hear it all from you.
So it's pretty cool.
Um, on behalf of Skip Happens, Iwant to say um Miss Ray and
myself, I want to tell you allto have a great, great, great
holiday.
Uh the Skip Happens podcast, ofcourse, will be back next week
(56:41):
leading up to the holiday.
And uh after the first year, wegot some good stuff planned, as
you know, Miss Ray.
SPEAKER_01 (56:47):
Stay tuned.
Yes, she's come on board.
SPEAKER_04 (56:50):
So that's pretty cool.
Uh Santa's waving.
Wave back, everybody.
We see you waving.
unknown (56:56):
Santa!
SPEAKER_04 (56:57):
Santa, I know him.
SPEAKER_01 (56:58):
Merry Christmas, everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (57:00):
Merry Christmas.
We go.
SPEAKER_04 (00:00):
We're live.
Hello, everybody.
SPEAKER_03 (00:03):
I'm so excited.
SPEAKER_04 (00:05):
Um, welcome to another edition of Independence
because uh tonight is on ourholiday show.
This is so so amazing.
Um, it's like I maybe have tofind out he's driving a red
truck.
I don't know why it's red.
I have a good idea, but hepulled up my son Zenak went
absolutely nuts to the mother.
SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
I was like having like buddy the yellow from out.
SPEAKER_04 (00:29):
I was like, buddy, buddy.
Yeah, yeah.
Send him a welcome.
Welcome to the pod zone.
Well, thank you for having me.
Well, that's a pleasure.
Um, I have to ask, um, is thisyour first like podcast, or are
you doing anything like this?
(00:50):
Or have you become aninfluencer?
SPEAKER_00 (00:52):
Um, I guess I have for some reason.
Um, yes, this is definitely myfirst podcast.
I cool.
I'm kind of like get shook upover this technology, but I did,
I think it was called Zoom.
Yeah, oh yeah, yep.
And it was for some children inEl Paso, Texas.
(01:12):
Oh wow, it was the poorestschool district there.
So I talked with the children,they asked a lot of questions
about when I was a little boy,and they realized that I grew up
a lot like they did.
SPEAKER_04 (01:27):
And amazing comes seeing them.
Amazing.
I can't believe you're sittinghere at my pod table, pod zone
table.
I'm like, I'm I'm just all giddygiddy.
SPEAKER_03 (01:34):
Me too.
Me too.
I'm like, oh my god.
SPEAKER_04 (01:36):
Exactly.
Uh well, again, welcome.
And uh, I know you're insanelybusy this time of the year.
Um, but what made you want tostop by Skip Happens?
The podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:47):
Well, I've known you, young man, for well over my
life 50 years.
Yes.
Well, yeah, well over 50.
Yes, and I've heard you on theradio.
Thank you.
And I saw you at the gala forGigi's Playhouse.
Oh, yes, yes.
And uh, I was at another placehelping out with a fundraiser at
(02:07):
the stadium, and we ran intoeach other again.
We did, we did, and your son,wonderful little boy.
SPEAKER_04 (02:14):
Thank you.
He was, he's just, you know,matter of fact, he he told me
says dad before Santa Lee's hegot to give him my list.
And I said, uh, we got itcovered, honey.
I said, buddy.
I said, but you know what?
You just gotta keep this on thedown low because uh here you are
at at Zach's house in the podzone.
So I don't need anywhere I needto call somebody for security,
(02:35):
if you know what I mean.
Yeah.
So how cool.
It's good to see you though.
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
So good to see you.
Really good to see you again,young man.
SPEAKER_04 (02:42):
And a strong lady.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_04 (02:45):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (02:46):
I'm just in shock.
I really am.
I'm just like, oh my gosh, it'shere in the flesh.
SPEAKER_04 (02:52):
Santa, you know, I have to ask, what's a um a
normal workday like at the NorthPole?
SPEAKER_00 (02:58):
Oh, it's very busy.
It slows down a little bitduring warmer weather because we
don't have air conditioning, butit's still fairly cool there.
But we have trucks arriving allthe time and occasionally an
airplane.
Really?
And they're bringing items thereto help us to build the toys,
you know, wood and other things.
(03:19):
So, and we had a big slowdownduring COVID.
SPEAKER_04 (03:23):
Oh, yeah.
I was sorry about that.
SPEAKER_00 (03:25):
Yes, a lot of the the elves were ill, and a lot of
the people driving the bigtrucks bringing things were ill.
So I said, you know, I hope youkids can understand I might not
be able to have as many toys outthere.
So if you only get one, you'regonna know why.
SPEAKER_04 (03:44):
I get it, I totally get it.
And but I do have to I want toback it up a little bit because
you arrived and I mentioned thered truck, and I'm like, I was
expecting to hear maybe uhreindeer on the roof or
something, or somebody knockingon my roof or the back door, but
uh no, you pulled up in a redtruck.
So, what's that all about?
SPEAKER_00 (04:02):
Well, actually, it's kind of warm for the reindeer.
I get you.
And the local firemen, no matterwhere I go, they loan me a red
truck to use.
SPEAKER_01 (04:13):
Very cool.
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (04:15):
And and red for obviously reasons.
I like that.
Yeah, red.
Red's your favorite color.
Yes, it is, as I can see.
Second favorite is green.
No, yeah, I know.
I was thinking about putting thegreen lights in here along with
the red ones.
You can't see them from wherewe're sitting, but then they are
above you, so that that's kindof cool.
Um, you know, uh, what's harder?
(04:36):
Can I I don't mean to get into alot of the uh the business side
of things or what Santa does atthe North Pole, but uh who's
harder to manage?
You gotta you gotta deal withthe elves, yes, and then you
have to deal with the reindeer,yes, and Mrs.
Claus and Mrs.
Claus.
SPEAKER_00 (04:52):
Yes, by the way, give her give her her our love,
um, yeah, our love.
Well, you know that old thingabout the three ring circus.
Well, I'm supposed to be the guyjuggling everything, but um,
everybody really works togethervery hard.
And the thing is, you know,people don't know that all of
Santa's reindeer are girls.
SPEAKER_03 (05:14):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (05:15):
And I've had children ask me why.
I said, well, I said the girlreindeers they keep their horns
till late, late in the summer sothey can protect the little ones
when they're born, so the boysdon't need them.
And I had one lady say itfigures if there's hard work to
(05:36):
do, a woman will have to do it.
I said, please don't say that orall Mrs.
Claws.
I was gonna say, yeah, is thedoor closed?
Yeah, it is.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (05:44):
So of course, Rudolph is the most famous
reindeer of all, but do you havea famous reindeer, or who's like
who's the reindeer that you likeyou just like you resonate with,
you know?
SPEAKER_00 (05:56):
You know what?
All of them.
All of them, not a single youknow, they are they go way
beyond being like a pet.
They they just work so hard, andyou know, they're all the time
out there practicing, andsometimes they get injured, so
we have to make sure everybodystays in good shape.
(06:17):
And yeah, I um yes, I I know alot of people are surprised when
they hear all the reindeergirls.
Do they ever call in sick onChristmas Eve?
SPEAKER_01 (06:26):
Yeah, no, what happens when someone gets a sick
day?
SPEAKER_00 (06:32):
Oh, actually, knock on wood.
I've never had it happen onChristmas Eve.
And the way everybody pitches infor that big night, and do you
know I couldn't possibly carryall the presents, millions and
millions of them.
(06:53):
And what I do is I swoop down toall these old train stations,
and there you have theresponder, first responders,
yeah, yeah, like firefighters,people in law enforcement, uh,
ambulance drivers andtechnicians, and they are there
(07:15):
ready to hand it.
Doesn't make any difference theweather, they are there to help
me get that sleigh loaded upright off.
SPEAKER_04 (07:23):
Oh, it's amazing you can get that off the ground
because you got so much in theway of gifts and and all that,
and and just and the speed youtravel.
I I I don't get it, I think it'sthe coolest thing going.
SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
I'm like, man, you know, I like speed, I like to go
fast, but well, that's amazing,but you know a thing or two
about going fast.
SPEAKER_00 (07:42):
Well, believe it or not, I hope there's nobody here
from law enforcement, but now wewe keep this hidden.
I used to have a Harley Davidsonreally, and I rode them for
years, and I did have a tendencyto drive way too fast with it.
Oh, well, even Mrs.
Clos didn't complain, she likedit.
(08:02):
She liked to ride it.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, I bet.
I bet.
SPEAKER_01 (08:05):
What role does Mrs.
Claus play that we don't reallylike realize she plays?
SPEAKER_00 (08:12):
Well, she got me a gift several years ago, she got
me a very elaborate GPS.
What she does, she keeps it onher desk, and every time the
United Postal Service has achange in uh, you know, location
(08:32):
as far as any family, they putit into a computer and they send
it to her.
So I always have an updated listof where everybody is, and oh,
it's great.
I get on there, I hit onebutton, and I can follow every
place I have to go.
So it's amazing.
(08:53):
Yes, I get to have well, I dohave some cookies for breakfast.
But I get to I get to havebreakfast with everybody, with
all the owls, the reindeer,anybody that helps me.
SPEAKER_04 (09:05):
You know, one thing, Santa, I don't mean to
interrupt, but um if people arewatching this, uh, because
Santa, I mean, this does nothappen all that often.
No, it's like I can't rememberthe last time Santa sat in on a
podcast, but he's here in theSkip Happens pod zone.
Um, if you're watching this onYouTube, you feel free to
comment.
You want to say hello, you gotsomebody that wants to ask a
(09:27):
question of Santa.
But if you're watching this onFacebook, do me a favor, switch
over to YouTube if you can.
Uh, just go skip happens.
It's gonna come up.
You can watch it and let usknow.
If your little ones are watchingthis, by all means, I'd love to
know.
We'd love to give them ashout-out as well.
SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
So, well, you know, Santa's been doing this since
most of the parents uh that havechildren now before they were
born.
I started out in 1970.
Mrs.
Kloss and I had a little girl,oh, and that was the year in
1970, and I wanted to be a Santafor my children.
(10:06):
Well, it just mushroom fromthere.
My fur suit was plastic, youcould see through it, you could
see my street clothes, and IHarley clothes, right?
Yeah, right.
And I from there, a lady startedmaking my suits, this jacket and
pants.
The lady spent over 200 hourshand sewing it.
SPEAKER_04 (10:28):
Oh my goodness, you know, I it looks good on you,
Santa.
Thank you.
It looks really good, reallygood.
You know, I have uh James is onthere, says, Hey Santa, please
define good.
SPEAKER_00 (10:39):
Good is when you do something, even though it's not
fun and it doesn't help hurtanybody, and it puts a smile on
your face.
Can you um let me know if I'm onthe naughty list?
Oh no, I don't do that at all.
You you don't disclose that.
No, I was kind of worried thatway.
(11:01):
Everybody's good right up tillChristmas Eve.
Okay.
And after that, I kind of givethem a pass.
unknown (11:07):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (11:07):
Ah, you're a good Santa.
You're good.
You're good.
What's your um I know you get alot of good when you show up
here on Christmas Eve?
I mean, you have like a greatspread of cookies, and you got
the milk, and we even put alittle reindeer food out front.
You've probably seen that whenyou come by.
I did.
But uh, do you have a favoritecookie?
SPEAKER_00 (11:25):
Well, everybody thinks it's chocolate chip.
But the truth is, I like the nobaked cookies.
SPEAKER_01 (11:34):
Oh my gosh, it's my baby.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (11:39):
Yes, it's made with oatmeal and uh with cocoa, the
powdered cocoa, and I I like itwith a little coconut in it.
And if you want to throw in somewalnuts, it's really weird.
SPEAKER_03 (11:56):
Wow, that sounds good.
SPEAKER_04 (11:57):
I'll have to let Mrs.
Clark know about that.
So yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
So Christmas.
SPEAKER_01 (12:05):
Do you have any like pre-flight rituals?
Like, how do you prepareyourself the night before
Christmas?
SPEAKER_00 (12:14):
Well, I start off by saying a prayer that I'll have
at least one gift for eachchild.
And there's a lot of timesthere's a single parent um
household.
So I like something also forthat parent.
And I say another prayer thateverything will go well, that
(12:34):
there won't be any injuries orhurt feelings or that.
And you know, my reindeer willactually get down and they'll
squat down.
They say their own prayer thatthey have a safe trip.
Wow, I love that.
SPEAKER_04 (12:48):
You know, there's a lot going on in the world, and
you go around the world.
I mean, it's so like I mentionedbefore, the speed is
unbelievable.
But uh, when you head around theworld and now with all the
uprising in the Middle East,does that any of that worry you,
Santa?
Are you, you know, you got yoursleigh, you're moving through
the atmosphere, you you'retrying to, you know, you've got
guests for everybody, and we'reall human.
Well, we all need to love eachother.
SPEAKER_00 (13:08):
Let me tell you, I have dealt with people from all
over the world, people wherethere's wars and so on.
And I guess could say they havetold me they know my heart is
pure and I want to helpeverybody.
I guess could say that politicsnever enter into what Santa's
(13:31):
doing.
And they know I don't just helpchildren.
They know sometimes people need,I guess, say some encouragement
or whatever about their whatthey're doing.
And you know, Santa does it, butit it does bother Santa.
Now I kind of got this from myparents, but more from my dad.
(13:54):
He was the first Americansoldier to enter DACO when it
was liberated.
SPEAKER_04 (14:00):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00 (14:01):
So I I have really made an effort to go out there
and actually with youth groupsteaching them, look, we may have
differences, but in a lot ofways we're the same.
Yeah.
I gotcha.
I gotcha.
SPEAKER_04 (14:17):
Wow.
I'm just I'm still all giddygiddy.
I don't know what else to tellyou.
I'm just like all giddy giddy.
Um, when it doesn't snow, let'ssay, you know, we've had, and
there's places in the worldwhere there's no snow, but you
still you still show up.
How does the the sleigh and thereindeer handle all that?
SPEAKER_00 (14:34):
I mean you know, I wish I had the answer.
It's magic.
It's you don't even the reindeerdon't know how they say, we just
know that we can, and we haveenough faith to believe we can
do it.
So they do.
Wow.
And you know, it was a shamewhen I first got Rudolph, the
(14:56):
other reindeer made fun of them.
I heard that.
That that was sad.
And then one night, and it was ahorrible night, a really bad
blizzard.
I couldn't see.
And they tweeted wrote Rudolphabout his nose glowing.
And I said, Boy, you know what?
(15:16):
I'll bet you if he was up therein front with that red nose, he
could like the way.
And it was a good lesson notonly for the other reindeer, but
it's like I tell children, youmay have children in your class
that may look a littledifferent, or they may be in a
(15:36):
wheelchair.
My best friend in high schoolwas in a wheelchair his whole
life.
He was such a very smart person.
And you know, I try to point outto kids just because you're
different doesn't mean there'ssomething wrong with you.
Oh, absolutely.
So now I've had little ones tellme that when they've gone back
(15:59):
to school, they make a point tobe friends with these kids.
And I said, you know, they'rereally all very special.
SPEAKER_04 (16:08):
They are.
I know I know very well.
Yeah, well, that almost did mein.
Wow.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (16:18):
What's your your favorite way of receiving
letters?
Do you like the handwrittenletters?
Do you like the drawings of thepresents that the kids want?
Do you like email?
Yeah, like the email.
Do you like the USB file that'sgot the presentation?
I don't know.
Well, I'll tell you.
SPEAKER_00 (16:38):
What's your favorite way to I have the handwritten
letters and pictures and so ongoing all the way back to 1970
when I started doing this?
And I have some families thatI've been doing sanophore for so
long that the infants now havechildren of their own.
(17:02):
And some of those children arein their teens.
So, you know, it goes from onegeneration to another.
SPEAKER_04 (17:09):
How do you fuel your sleigh?
Is it the more you believe, thetime, and the faster you go?
SPEAKER_00 (17:17):
I I think that's it.
And you know, one of the thingsI try to tell children and
parents, it's so cold up there.
But with my suit, I'm plentywarm, and the reindeer are.
But I can't I can't bring petswith me.
It's way, way too cold, and theywould freeze up there.
(17:38):
Oh, yeah, that's a good point.
SPEAKER_04 (17:40):
Yeah, but uh there's gotta be another way though,
because Santa does bring petsfor the kids, so you just can't
do it that way.
Maybe you have them shippedsomehow, somehow, and you you
make sure they end up there.
SPEAKER_00 (17:49):
So no, I I do have helpers.
Oh, that's a secret, and they'rethey're kind of sneaky, they'll
put a little puppy into a greatbig box and leave it on the
front steps, or they'll ring thedoorbell and they'll run, and
the kids will come to the doorand see the box, and they'll
hear the noise.
Yes, one little girl, she got aSaint Bernard puppy.
(18:13):
That's a big puppy.
It was like that is a big puppy,it was definitely like a
full-grown dog, and you know, itwas instant love with the two of
them.
He comes out of the box, runsright to her, she's hugging
them, and he's licking her face,and the parents are staying
there with tears in their eyes.
(18:33):
I said, How much joy can youget?
You know, we my uh Mrs.
Closs and I have a littlerescue, and he's wicked funny,
and he's also wicked smart.
He knows what time it is to eat.
Oh, we have a yellow lab thatdoes that.
Well, I'll tell you.
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
I have a mini Australian that does the same
thing.
SPEAKER_00 (18:55):
I'll tell you what he did one day to me, and I go,
Oh god, I don't need this.
He would eat his dinner at fourin the evening.
So he comes over and he yips,and it says, Yip for I want to
eat.
And I go, No, it's too early.
And I pointed at the clock onthe mantle.
(19:16):
So he disappears.
I'm watching my movie on TV.
He comes back down, he yips,turns, and he looked right at
the clock.
Like, yeah, I know it's fouro'clock.
So you knew it.
SPEAKER_04 (19:30):
Yeah, you knew it.
What um this is the the busytime time of the year for you,
and it all comes to a head likepretty soon in a week.
A week a week from now, it'sgonna be over with.
SPEAKER_03 (19:42):
Yes.
SPEAKER_04 (19:43):
So when you get back to the North Pole, everything
settles down.
Do you does everybody just go onvacation?
Do they chill?
Do you have a party sayingeverybody did a great job?
How does that work witheverybody?
SPEAKER_00 (19:54):
We definitely have a party for everybody.
Extra rations for the reindeer,extra sweets.
Yeah.
For the elves.
And sometime Mrs.
Kloss and I will actually go toupstate New York to go and visit
around the Thousand Islands anduh downtown Sarnack, Placid, uh
(20:16):
all the lakes, the finger.
Yeah, watch out for the bears upthere.
Yes.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (20:21):
I was there when I was in Boy Scouts, you may
remember.
Um, I don't know because Santawatches you all year round, but
uh at uh Camp Sebatis, if weleft left the food out on the
table, it would disappear, itwould disappear.
And the bears would be at the uhdump, but they'd always kind of
wander around.
SPEAKER_00 (20:36):
So yeah, yes, crazy.
Santa had the fright of hislife.
I was out hiking, and I think itwas Warrensburg, New York.
So I sat down and I nodded off,and I heard this hoomph, and it
was it was a bear and it likemade a huffing noise, and I
(20:56):
stood up, turned, and looked,and he looked, and we both ran.
SPEAKER_04 (21:03):
Yeah, but you were in incognito because you weren't
in your I wasn't wearing mySanta suit.
Right, exactly.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (21:11):
The holidays are full of a lot of Christmas cheer
imagination.
Um, what role do you thinkimagination plays in society, or
how important do you think thatthat spirit, that that
joyfulness is for the biggerpicture of things?
SPEAKER_00 (21:28):
I'm a firm believer that anything human beings can
imagine, they can create.
And one of those things, ofcourse, it smiles on people's
faces.
Um walking up to somebody's acomplete stranger and telling me
you're sorry they're having abad day.
Um it's just it's extremelyimportant.
(21:52):
I mean, as you said, there's somany things going on in the
world, and this is like you say,the time of the year when I
really try very, very hard tomake people smile.
Well, you do a good job of it.
SPEAKER_04 (22:07):
Oh, thank you.
Always, always.
I mean, we look forward to it,you know, and Santa, we know
Santa's coming.
That's pretty exciting news.
SPEAKER_00 (22:13):
You know, there's so many ways that people can help
others.
Back in 2000, I was approachedby the Red Cross, and they asked
me if I'd be willing to be abone marrow donor.
Oh, wow.
So in 2000, I got to be a bonemarrow donor, and I I felt very,
very blessed.
But according to the doctor, itwas unusual because he said they
(22:38):
mixed my blood with his child'sblood, who happened to be in
England, uh-huh.
It had never been done before.
The National Institute of Healthhad to create paperwork.
And do you know what?
It took maybe all of two hoursof my life.
But like they say, a man maybecan't give uh birth, but you
know what?
(22:59):
We can give them an extendedlife.
SPEAKER_04 (23:02):
So yeah, Santa, that that's wonderful.
And that's that's great thatyou're saying that.
And again, I if anybody'swatching this and you want to
ask Santa a question, you gotthe kids there, they want to
give a shout out.
Santa, and Santa will give you ashout-out.
Let them know what you want.
You know, yeah, we'll just passalong.
He's sitting right here in theuh in the pod zone, first time
ever on a podcast.
(23:22):
Yes, this is amazing.
It is amazing, isn't it?
Now see, now yep.
When you talk to other peoplearound the world, you can just
go, you know, I saw this guyskip in uh Miss Ray in Syracuse.
SPEAKER_02 (23:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:32):
Well, you know, Santa actually did a seminar for
Santa's from all over thecountry, Ohio, Maine, Rhode
Island, just all over.
And uh this other gentlemanwho's one of my helpers asked me
if I would do a seminar.
And I go, Well, sure, what doyou want me to do?
(23:54):
And he said, I want you to tellall these other Santas what you
do, like raising the money bygoing to house and company
parties and donating it out andthe impact that you can have
when you go and talk tochildren.
You know, it's uh I can't evenbegin to tell you how rewarding
(24:15):
it's gotta be.
SPEAKER_04 (24:15):
It's gotta be.
And Heather, um Heathercommented, uh, Santa, oh how I
love you and the magic you bringto so many of us.
SPEAKER_00 (24:23):
Oh, thank you.
But you know what?
I think Santa kind of gets a lotmore out of it than everybody
because it's just such a joyfulthing to be able to do.
SPEAKER_04 (24:34):
And that's why you've been doing this for so
many years, that you can justkeep going and going and going
because it's it's believing,it's uh knowing what people
need.
Uh, it's that whole thing, itall comes from your heart, you
know.
SPEAKER_00 (24:46):
Well, children will ask me how old I am, and I'm
very honest.
Uh-oh.
I tell them I was born BC.
Oh, okay.
And I was at a house party, andthere were two Catholic priests.
I said, now for Santa, BC meanssomething different.
So the little kids all leanedforward and said, What does it
(25:09):
mean?
I said, I'm so old.
I was born before computers, andthey can relate to it.
They go, Wow, you're really old.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (25:20):
I love that.
I love that.
I was gonna say beforeChristmas, but obviously before
computers, that's what everybodythinks.
Yeah.
That was that was they had noidea, but uh, we don't give out
the numbers, so we don't need todo that.
Yeah, new, not at all.
SPEAKER_01 (25:35):
So during the month of December, you do a lot of
community involvement.
You know, you go and visit kidsall over all over the state, all
over New York State, all overthe country, all over the world.
Um, and then you deliverpresents um on Christmas.
What does a normal day look likeoutside of December?
So up in the North Pole, what isit normally like up there?
(25:56):
What do you I mean, do youcelebrate summer?
Do you do summer?
SPEAKER_04 (25:59):
Oh, most definitely.
Well, he said he does a littleuh camping upstairs.
That's true.
SPEAKER_01 (26:05):
There has to be no snow at one point in your life
if you're Harley Davidson.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:11):
Well, actually, that's something that never
faced Santa.
I rode my Harley Davidson fromBinghamton, New York to
Syracuse, and it was snowing sohard, people were pulling over.
I got caught off guard.
I didn't know it was going tosnow, neither did anybody else,
but I got home.
SPEAKER_04 (26:30):
Wow, if only they had known that was Santa.
Well, that's why.
That's that's that's why becauseyou're Santa.
SPEAKER_00 (26:38):
I mean, come on, you got the magic, you make it
happen.
Well, people waved at me, andsome of them just shook their
heads like this man is crazy.
But you're not Harley Snow.
Yes, yeah.
So was it a fat boy?
No, no, no, I'm the fat boy.
No, it was called a heritagesoft tail, okay, and it looked
(26:59):
like a Harley from oh, the late40s, early 50s.
Sweet, sweet, love that.
SPEAKER_04 (27:06):
So, what do you I mean in the offseason?
You get together and play ballwith the elves.
What goes on?
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
Yes, I'm always up to anything they want to do
that's going to give them a goodtime.
SPEAKER_01 (27:18):
And do you vacation?
Have you ever vacationed?
SPEAKER_00 (27:23):
This sounds like the commercial on television where
the progressive girl said,What's that?
Oh, yeah, you mean like what I'msetting in my well, actually, to
me, a vacation is having time todo some things with Mrs.
Kloss, things to do with theelves.
Like we all will share timetogether.
(27:45):
Uh, we've gone fishing together,we've gone camping together.
And uh, I also have brought themalong because Santa is a
volunteer on a wilderness searchand rescue team.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So they really like that a lotbecause they were taught things
like low angle rescue, whichmeans like if somebody falls
(28:09):
down a cliff or whatever, uhcrime scene preservation,
because we work all the timewith law enforcement.
Uh, we there's just so manythings, and you don't get the
normal first aid when we get ourtraining, because sometimes the
people are way out, you know,three or four miles into the
woods.
So it's a lot of things.
SPEAKER_04 (28:30):
I I never realized Santa was into all that.
I mean, I guess it's like a guyI go back to saying you've got
the magic, you got the belief,you know, you know where things
are and how to fix things andjust make it happen for
everybody.
SPEAKER_01 (28:41):
I'm not surprised by any of this, if I do say so
myself.
Have you ever seen Santa Clausescome into town?
He was so in touch with theanimals, he was he was so in
nature.
He movies they do a great job ofshowing you in your story, of
course.
What's your favorite Christmasmovie?
What's one more that you'relike, you know, I kind of tell
(29:04):
you tells my story.
SPEAKER_00 (29:06):
The Christmas story with Darren McGay.
Oh, yeah, yes.
Now, I'll tell you how I say howmuch that's my favorite.
I actually talked with agentleman who's local, and he
makes a um barbecue sauce, it'svery special, and we got
talking.
He knows the man that played thelittle boy that was in the
(29:28):
snowsuit that puts his arms upin there and he can't, you know,
walk or whatever.
SPEAKER_01 (29:34):
Like the little brother ran.
SPEAKER_00 (29:36):
So he has a snowsuit and he has a big piece of
plywood with a cutout, so peoplecan go up and put their face
there and have their picturetaken with that original snow
suit.
That's it.
And he also has the fire truckfrom the movie.
So Santa's gonna be doing somefundraisers this next year.
(29:57):
Oh, nice.
Uh, one of them will be furs,feathers, and fins, which will
be for basically any type ofanimal.
There's some people they lovetheir pets, but they need a
little bit of help.
So Santa tries to help withthat.
SPEAKER_04 (30:13):
So Abilene, I gotta know from somebody.
Abilene has been especially goodthis year, Santa.
So you need to know that.
SPEAKER_00 (30:18):
You know that, I'm sure that's uh you got the
definitely, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, way to go, Abilene.
Yes, Abeline, and thank goodnessfor the elves on the shelf.
Boy, do they oh do they reportback?
SPEAKER_04 (30:30):
Do they really come on?
They are required to.
unknown (30:33):
Wow.
SPEAKER_04 (30:33):
Tell us about that.
SPEAKER_01 (30:34):
That whole I mean, yeah, and then I I always
happens if a family doesn't havean elf on the shelf.
What what do you do in thosesituations?
SPEAKER_00 (30:44):
Like, how do you I still find you still know?
SPEAKER_01 (30:47):
You still know.
SPEAKER_00 (30:49):
You know, I have been out, I have been out
shopping.
SPEAKER_01 (30:53):
I should have known better.
He knows, he knows.
SPEAKER_00 (30:56):
I've been out shopping in street clothes, and
they think I'm just a guy with abeard and white hair.
Little do they know, yes, littledo they know, so they'll be
misbehaving, and I'll walk up totheir mom because I never give
anything to a child.
I let the parents do that, and Iwill give the card to the parent
(31:17):
and has a magnet on the back.
I said, if they misbehave likethis anymore, keep this on your
refrigerator.
She goes, Oh my god, it's reallyyou, isn't it?
And I said, Yes, it is.
I was just gonna ask kids' eyesget so big.
SPEAKER_04 (31:34):
Wow, that is any close calls of somebody going,
Oh my god, that's Santa.
SPEAKER_00 (31:38):
I know it's Santa.
I I got a phone call from a momand dad whose children were just
raising heck, so they werefairly close by.
So I go to visit, and there's astairway in their garage to go
down into the basement.
It was so loud, the screamingand hollering.
So I knocked on the door, theyopened the door, and I stood
(32:01):
there with my hands on my hips,and I said, What is the meaning
of this?
You promised me you were allgoing to behave.
I said, Where's your mother andfather?
So they came down and I go, I'mso disappointed.
Santa, we're really sorry.
We told them they better behave.
It's close to Christmas.
I go, This is the last chance.
(32:25):
I said, You've promised andpromised.
So next year, if you're notbehaving, I'm not gonna be able
to bring presents for any ofyou, and I don't want it to be
like that.
SPEAKER_01 (32:35):
So someone can have a rough year and still be able
to make it on the good list, orokay, okay.
SPEAKER_04 (32:42):
I was kind of wondering about it.
SPEAKER_00 (32:45):
That is good to know if you're that is good to know.
It's like but three chancesyou're out.
Yeah, it's like adults, theyknow they're supposed to behave.
And I guess you could say asthey get to the end of their
years, they start thinking aboutthat, and they change, I guess
(33:07):
say, the attitude they have, andthey behave like they should
have when they were little kids.
SPEAKER_04 (33:15):
I have to ask, do you listen to music while you're
doing your thing?
Um so and what's on yourplaylist in the sleigh?
SPEAKER_00 (33:23):
Well, of course, I think it's gotta be quick.
My number one button is 92.1, ofcourse.
SPEAKER_04 (33:29):
Yeah, well called that yeah, exactly.
And uh as a matter of fact, Ikind of figured that, and I was
hoping you would say that.
Yes.
But that's cool.
But so you're listening to somecountry while you're you're
getting things done.
SPEAKER_00 (33:42):
Most definitely.
SPEAKER_04 (33:43):
That's cool.
That's cool.
And plus with the the theextensive satellite equipment
that I would assume is on yoursleigh, you can listen to us
anywhere in the world.
SPEAKER_00 (33:54):
Well, Motorola actually helps support our
search and rescue team.
So, needless to say, they knowwho I am and I get some of their
latest equipment.
Here, we just want you to tryit, you know.
SPEAKER_04 (34:06):
Yeah, but speak highly of it, and you can have
yes.
But it all works.
Oh, I get that.
That is cool.
That is cool.
SPEAKER_01 (34:14):
How has the evolution of technology helped
with the delivery of presentsand stuff?
Has it made it easy?
That's a great question.
Or do you struggle withtechnology?
SPEAKER_00 (34:25):
I do some, but um, I have found ways using technology
to get money for charities.
Like one charity needed uh eightthousand dollars for engineering
work and blueprints to get thisbuilding built, which is called
Casey's Place.
SPEAKER_04 (34:46):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:47):
And I'm kind of sneaky, they say I have a little
bit of the devil in me.
But I went to a foundation,didn't ask them for$8,000, I
asked them for$10,000.
They gave it to me, and oh mygosh, they did a they did a big
blown-up check that I had my bagand the children with uh Casey's
(35:10):
place, they were having theirparty at the zoo.
So I said, Young lady, Mrs.
Diane Napa, come here.
SPEAKER_04 (35:16):
Yeah, I know Diane.
SPEAKER_00 (35:17):
Yeah, I have something for you.
And I took it out of my bag,gave it to two gentlemen with a
foundation, and when I steppedaway and she saw the check, she
started crying.
I said, Wait a minute, you'reunhappy?
Isn't this what you want?
And she comes over and shehugged me.
SPEAKER_04 (35:37):
She's oh my gosh.
So Santa comes through.
SPEAKER_00 (35:41):
People want to help.
It's just, you know, it's justnormal.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (35:46):
So I can't say this enough.
If you're sitting there andyou're watching this, uh, this
is really happening.
Santa is sitting here in the podzone, and it's an opportunity
for any of you to, if you have aquestion, maybe you're, you
know, some of your kids aresitting there with you and
you're watching this.
Uh by all means, uh just uhcomment and Santa will respond.
He's sitting right here.
And as I said that, another onecame in.
(36:07):
So let's see what this one's allabout.
I would love Santa to share moreabout how he makes sure kids
with disabilities feel hismagic.
It's my favorite.
So it said, I would love Santato share more about how he makes
sure kids with disabilities feelhis magic.
SPEAKER_00 (36:26):
Well, I'm extremely patient.
And people said you have aGod-given gift because I can
make any child or elderly personin particular smile.
And since about 1980, Santa hasbeen involved with several
(36:46):
different organizations thathelp children with disabilities.
I was one of the foundingmembers of the wheelchair, the
Syracuse wheelchair sports team.
I would take children that wereuh in the youth groups and have
them meet with people withdisabilities.
One gentleman, he didn't haveany use of his legs, only the
(37:10):
use of one arm, and he swamcompetitively.
And he was he was within he waswithin 10 seconds of the Olympic
record for freestyle.
Now stop and think about that.
10 seconds, which is a long,long time.
Yes, yeah, but he only had theuse of one arm.
(37:32):
So he I had him sitting in achair when we had this get
together with the children, andhe's talking about the different
things he did in his life, andhe turns to me.
Of course, we had pre-plannedthis.
He said, Would you go get mychair?
I go, sure.
And I went over, I took hiswheelchair out of the closet,
(37:54):
and those children just satthere with their jaws hanging
down.
Yeah, that's great story.
Santa has done a lot to raisemoney for children with
disabilities.
And I was told that I didmiracles, but I pointed out to
them it wasn't me.
I said there's a power muchstronger than me, and I pointed
(38:17):
up.
I've had so many nonverbalautistic children that I was
able to get to talk.
And when they say it's amiracle, I point out to them.
I look them right in the eye, Iask them a question, and they
know I expect them to answer.
(38:37):
The oldest child that wasnonverbal that talked to me was
15.
unknown (38:43):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (38:45):
So Santa just I'm just happening to be the monkey
in the middle.
SPEAKER_04 (38:49):
No, but you know, and everything you've been
telling Miss Ray and myself, anda lot of things we did not know
about you, Santa, um, that evenwhen it's not Christmas time,
you're somewhere.
Oh, yeah.
And and the people just don'trealize it's you and you're
making it happen.
And oh man, that just wow.
I that's inspirational.
I got goosebumps, I got thechicken noodles.
SPEAKER_03 (39:10):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (39:11):
Well, Santa actually has a big thick binder about
three inches thick with over 400business cards.
So if somebody's going to do afundraiser, I have all these
different cards for bands, food,whatever.
And the director of Make a Wishlocally, uh, Diane Cuperman
(39:33):
said, why don't you put togethersome kind of a, you know, a
binder, a smaller one for peopleso they'll know how to do
fundraisers.
So I did exactly that.
And I can hand that to somebody.
It has everything they're goingto need in there a volunteer
form, a vent form.
So if somebody donatessomething, you can also ask can
(39:56):
we put up a poster?
But Santa has got pretty goodeven.
Guessing how much they're gonnabe.
SPEAKER_04 (40:01):
That's pretty awesome.
That's pretty awesome.
I would like to um, I know I'mI'm seeing um, I guess the
majority of these comments areadults, but if some of the kids
want to come on and just typein, I mean, you can watch over
their shoulder, mom and dad.
But Santa is sitting right here,and um, you know, he I'm sure
he'd love to hear what they wantif they have a question, and
whether it's about the reindeeror whether it's about Santa's
(40:23):
life, what he's been doing, andhow he keeps going and the
motivation to do that, uh, feelfree to uh just reach out.
That's why we're here tonight.
Something a little bit differentfor me with the Skip Happens
podcast.
And different for Santa he'snever done this before.
Well, welcome.
I love it.
But uh normally I have countryartists sitting around this
table, or we're talking to themthrough you know, through the
(40:45):
wonders of today's technology,as you mentioned, Zoom, which
was it's pretty old school now,but uh you know, we use
different methods, but still thesame way.
SPEAKER_00 (40:52):
Yeah, yeah, it's pretty cool.
It's amazing with technology.
SPEAKER_04 (40:57):
It's it's just so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (41:00):
So you teach um children many, many lessons, you
know, to be compassionate, to bekind.
What are some of the biggestlessons that you've learned from
children?
You spoke about some reallyinspirational stories of
swimmer, like that swimmer thatswam with one arm.
What over all of your years umas Santa, how has what what have
(41:23):
you learned from children?
SPEAKER_00 (41:24):
That they are all God-given gifts because some of
the children I've dealt withwere so incredibly sick.
One little boy had cancer threedifferent times, and he actually
had uh two open heart surgeries,and he fell and broke his arm,
and he did all this within liketwo years.
(41:48):
So he was afraid.
I'd visit him at the hospitaland he asked me a question that
completely caught me off guard.
And I knew it was because he wasafraid.
And he said, Santa, am I goingto die?
So I go, God, don't fail me now.
(42:10):
This child is definitely afraidof dying.
I looked him right in the eyeand I was extremely honest.
I said, Well, of course you'regonna die.
Everybody dies, and I startedlaughing, he started laughing.
And I said, What makes you thinkyou're so special?
So we're both laughing.
The nurse walks in the room, shesaid, What's so funny?
(42:32):
And the little boy raised thehand, I said, Oh, he said, We're
just talking about dying.
So she comes over, puts her handon my arm, and she said, You are
the most spiritual person I'veever met.
And I get that a lot from theclergy.
And they ask me, Why is that?
Why are you so spiritual?
SPEAKER_01 (42:54):
You're the Christmas spirit.
I know that's why you're theChristmas spirit, and that goes
all year round, all through andthrough.
SPEAKER_00 (43:05):
Yeah, and the clergy will say, Yes, I I think you
might be right.
You have more faith than we do.
But I go, you know, to me, Ilook at these children and I
know how blessed I am, I knowhow blessed my family is.
And when I would see peoplecomplain, and when they had a
really good job or they had agood life and all that, I just
(43:29):
feel sorry for them.
SPEAKER_04 (43:31):
Oh Santa, you're just wow.
Wow.
Ah, this whole conversation.
I mean, it's like wow.
unknown (43:41):
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (43:43):
It's like what we say.
What do we do?
It's amazing.
I know I I hit the button forthe bells a little bit, you
know, a little sleigh bells, butuh just kind of keep us in the
spirit.
That is uh that's amazing whatyou do, and uh taking the time
out to come and hang out with ustonight.
If there's something you couldtell all the the boys and girls
out there right now, gettingready for Christmas, uh, you
(44:04):
know, like I say, one week fromtoday, by now, all the gifts,
all the gifts would have beenopened for the most part,
depending on how you celebrate.
But I know we do it and we're upin the morning and our gifts are
open.
So at this point in the day,it's all right, we just need a
nap.
We're done, but it'll be overwith.
But is there something you'dlike to tell the young uh boys
and girls?
SPEAKER_00 (44:24):
Yes, I know that you make promises that you're gonna
keep your room clean or you'regonna do this, you're gonna do
that.
And it's a big letdown for mewhen you don't because mommies
and daddies, you know what?
You're only with them for maybe20 years, 25 years, and you go
(44:46):
off on your own.
And then you're going torealize, like I have, what it
means to be a grandparent or tohave little ones.
And it's so important you dothose things that you promise.
SPEAKER_04 (45:01):
Or um, are your grandkids allowed to say, do
they know you're Santa?
They didn't for a long, longtime.
Okay.
How you know, I I don't evenknow how I would react, come to
find out.
What do you mean by grandpaSanta?
Oh my gosh.
You know, it's just wow.
SPEAKER_01 (45:16):
So they gotta feel like the luckiest kids in the
world.
SPEAKER_04 (45:19):
Exactly.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (45:21):
You know, even now that they're in their 30s and
other young people that I knowthat are around that age, they
say, you know, we know that kidsusually they get around nine
years old, ten years old, theydon't believe in Santa anymore.
But trust me, oh no, oh no.
Once they have grandchildren,they immediately start believing
(45:44):
again.
So I said, I know you get pickedon, you get teased.
But I go, let me show you this.
And a young lady who said kidswere making fun of her because
she believed in Santa.
And I had a book with all kindsof pictures in it, a big binder,
(46:05):
and it was letters fromdifferent people, adults and
children, saying how much theyappreciated what I did, but I
point out to them donations comefrom other people.
I just had to be the one in themiddle.
You're Santa.
SPEAKER_04 (46:21):
Come on, you're Santa.
Yeah, I got the bell, I'll ringit.
I mean I'm just saying that wow,and uh, you know, I'm here to
tell you that he's sitting rightover here, so that that's Santa
Claus.
SPEAKER_00 (46:34):
Did you know that the Salvation Army, and I don't
know what city, they have a goatthat rings the bell.
Really?
And they said it's so unique,and everybody gets excited.
They they'll come over for noother reason to see that goat
ringing the bell.
Yeah.
unknown (46:54):
Wow.
SPEAKER_01 (46:56):
Is there anything this year that anybody can do to
make your job a little easier onChristmas?
SPEAKER_04 (47:02):
Leave lots of cookies.
Unless you like hot cocoa, uhmaybe an extra glass of milk.
SPEAKER_00 (47:09):
Well, Santa's really blessed.
You know what I really like fromeverybody?
Not just the adults, but thekids too, that they say prayers
for the less fortunate.
And if they see a way of helpingthem, like I can remember as a
little boy, people in theneighborhood would run out of
food, and my parents would findout and they go and buy
(47:31):
groceries for them.
And as I got older and therewere some people that were
having problems, I did the samebecause you know there's some
people out there in really direneed, they're so disgusted, they
feel hopeless.
And guess what?
We can give them hope.
SPEAKER_04 (47:50):
And you're doing that too.
We're all doing that, absolutely100%, 100%, Santa.
Wow.
I'm I'm speechless at thispoint.
I've asked my questions.
I know this is so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (48:03):
I am too.
I'm speechless.
SPEAKER_04 (48:04):
I was just, you know, when I was uh mentioning
the fact that you had planned tostop by the pod zone and say
hello to everybody, and it wason my Facebook today, and one of
my neighbors across the streetwas like, Oh my god, big
uppercase letters that Santa wasgonna be here, and it it's just
it's just so cool.
And I wouldn't uh I wouldn't besurprised if when you walk out
to the red truck that they'reletting you drive, that she'll
(48:28):
scream, Santa.
I mean, it's been known tohappen in this neighborhood.
SPEAKER_00 (48:32):
Yeah, yeah.
Santa has a lot of friends inlaw enforcement and
firefighters.
Yep, and this one girl, she gotburned 86 percent of her body
when she was 12.
And I befriended her and I madesure that she had Christmas
presents, her and her two littlebrothers, and we are still
(48:53):
friends.
God bless you.
She is 38 now.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
unknown (48:58):
That's beautiful.
SPEAKER_04 (48:59):
Oh, Santa! Wow, it got warm in here.
I don't know how he's doing inthe nut, you know, in the yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (49:08):
Do you ever get warm in your suit?
SPEAKER_00 (49:11):
Uh, not really because see, it's it's it's
lined, it's lined, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (49:18):
So it's nice.
Is the temperature controlledfor like when you hit those high
altitudes?
Can you like is it just you knowhow we have those heated vests
now?
I don't know if they havesomething for the Santa suit.
SPEAKER_00 (49:30):
No, no, you just I imagine I could find something,
but yeah, um, like the gloveswouldn't be red.
The vest not be right.
SPEAKER_04 (49:38):
You're right.
I got you.
I got you.
You know, Santa, you'rewonderful.
SPEAKER_00 (49:42):
It's warm enough.
SPEAKER_04 (49:43):
And if you know, here's all the more reason to
believe he's sitting right here.
This is awesome.
Santa Claus, um, just first everpod zone in how many years uh
ever, ever.
So yeah, it's happening.
It's happening, Miss Ray.
You have anything else you wantto add there?
SPEAKER_01 (50:00):
Um, I I don't think so.
I think you did great.
What do I want for Christmas?
SPEAKER_04 (50:12):
Okay, we gotta go now.
SPEAKER_01 (50:15):
I was I really want to get this in.
I know we were gonna try to dosomething funny, but I'm gonna
genuinely ask.
SPEAKER_03 (50:21):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (50:22):
I love records and like vinyl and stuff, so I just
want as many of those aspossible.
That's that's really it.
Okay, okay.
That's my wish list is recordsand vinyls.
SPEAKER_04 (50:34):
I just want to continue to be happy.
SPEAKER_01 (50:36):
Okay, no, I sound me too.
SPEAKER_04 (50:39):
No, no, but no, no, you know, here Santa, I mean,
here's the difference.
SPEAKER_01 (50:45):
I was just sorry.
No, no, go ahead.
I was gonna kind of ask aquestion.
So with Christmas, you can wishfor a lot of things.
Yeah, there's materialisticthings, there's emotional
things.
What do you dare I say think isthe most important?
Do you think the materialistic,like, do you think that that
like getting somebody the giftis the most important, or is it
(51:07):
the the happiness, the spendingtime together?
SPEAKER_00 (51:10):
Well, if you're giving them, say, food or
clothing that they need, youknow, that's really extremely
important.
If you know somebody is in needof help and guidance, like Santa
does a lot with Bera House, andum, they asked me to do a TV
spot for them, which I did, andI pointed out that's not just
(51:35):
children and females, but alsomales that are being abused.
And they said it I was soinformative they wanted to go
with what I had lived with.
SPEAKER_04 (51:47):
And move that microphone a little closer to
you, Sandy.
SPEAKER_00 (51:50):
There you go.
We I I think we all owe it toeveryone else.
If we see we can help someone,we should do it.
SPEAKER_01 (51:58):
In any way, right?
SPEAKER_04 (52:00):
Whether it's emotional, it's not about the
gift sometimes, it's about theemotional side.
Yeah, like the giving as familyand friends and being together
and celebrating, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (52:11):
And just thanking people, you know, like people in
law enforcements, firefighters,you know, people on a systems,
people in the military, nurses,nurses.
SPEAKER_04 (52:23):
When was the last time that you know of somebody
actually doing that?
Think about it.
You know what I mean?
I mean, I'm sure you do it.
Uh I've got a first responderbackground.
Miss Ray knows a little bitabout it.
Uh, but uh just for the everydayperson, when was the last time
you actually walked up to apolice officer or a firefighter,
the men and women that protectus every day, the ambulance
(52:45):
corps, you get all that.
There's so many differentavenues of that type of work.
When was the last time youwalked up and said, you know, I
just want to say thank you.
Thank you for doing what you'redoing.
And I think it's uh, Santa, if Imay say, no, I'm gonna go off
here.
No, in a good way, in a goodway, please.
In a good way.
SPEAKER_01 (53:00):
I interrupted earlier, so please.
No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_04 (53:02):
I just it just bothers me that all these
individuals are taken forgranted and they're they're
expected to be there on aminute's notice.
But when was the last time youactually said thank you?
And let me give you a goodexample of what happened just
the other day.
I know that we're kind ofgetting off a little bit here
with Santa, but uh at work, wework in the inner harbor at the
inner harbor, right in the downSyracuse in that area.
(53:26):
And uh the fire department wentflying by, the rescue truck went
by, the ladder truck went by,the ambulance went by, uh, a
mini went by towing a boat.
I'm going, uh oh.
I bet you they found somebody inthe harbor.
So I get really curious, and Iget in my vehicle and I drive
over and I pull in the otherside where I could see what was
going on.
Two firemen jumped in that coldwater, jumped in the cold water,
(53:50):
and the guy, thank the goodlord.
Uh I wouldn't be talking aboutit if he didn't survive.
But the guy was alive and theypulled him out.
But without those firefightersdoing what they did, not even
thinking twice about whatthey're going to do, pulling
that gentleman out of the water.
It was just, you know, just thisis why you need to say thank
you.
Thank you.
(54:10):
Because that could have beenyou, it could have been me,
could have been anybody.
SPEAKER_00 (54:13):
So ironic, you just said that.
That young girl that got burnedso bad.
I bought a bunch of presents andsigned from the Syracuse
firefighters, and we met at hergrandmother's house.
That was just a probably not amuch bigger room than this, the
living room.
So she was opening all thesegifts, and I asked her, What is
(54:36):
the best gift you got tonight?
She said that these firemen whodidn't even know me rescued
their lives to save me.
And you know what?
All these big tough firemen,they all had tight tears in
their eyes as they were walkingout, and they kept thanking me
(54:57):
for inviting Michael.
Absolutely.
I thank God for you people everyday.
SPEAKER_04 (55:01):
Exactly.
And you know, right from Santa,you just heard it.
Make sure you say thank you.
I mean, just you know, even do alittle something for them.
They're gonna be working on theholiday Christmas, the men and
women, they give up their timewith their family to to do that,
you know.
Uh, it's just so maybe maybedrop off some cupcakes, maybe
drop off a you know, dosomething.
Just say we're thinking of you.
Thank you for being there incase we need you.
(55:22):
So Santa, I want to say thankyou for being there.
SPEAKER_00 (55:26):
Thank you for having me.
I really enjoyed this.
SPEAKER_04 (55:28):
Oh my goodness.
So, I mean, yeah, here you are.
I only gotta lighten this up alittle bit.
It was getting pretty heavy, butuh so I have to be here again
next year, right?
Hey, you you want to come nextweek?
I wouldn't after afterChristmas.
No, you need to you need to resta little bit, so we wouldn't do
that to you.
But uh absolutely uh, you know,and I know we've had a lot of
(55:52):
people watching, not too manycommenting, but there's a lot of
viewers, so that which is prettycool.
And they've heard what Santa isabout and what you're doing, and
uh just you know, if you don'tbelieve, now you believe maybe.
You know what I mean?
Look at I am when you pulled upand to see the look on my son's
face when you walked throughthat door was priceless, and
Miss Ray is like I know him,yes, in my head.
SPEAKER_01 (56:17):
Yes, yes, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (56:18):
Santa, thank you for being here.
God bless you.
Safe travels on Christmas Eve.
Thank you.
Thank you for all the inspiringwords as well.
I mean, just it's good to youknow to hear it all from you.
So it's pretty cool.
Um, on behalf of Skip Happens, Iwant to say um Miss Ray and
myself, I want to tell you allto have a great, great, great
holiday.
Uh the Skip Happens podcast, ofcourse, will be back next week
(56:41):
leading up to the holiday.
And uh after the first year, wegot some good stuff planned, as
you know, Miss Ray.
SPEAKER_01 (56:47):
Stay tuned.
Yes, she's come on board.
SPEAKER_04 (56:50):
So that's pretty cool.
Uh Santa's waving.
Wave back, everybody.
We see you waving.
unknown (56:56):
Santa!
SPEAKER_04 (56:57):
Santa, I know him.
SPEAKER_01 (56:58):
Merry Christmas, everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (57:00):
Merry Christmas.
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