The Doghouse
The Doghouse is a community-first sports and storytelling podcast rooted in Sikeston, Missouri. What starts with Bulldogs basketball often turns into something bigger: the people, the programs, and the moments that shape a town. Each episode blends real game breakdowns, behind-the-scenes perspective, and conversations with coaches, athletes, alumni, local leaders, and difference-makers across Southeast Missouri. If you care about Bulldog Nation and the stories that make Sikeston feel like home, you’re in the right place.
The Doghouse
Ep 48 - Santa Rod, Small Town Magic
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Santa doesn’t just happen. He’s stitched, planned, insured, and invited. We open with Bulldogs basketball—an 8–0 surge, a 35–3 third-quarter storm, and Kobe Thomas lighting up the gym with a school record 10 threes—then step into a different kind of arena where belief is the whole game. Meet Rod “Santa” Anderson, the neighbor who treats every visit like a promise kept.
Rod shares how a rough season of loss and one charity movie night pulled him into the red suit, and why he treats the role like a craft. We dig into the details most folks never see: custom suits with removable fur so dry cleaning doesn’t turn them pink, the quiet necessity of liability insurance, and the surprisingly vital lesson of white gloves—keeping hands visible and kids safe. He talks logistics like a pro—november photo days, vitamins to survive flu waves, magic keys for homes without chimneys, and what happens when a present wrapped in an Amazon box needs a fast North Pole backstory.
Then the stories land. A little girl’s puppy tag pulled from Santa’s bag, a boy who “wanted to get a deer” and did, the house where bells roused sleepy eyes for the first time in days. Rod explains why he thinks of this work as service: let kids be kids a little longer, meet them at eye level, and give them your full attention for sixty seconds that might last years. It’s practical love in a small town that knows how to show up—at the Fieldhouse, at the parade, at the front door where the bells are already ringing.
We tie it back to Sikeston: a team that wins by sharing the ball, a community that wins by sharing the load, and a Santa who proves that presence is the most underrated gift. If you’ve ever wondered what makes small-town magic feel real, this conversation is your map.
If you enjoyed the show, follow, share it with a friend who loves local stories, and leave a quick review. Got a favorite Santa memory or a Bulldogs moment we should highlight next time? Tell us—we’re listening.
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Opening Banter & Number 48 Trivia
SPEAKER_01Alright, Bulldog Nation. It's time to get in the dog house. This is where Python Pride lives, where we tell the stories that make this town special. From the legends of the past to the faces shaping our future. Whether it's basketball, community, or just that good old Bulldog grit, we've got you covered. You're listening to the dog house, the voice of Sycle. What is up, Bulldog Nation? Coming back to you the week before Christmas. Season two, episode seven, episode forty eight overall. Yeah, 48. Michael, what we got on our numbers for 48.
SPEAKER_0248. We got Pablo Sandoval. Which is a pitcher for third baseman or third baseman. For a early career with the San Francisco Giants. Right. I think they called him the Kung Fu Panda. Kung Fu Panda, yeah. Tori Hunter. Yep. With the Minnesota Twins. Yep. Center fielder. Got a Cardinal this week. Carlos Martinez. St. Louis Cardinals. Okay. Carlos Martinez. Hmm.
SPEAKER_01I don't want to recall him.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think a little bit outfield, I think. I'm kind of.
SPEAKER_01Maybe. Yeah, maybe so.
SPEAKER_02Jacob de Grom, New York Card.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yes. Yep. Yep. DeGrom did. Sure did. Brad Lidge with the Astros. Ooh, his career was effectively ended by the Cardinals. Pool Holes hit that home. He was 48. I thought he was like 54. Maybe, maybe he changed it to 54.
SPEAKER_02I don't know, man. This is this is confusing. So Pittsburgh Steelers, Brad Dupree. Okay. Carolina Panthers, Shaq Thompson. Okay. Some of these I don't really know. So Nick Belro with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets. Okay. Don't know. And interesting note, no prominent NBA player ever wore 48. According to Micah's. According to ChatGPT. It could be Chat GMT or whatever. I don't know. It's it's it may be Micah's AI.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so you can double check us, fact check us on that because we're just uh getting it straight from the source. So I'm Matt Tanner. I'm Micah Harris. And we are your host for The Doghouse. Thanks for listening. This week before Christmas, we got a special episode for you today. We got the big guy himself coming in. Ho ho ho. Ho ho ho, or ho cubed, as they say. We got the big guy coming in, and we are so happy that he agreed to come on. This is especially a busy time of year. It oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Well, essentially, you I think I think Australia is almost a day ahead of us.
SPEAKER_01That's true. So you can kind of say 48 hours. So it gives him a little extra. Get some breathing room. Yeah. Yeah. And he's he's coming in to to talk shop with us, and we're very excited that we caught him. And he's super busy, obviously, trying to trying to get all his stops in before he has to do all that. And he's coming straight off a stop tonight, so he's going to be in full regalia, as they say. So we'll be happy to have that with us tonight.
SPEAKER_02When you probably listen to this, you may be able to listen to watching track him on ORAD. That's true.
SPEAKER_01That's very true. That's very true. By the time this well, we'll we'll have this out. We're gonna have it out Sunday evening, December.
SPEAKER_02Shortly after that, he'll be he'll be he'll be tracking from North Pole.
Holiday Tease: Santa’s Coming To Town
SPEAKER_01He'll be he'll be ready to get rolling. The elves will be in full He's already been busy anyway. Oh, he's everywhere. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, so he'll definitely be uh on his mid-season form, as they say. Let's give a shout out to our partners, Mercy Phoenix, who is again continued to be with us. And I I know I've talked to I've talked to D with Greengrass guys and Jody just slightly, but fully anticipate. I I know D is he's willing to extend again for next year, and fully anticipate Mercy Phoenix as well. And so we'll continue to have those partners. And if it's uh something you're interested in being a partner with us, give us a shout. Email doghouse.sy gmail.com or if you've got my number, uh send us a message on Facebook at the doghouse, Instagram, TikTok, text me, email me, come by the bank, uh send me a message on my personal Facebook page. Send a message to Micah, yeah, to whatever on on our on their on his Micah's personal page. So if it's something you're interested in, we'll be we'll be happy to discuss it with you. We're just again, we're happy for Mercy Phoenix to be our partner. They Jody again sees our vision of what we're doing, as does D. They are terrific businessmen, terrific people for our town to be or just to be a part of our town, and to be a part of our town, a part of our business community. And they both are a part of the JC's, which is an unbelievable organization. The bank, our first state community bank where I work, we are again, we are proud to be a partner with them during the rodeo. We sponsor Veterans Night. I know I'm kind of getting off subject here, but that's just a part one of the things that they are a part of that they build up. They're about community. They are about community and uplifting everybody. Again, rising tide lifts all boats, and so and that's what we are are about as well. About uplifting things and talking about our town, promoting our town and our region. We've started, you'll see coming up. We're not abandoning Sykston by any stretch, that's who we are. But we you you'll see us have some regional guests on here, and that's okay. We we we want to promote our whole region and uh big news coming out of school this week.
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah.
Sponsors, Partners, And Community Shoutouts
SPEAKER_01Congratulations, Andy. Andy McGill is our new superintendent, or he will be as of July 1. Yeah, Shannon is is retiring, and who knows? She may be I I I I bet she'll be around in some capacity or something. Some capacity, yeah. There there'll be lots of opportunities for her. She's wanting to slow down, she's got grandkids now, and she's put in her time, and so congratulations to her as well. She's been transformational. I I that's really a word that I can use being on the board of education side, just transformational and what she's done with our district, and we're forever grateful. And we know Andy will continue to work and even continue to improve on all the things that Shannon started with our discipline and our academics and our our students, obviously, is the main focus. So we are we're very excited for that. We are just humbled that Andy, you know, wants to wants to be here. Yeah, exactly. And then he applied and went through the process and all those things. So we're very ecstatic, and it's just that's big news in the community. And if you see Andy, tell him congratulations. Obviously, thank Shannon for her her time and her efforts here for sure. Shout outs to to Luke. We're actually uh recording on Saturday morning, he's actually still asleep. For once. Yep, he he normally is up, he has to work on Saturdays. He has he had the day off today, so we're gonna let him sleep in and try not to wake him up. Shout out to Aaron. She actually you know given us time to do this, but she she left, said she was gonna go get her nails did. Yeah, she's she and Luke are playing in a Christmas something or other, and she said her nails are clicking on the on the piano, so she's gonna get all that fixed. So that's where she headed to. Justin, our general counsel, thanks for taking on that lucrative position. And we expect to see him actually coming up. Shout out to Deege for keeping us abreast of all the things, and we'll talk about something Deege kept us abreast about last night. And I mean, shout out to Brian as well. Brian provides all the stats for uh Acorp or excuse me, for Bulldog Nation Network powered by Acorp Sports. Brian gives us those on really after every game. He updates it basically the next morning, and so we have those stats readily available. We're able to have that and talk about it on the you know on the broadcast. And so we'll get to some games upcoming. Shout out to Tyler Anderson and our doghouse plaque on the wall. Shout out to Twisted Arrow Woodworking, and we're very happy to be partnered with them as well. And before we forget, I'm gonna hold this up to the camera, and it's not a we got an iPad in here as our camera right now, and we're working on upgrading some of those things, but I'm holding this up. Glenda Wilburn, who works with me at First State Community Bank, she makes it's we'll share it on, we'll get a picture of it and take it. Yeah, she she tagged me in a post, but we'll we'll definitely uh put this out there. But she tagged or excuse me, she put this on my desk the other day. She takes it's uh half of an oyster shell, and she makes the there's ornaments. I don't know if you can see it. I'm holding it up by the little string right here.
SPEAKER_02And she has basically somehow put the doghouse emblem in in the shell.
SPEAKER_01Right. And it's like gold leafed on the edge of the shell, and on the inside. Very, very pretty. Oh, it's awesome. I and I don't know if that's paint.
SPEAKER_02On the inside, some kind of slacker on top of it.
SPEAKER_01Like, yeah, I don't know what that is. Very smooth, very slick and or very smooth, like you said, and then the doghouse podcast logo on the inside. And and she can she makes all sorts of ornaments, and so it's a Christmas ornament. I know she's selling them at Lambert's here in town. And if you want to get in touch with Glinda, you can reach out to her on Facebook or holler at her at the bank or whatever. And she's she's she's making those. I'm sure they're for any occasion, not just an I I don't know, I I know this is a Christmas ornament. I'm sure she probably makes them for other things as well. So give her a shout-out. We appreciate her giving that to us. And while you're at it, like, follow, share the dog house on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and now YouTube. And then we're slowly uploading videos. Please be patient with me. I'm trying to get those done. I hit a snag, I don't know what's going on. I was trying to I'll show you.
SPEAKER_02You're still trying to get Pastor John to.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I see I got his like ready and it only uploads an hour, and I don't know what the heck's going on with it. Or like an hour and five minutes. I I I've obviously done something to mess it up. Then I was trying to get Ricky's, Ricky Johnson's ready, and the the audio and video won't sync, so I don't I'm I'm struggling right now. I gotta get uh gotta get Tucker Cheney over here to help me. He's our he's our new IT high tech guy.
SPEAKER_02We've got to get him down here first.
SPEAKER_01That's right. Well, he works down here, and I've I've just got to coordinate with him to uh get him where he can come by and just take a look at it. So I'm gonna try to do that. I don't know what the heck I've done. Obviously, my novice skills have jacked up something.
SPEAKER_02You got further than I could.
SPEAKER_01So I really want to get those out there, and I'm struggling right now. So anyway, just please be patient with us. Again, you can catch all of our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Music, iHeart, and host of others, and you can catch it on our Buzz Sprout feed or Buzz Spout, excuse me, the doghouse.buzzsprout.com, which is our website. There's an embedded player on there, and then I typically put the embedded player a link to it on our Facebook page when we announce that the that the episode is dropped, and you can click on that. And quick fan shout out. I saw Wayman Sims this week at the junior high basketball game. He was officiating the game and he stopped by and he's like, Hey man, I love the podcast. Thanks for uh you know, thanks for doing it. He said I have I caught Miner the other day, he's awesome. And so uh he worked with Minor, don't he?
SPEAKER_02Is he doing school cafeteria over there? I think I don't know. I know Miner's always talking about he cooked something.
SPEAKER_01Well, that is true. That is true. Probably so. I I'm not I'm not exactly sure. I know Wayman does, or he used to do some catering and stuff like that. Yeah. It was really, really good food. And so I'm not sure what capacity, but I know he's he he's officiating basketball too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he got some he got some wings that are good.
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm. So he he stopped by and and and chatted for just a second at a between the quarter or halftime or something. We just sat there and talked for just a minute. But uh Wayman, thanks for listening, man. We appreciate you. Give us a like, share, retweet, comment, review, all those things on those. And so now we'll get into the aforementioned. Busy week. We we had a busy week for the dogs, came out of the CMO conference tournament, got a got a good win, and the dogs are 6-0 and coming into a sort of went under the radar a little bit with folks that don't follow high school basketball a lot, but Hayti, holy crazy. I mean, they're athletic. Very athletic. And they're a class two team. And man, we talked about this before. Class two in this area. When we had uh Dave and Andrew on, yeah. Class two is stacked. I mean, Bernie, Hayti.
SPEAKER_02Well, I think how many of them it showed like four or five from the area that were ranked in top ten.
SPEAKER_01Right, right. Bernie Hayti. Charleston? Charleston. And admin, or Puxico. Puxico. Thought there was one more in there too. And I apologize if I forget, but is it Malden or something? I don't I don't remember. Yeah, Malden might have been ranked. But they but Hayti came in and they're they got a big, a 6'5, strong athletic, and they've got the web kid, and they've got three or four of the kids that can shoot it, and the dogs jumped out on them pretty quick. I think I mentioned on the broadcast and and then hearing after some of the someone heard that their kids kind of walking around after the you know during the JV game or whatever, like, man, this is like a college arena or something. And so I I thought that might have again it it it didn't scare them. Don't get me wrong when I I'm not saying scared them, but it might have it's just something different. It's a new environment. You you gotta understand the the way the field house is, and sometimes the backdrops, you can't get your depth perception very good, and so they only scored 10 points in that first quarter, but they they figured it out. They're they're a really good team, and man, they're gonna be some matchup problems.
SPEAKER_02Definitely rebound, man.
SPEAKER_01Oh man. They were just yeah, they get after it, and they're they're physical, they're fast, man. Their guards are fast. And so we had a I won't say breakout, but we had a unbelievable performance by Marquell that night, had 31, several dunks, and just the way he handled the ball, passed, was rebounded as well, just did everything. And so uh dogs came out on top, they were moved to 7-0. And for and we moved to Notre Dame, which was a matchup of a first round opponent that the dogs had in CMO conference tournament, and I think that game was aptly described as a trap game.
SPEAKER_02And first half was. Yeah, where what I mean by that, sometimes the team you expect to come in when you come out and beat a team by 30 or so week before, you kind of sometimes fall into the trap of thinking well, they're not gonna be that hard. Right. And I could take the night off or exactly.
SPEAKER_01And Coach Hollifield, I know I I witnessed practice, was absolutely not was we're gonna refuse to allow his team to do that. And they I won't say they Notre Dame played very well in the first half.
SPEAKER_02I'll tell you what, last night I think the worst thing could have happened to them was halftime.
SPEAKER_01We talked about that at the game. Yeah, Mike and I and Joseph, Aaron's brother, Joseph Alden went with us last night, and worst thing that you're right, worst thing happened to them was was halftime because the dogs came out, as they say, with their hair on fire. And I think their legs were dragging. I think they I think they were a little gassed, and in in and in particular, one person's hair was on fire last night. Oh my goodness. Oh my Kobe Thomas set a school record for 10 three-pointers in one game. The record was previously Dominic Dye.
SPEAKER_02Dominique Dyes was not, and and then uh Will had it at before Dominic Dyes.
SPEAKER_01He had it at eight. That's right. We thought it was ten, ten tied it, and it was gonna be eleven, but we Derek I won't second guess Derek. Absolutely not. He said nine, or he said ten's the record, and so I I can you can take it to the bank. Ten's the record.
SPEAKER_02If they thought it was if they thought it was eleven, I'm sure Kobe would have got one more.
SPEAKER_01I mean, yeah, yeah. Because he well he probably wouldn't play the half this fourth quarter. He did not play the fourth quarter and have 42 points and just absolutely went one. Most of the game he was leading Notre Dame. He had 42 and they scored their 45th point with like five seconds left to go. Or for I mean, they yeah, he led them the entire game. Up until like the very last. Yeah. Yeah. When it was you know, mop-up time, so to speak, and just sort of try not to foul and keep the clock running, sort of thing. So it was an unbelievable performance. Just scintillating to you know and I'll tell you the the greatest thing about it, or one of the greatest things, is that the team recognized it. And what they were finding him.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they did. They were they were hitting him. I mean, like it would be dribble penetration kick to him, or you know, or or on a fast break, he'd just like you want to do, go to the corner, you know what I mean? Yeah, and and and he'd knock it down.
SPEAKER_01I asked him after the game how big did the basket look, and I made my hand sort of in a big circle, and he said bigger.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I you you knew you just knew that night what he probably he probably thought he was looking at uh uh Justin's 85-inch TV though.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Exactly. And he just you could tell he was in the moment, he was in the zone, as they say. I'm I'm sure he wasn't thinking anything, he was just catching it and shooting.
SPEAKER_02And having fun.
SPEAKER_01Having fun.
SPEAKER_02That's one thing I liked.
SPEAKER_01Everybody looked like they were just having fun. Had a blasted team.
SPEAKER_02And they were respectful. I mean, like I Oh, yeah, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01They weren't in anybody's face or do anything like that as far as you know, but he just on fire. Yeah. And it was as as John Hobson said after the game, might be the greatest quarter in high school basketball history. Somebody said what we went on like a 35 to 3 run. That's exactly what it was in the third quarter. 35 to 3 run. We were up it was 36-30 at half, and it was 71-33 at the end of man. It was unbelievable. Unbelievable.
SPEAKER_02I mean, like, we had 70 points, he had 42 of them.
SPEAKER_01So and here's the thing is earlier in the week, Marquell had 31. Marquell had 31 against them. That's right. That's exactly right. So it's a two-headed monster. Pick your poison and you try to shut them down. I'm telling you. There's others. Ben can score. Jaharis can be a big one. He had a big one last night. Like big big shot Ben. As you said, big shot Ben hit one right at the end of the first quarter when it went through the net as a business. And it was very timely because man, we were we were kind of reeling a little bit. We couldn't get some shots to go early. And Coach Olifield said it. I talked to him, I don't know, one day. Earlier this week or last week, and talked about this game, and he said, We I can assure you we're not going to shoot it that hot right out of the box. No. And I mean, when we played them here, we hit six or seven threes in a row to start the game. And before you know it, we had 20 points and about two minutes had gone off the clock.
SPEAKER_02I mean, honestly, you had to be a pure shooter last night to hit on that that far end down there. Yeah. By the well, Notre Dame side. I see. I thought that rim was loose. Yeah, but that's her fall almost halfway down to the ground.
SPEAKER_01But it was and dumped the ball off. Yeah. Yeah. But Kobe filled it up. So the dogs are now 8-0 in the season. Again, the rankings came out earlier this week. The dogs are ranked third in class five behind Viani and Webster Gross. So we'll turn our attention to Monday night.
SPEAKER_02It's a big game.
SPEAKER_01People weren't come because you better get there early. Because it's an off it's not a you know traditional Tuesday or Friday. It's after Christmas. Or excuse me, it's before Christmas, before the Christmas tournament start. I expect a big crowd. And I will tell you, Puxico believes they will win. I do, yeah. They do. Not only them, their fans believe that. Yeah. Oh yeah. They they do. And they think that I mean, you know, Puxico, and we say it teasingly in a good way, the last person out at the Puxico is going to turn the light off. That's true. I mean, because they will bring a big fan base. They will, and they'll be there early. They will be there early. There'll be there is a this one's a triple header. This is a freshman, J V in varsity. So freshman action tips off at 4 30. JV will start at 6. Let's see. Did I got that right? Yeah, 436 and 7.30. Yeah, yeah, that's right. That's right. So an hour and a half between between the games. And now I would say I was gonna say J V might start early, but they'll probably have different officials, so it probably won't. JV will probably start at 6, one way or the other. But I know there's a freshman game at 4.30 again.
SPEAKER_02I know I gotta eat before I come.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'll probably be there about two. So no, I won't be there early. I'll but I will be there in plenty of time to catch all three games. So I don't get off till five, so it's gonna be tough for you. Tough for you to catch the first half of the freshman game. So the dogs I I think the the thing about the another reason you called it the trap game, Notre Dame game, is that I know the kids are looking to this game. Because Portage Portageville. Puxico beat the dogs in this summer at a Ribb City, yeah. And they won, they won fair and square, they beat us. There was nothing you know cheap about it, or you know, there's no excuses. They won, and I think the dogs got something else on their mind, and that was what coach was worried about is looking past Notre Dame. Because Notre Dame, listen, they're a good team. You can't just look past them and sh just show and go, as they say. You gotta prepare. And coach was concerned about that and didn't want to give up, you know, a game and lose, and all of a sudden you then you lose that game and team starts reeling, you lose Puxico, you lose two in a row. Next thing you know, we go into the Christmas tournament down and not only that, I mean like Puxico has state championship on their mind.
SPEAKER_02I mean, of course.
SPEAKER_01And and they want to win every game, and that's why they're scheduling Sykes to Yes, and so they're they're thinking they're gonna come in here and knock us off. And so, and I know the kids know this, and I I expect I expect a barn burner of a game. I really do. I think they're gonna be ready, I think we're gonna be ready. I think you'll see a crazy venue, a crazy night. It's gonna be action-packed because they like to get up and down. I think they're looking up and down teams. They are. We have I in my opinion, I haven't seen them play, but it's my opinion that we have more depth than them. And that's uh now in class two, it's not typically a problem for them. And I'm not saying they don't have any depth. I'm just saying I think we have more, and I think if if you look at that side by side comparison, I think we would get you know sort of the the check mark, so to speak.
SPEAKER_02We've got some valuable I mean, I've there's four or five guys that come off the bench that play just terrific. I'd be honest with you. I mean, I won't be surprised at Sean Colton one of them people that put up 20 or 30. Absolutely. Not maybe not maybe not Monday night, but right in some games that you're he will he will do.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes, absolutely. Sean can flat get the ball in the hole. I agree with you. And he can shoot it and he can do it in in a host of ways as far as from his from his defense to to being able to shoot and get to the rim. And so, yeah, it wouldn't surprise me him either. But the Bulldogs have a big game Monday night, and I expect the field house to be packed because this is a two state ranked teams. I know IQ hoops, so they're gonna be there for the game. Of course, they that guy's from Puxico. Oh, is he? Mm-hmm. That's what someone told me. And so does a great job. Uh you know what? We gotta get him on here.
SPEAKER_02I don't know. I mean, I've watched it. I don't know the young man.
SPEAKER_01I uh yeah, uh we really have I it's it's really, really well done. Heck, maybe I'll find out how he does it and get some tips from him to get this stuff out there. But I just gave myself a great idea, Micah.
SPEAKER_02All right, that's how it happens.
SPEAKER_01He's I I don't know, I know some people that know him and have talked to him. Uh maybe I can introduce myself sometime. I'll have to he films while I'm doing the game, so it's hard to you know what I mean? I'm up on the purchase. And you don't know exactly who he is, so you can't pick him out of crowd. Exactly. I guess I guess one way I could do it would be the guy with the camera, right? Well, there's usually tons of guys with a camera.
SPEAKER_02You know who by half of them are. I mean right. I mean I'll I'll have to Jason does a good job, Daniel Bird does a good job with putting the picture on the club.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's true. That's true. Oh no, they do a great job. Yeah, yeah, those guys. Better get them on here. Yeah, talk to them about that stuff too. They capture the games behind the game, right? Yeah, yeah. And so hey, I'm giving myself some, or you're giving we're giving ourselves some ideas.
SPEAKER_02I thought about Jason last night. I mean, like, I just kind of I was talking to him a little bit and I was like, you know what, he he gets a different perspective of it. He does, and he's trying to get some stuff out there. I mean, make bulldogs.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I forget what his like athlete athletics behind the lens or athletes through the lens or something like the lens or something like that. Yeah. And Mr. Jackie. Yeah, Mr. Jackie Calvert. You know, they they all get perspectives of of of the Bulldogs, football, basketball, baseball, whatever, whatever they're doing, the girls, wrestling, you know, all all the things, volleyball, they get those perspectives and put them out there, and they're really cool pictures, and they do just they do a great job. They do. I mean, and I think most of those are available to to I mean, can they purchase them or like parents? I know I I I know you can from Daniel. I'm sure you can from Jason. I don't I don't I don't want to speak to that because I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I don't know. Can you I mean I don't know if like you may want to start say you may be able to say like I'd like to get pictures of my kid or oh I'm confident they'll do that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah and I'm sure you can buy them. Yeah. I don't know how all that happens. I I don't I don't know all the legalities and all that.
SPEAKER_02But I'm just saying if if if if if you want some pictures of your kids that are playing a sport, mention it. I think they'll come and help me. Oh, you mean not being bulldogs? No, I mean like if your kid plays or even bulldogs or any of it, you know. Gotcha. Yeah. And they may target like a certain player.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know. Yep, I know they do. I know Jason and Daniel, or at least I know Jason does. I think Daniel does like senior pictures and all that stuff too. So shout out to them, give them a call, look them up on Facebook, and they'll they'll they'll be happy to take care of you. So you guys just hang tight with us. We'll be right back again with the uh magic of editing. We'll be back with the big guy himself. And uh hopefully Micah and I are not on the naughty list. Hopefully, we're on the nice list this year. Hopefully. I'm sure, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_02It's day-to-day for me. Yeah. Um depends on what I'm doing.
SPEAKER_01If I stubbed my toe or not. Catch me at a ball game, it just depends. I might not be on the nice list. Yeah, Joseph was he said the whole time he was just gonna do like this, had his finger pointing at me. I start yelling at the officials. Who was it?
Setting The Stage For Santa Rod
SPEAKER_02Uh the mint that sat behind us last night. He's like, like, I never got a chance to kick Mac Tanner out of the ball game. I said he had a chance, but he just probably didn't take it.
Santa Origins: Why Rod Started
SPEAKER_01That's right. He was Coach DeMint, Jerry DeMint is now, from what I understand, he's kind of running that SIBO organization, Southeast Basketball Officials. And he, and I think someone told me Randy Winston, and so he's their he's sort of the admin part of that, and he's he's not calling anymore. And so he said, Oh, my one of my biggest regrets was not even able to throw you out. I'm like, Well, I'm I'm sorry, I made your bucket list, I guess. So again, just hang with us, and we'll be right back with our guests this week with the big guy, and we'll give us just a few minutes. We are back after the break, after the magic of editing, and we are back with our guest now, Micah. We I mean, this is as big a guest as we've ever had. Biggest guess that we were, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean it's also the first time we were at a father-son.
SPEAKER_01That's true. That is true. It is our first father-son. So we'll uh we'll get into that in a little bit, but let's I'm gonna say this disclaimer as we talked about, and I'll I will have it when I share the this episode. This is kid friendly, of course. We are a it might get a little PG every once in a while, but in general it's kid friendly. But if you have a child that is a believer, there might be we're gonna be talking about other things besides Santa. And so we don't want to you call or hey, you run it for my kid. So that's not what we're trying to do. We're trying to talk about Santa, and we're talking about the person as well. So I just we just wanted to mention that. If you're you have a child in with you while you're listening, it might be something that you want to turn off and come back at a later time. So, with that disclaimer, we're going to introduce our special guest today. On the Doghouse, we talk a lot about what makes a community strong, and sometimes that strength shows up in unexpected ways. Our guest today is Rod Anderson, known better known to many as Santa Rod. From classrooms to living rooms, Rod has made it his mission to bring joy, hope, and connection to our community one visit at a time. This isn't just about a costume, it's about presence, purpose, and service. Let's welcome Santa Rod to the doghouse.
SPEAKER_03Welcome to the doghouse. Thanks, guys. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03And for just gonna say, you might hear some bells.
SPEAKER_01Right on cue. There he is. And when we were waiting on Santa to to come in, I knew he was here. I could hear him coming up the steps. Oh yeah. And so we are We got Santa and the Grinch today. It's true. You when we get the video out, I'm I've actually got one uploading. Yeah, that's right. That's right. There. Hey, am I gonna have to separate you two? No, we're good. I think we're gonna his heart has changed. That's right. That's right. Good for you. So we are we're here, and we're gonna have all kinds of stories about Christmas, about kids, about the magic. Again, not just the magic of the season and the hope that you know, it's a it's a special thing that Rod does for these kids and all and families. I mean, right. Families and just telling us the stories. Yeah, exactly. And it is a big deal, and we're and again, this just goes along with what we do so well, and we we we want to highlight these things, and this is a big deal. And you know what? I was thinking about this earlier when when when we talked about this, but we we this definitely's gotta be an annual thing for Santa. We've got to have Santa on.
SPEAKER_03I I'm I'm cool with that.
SPEAKER_01We we gotta have Santa on. I think so. Yeah, absolutely. So uh without further ado, I know you got I sent you questions and notes and this, that, and the other.
SPEAKER_03And so I got one thing to start off with knock knock it out of the park. Well, before we even get any farther, I want to wish Mr. Bill a happy heavenly birthday today. Oh my gosh, thanks for mentioning that, man. You know, the first thing this morning. Oh my gosh. I still got both his accounts on my face, which is fine.
SPEAKER_00But both, have you?
SPEAKER_02Both. There's about 14 of them. Have you seen have you seen TW festivals? Like, oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01He goes, Mr. Bill, he goes, I I've taken all of the I've accepted all the requests that you put. That's what I said.
SPEAKER_02I did two. And he got he's like, when I wish you happy birthday, you respond to all of them.
SPEAKER_03That's why I said he answered them all. Because I never knew which one was what. No, no, I don't think he knew which one was, but thank you for mentioning it. He is missed, definitely. So I appreciate it. We just ate some birthday cake for him.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, good for you. Yeah, we talked about that today. It's my it's my dad's birthday, thank you, and he would have been 79 today. He's man. Yeah, that's yep. Wow. Thank you for mentioning that. So I uh for those that don't know him, and probably do know, like everybody here in town, we've known Rod our whole life, but when when when did this start? What what sort of gave you this idea kind of to all that? How how did all that start?
SPEAKER_03Well, it uh thinking about this question, a couple of two two times, which is kind of funny to answer it that way, but we had a we had a rough year. Some friends of ours had a rough year I had in in about a two-year span that had lost some spouses from a church, and a lot of people from my mom's that run around with my mom that were getting to where they can't get out, can't do things. And my mom always made banana, banana button nut bread. Okay, so I said, Hey, make me a bunch of loaves and we'll just we'll just take I'll just take them, you know. And that's that's kind of how that the first part started. That was one year, and just kind of did it that way. Did you did you have well, you all do it up and all that stuff? No, it it was just an old cheap suit compared to what I got now. But yeah, but still, you know, the meaning and everything was there. Of course. Most of them cried, you know, when I walk in the door. And but then the second part of that, you know, it was just kind of that was just one year, kind of did that. And and then a year or two later, my friend Tim Tim Graham calls me, and he works at Associate Electric in New Mandarin, and they do a program where they the associates, yeah, associates can put in a fund, you know, for to buy presents, and the name the company matches it up to a certain point or whatever. And they were out and they have a big party every year. And so he says, I don't want to do it. I don't want to be sad. And he said, You got a white beard, you know, and I said, Well, okay. And uh I said, When are you gonna do it? He said, We're gonna do it at the movie theater. And that was when it was fairly new. And uh here in town? Yeah, here in town. He said they're they were watching Frozen 2, I think is what it was. You know, just exclusively them. Oh, and so and the kids you're talking about, the dogs. Kids were all in there watching, watching, and then all their presents were pre-wrapped and named and everything. Well, they put me in that little glass room. I don't know if you've ever been in there in the corner. There's a glass room that's kind of like in the lobby. In the lobby, yeah. And you know, I had no clue. This was my very first thing, really, with kids. And so uh they come running out, and I mean they're seeing me, they're freaking out, and and I didn't I didn't look half as good as I do now. Right. You know, I mean, really, and but man, I was hooked. Um I'm like, this is so cool, you know. Yeah, and so that that's kind of how that got started. Now that's been how how long? So well, technically seven, seven years. Six. Don't even start. Don't even start with seven or eight. Seven or eight. Let's do that. Yeah. We've had we've had yeah, it it's around around seven years, I guess you'd say, probably. Okay. COVID, you know, the year that we I I had COVID. You got COVID. I got COVID around Thanksgiving time. Yeah. So I was letting them know I'm like, I'm not doing it this year. I'm not gonna take chance, whatever. Yeah. So I did I didn't didn't do it that way. I didn't even have my beard that year. So I did a fake beard, you know, for downtown for uh just a little thing. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's become you mentioned downtown, that's become we were talking about this before. That has become quite the deal. That's that's a big deal. It's uh that was our I was telling you this was dashing through downtown and the lighting and and it's don't you'll start with the we have an early open house in November.
SPEAKER_03Yes, and that's this year was the busiest I've ever been. Really? I can remember a couple years ago, and it was cold.
SPEAKER_02Well, had the reindeer down there this year.
SPEAKER_03Well they have the last two years. Last year, it was you know, kind of people just didn't respond like we thought they would. But the the I mean I remember two, three years ago, it was freezing rain, and I sat out there three hours underneath. I was fine. I mean, I was on the band still or whatever. Yeah, and I was protected, you know, with weather-wise. Just it wasn't like sleeting or nothing, but it was kind of a freezing rain, a little cold, and it was cold. I had three kids in three hours. Oh, geez. So well that probably kept my. I was lonely, yeah, but you know, a little bit out the lower. Oh yeah. I imagine. But this year, even last year, you know, I there's people in line when I get there. Oh yeah, and that's awesome. That's what we want to see. You know, you mean for the the open house thing. To see Santa, yeah. Right, but I mean at the even at the open house. Even at the Halloween.
SPEAKER_02That's the weekend after, usually the weekend after Halloween, isn't it?
SPEAKER_03It's yeah, it's that first Friday, the yeah, after Halloween. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, okay. So the first Friday of November. So it was a week, it was a week this year because Halloween was on Friday. So the week after.
Downtown Traditions & School Visits
SPEAKER_01Yep. And that's that that and then like we said, the the downtown deal.
SPEAKER_03The lighting, the little village and the yeah, the the village and they call it Santa's village, and it's got little things from around the town. So, you know, so what's supposed to represent. So and and then the parade follows. The lighting. And the Christmas tree and the lighting of the tree, right?
SPEAKER_02That before the parade or that's before the parade.
SPEAKER_03That's usually at six, and then the parade's at seven. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02He said he wasn't gonna do that tonight.
SPEAKER_03I told you how many times I've heard that this year. Oh my gosh, it's uh it's it's too many.
SPEAKER_01So you go to schools, yeah, civic organizations, you came by or Santa, not came by our event at the bank. Yeah. Well, and we have breakfast with Santa as well.
SPEAKER_03So you nursing homes and stuff like that too? Yeah, I do, I do some. In the past, I'd done some and and but it with this and the COVID and everything, it's kind of changed everything a little bit. And uh you know, so I'm real leery if I'm if I'm got anything or whatever, I don't want to give a blessed to anybody. But I hope you
SPEAKER_00Stock up on uh I do.
SPEAKER_03I start taking vitamins. I mean, like really, really hard. Yeah. My wife said, Good, you know, how many pills are you gonna take? I'm like, Well, that's what I gotta do. I mean, you're around a petri dish. Yeah, pretty much. My my dad, God bless his soul.
SPEAKER_01He was you I've heard you've told me this story. I know exactly where it's going.
SPEAKER_03Since the age of 18, he he took, I mean, he went to World War II at 18. And uh his his mother, he was skinny as a bean pole. Because back then, you didn't get to go at McDonald's if you didn't like what you were getting. You ate what was on the table or you didn't eat.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna say you had two choices take it or leave it. And he didn't like beans.
SPEAKER_03And well, during the depression and all that, I mean that that's about all they have. I'm fixing to eat beans tomorrow night. That's right. But he didn't even, yeah, I mean, up to his dying day, he did not eat beans. And uh, but he was a vitamin guy. Yep. And but back to what my grandma would fatten him up, she put creamer and milk and everything before he went to war. She was trying to fatten him up as big as she could. But anyway, and I think that helped in his bones, and then eventually, you know, he he did vitamins his whole life. And when he died at 91, he had every tooth in his head. So yeah. And you know, he had knee replacement. I told him biology, man. He had both both knees replaced, one at 70, the other one at 90. That's unbelievable. And uh and the the surgeon comes out and says that was the toughest 90-year-old I've ever had to drill into. So then I I had to tell him the story, you know how it goes. But so you take a I take, I take error, I take B12, I take zinc, a lot of vitamin C, and and it typically works, you know, I'm knock on wood this year. The schools, and they can't help it, you know. I do I'm glad to be their Santa. I mean, I'll never deny that. I love it, and and I hope they can keep me as long as they want me. But I do a lot of them right in a row. Oh, yeah. So I, you know, um when the when the principals get their calendars in July, ding, ding, ding, ding, my phone just blows up because everybody's setting their days, you know. So it's it's pretty cool. But you know, one week I had Monday, SC, T C, Tuesday was Wing, Thursday was Southeast, and then I come around to the kindergarten. Yeah, and then kindergarten kindergarten is a blast. Oh, I'm sure. I bet. But it's chaos. It's control, I call it controlled chaos. Jenny does a great chaos. She and Sarah do a great job. Oh, yeah. And the first year, you know, I'm I had no clue. I'm just ready to go be sad like I am at the other schools. And there's, I mean, there's people everywhere, and there's and it's just a machine. You got people coming in, somebody else got them checking in, some over here, and they throw them on me, and another teacher throws them off. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00And I think one year Is it in the new activity center, or do you do it in the cafeteria?
SPEAKER_03In the cafeteria. Okay. Yeah. But I think uh Miss Miles usually is the one that takes the pictures. And I think one year she took, I think she told me 338, something like that. They didn't really have 300 Q. Well, it just they just take them, take them, take them, you know, and making sure somebody's not looking, and and most of them got more than one or two kids, and you know, they bring everybody, which is great. Yeah. You know, everybody wants to be in that picture. But uh this year they got me and I had to cancel Lee Hunter, and that's the first thing of uh it crushed me. Oh yeah. It really did. I hate to make that call. But did you get to make it up? No, well, I gave them that option. I had a I had an open date. I I keep some here and there till I get those done, right? Basically. Yeah. But no, they were they they wanted to move on because they had had sickness that day too. I think they didn't know. Lee Hunter had had 20, I think the home or something like that.
SPEAKER_01Lee Hunter just we were at a school board meeting the other night and they were talking about somebody there, one of the other board members, and said that maybe they had 20% of their kids out or something. I mean, so that's on the that's in the I mean, that's probably 80 kids or something like that. Yeah, so they had a they've had a bunch of it's been the flu and there's a different strain this year, is what somebody said, a flu A or whatever.
SPEAKER_03So they so they did, I mean, I gave them a day's notice basically so they could find I mean, yeah, probably could have done it. You know, that the Wednesday was the day that I was really sick. And they were Thursday. Yeah. But I didn't want to, you know, I I got the Z Pac in me and went and told my doc I do that every year. She's like, Yeah, that's time. So she gives me my Z-PAC and gets me a little steroids, give me a little boost to get going and plus the vitamins, you know, everything else. But yeah, it was i i i i it it did it it bothered me because I couldn't do it. Well sure. But I couldn't help it. I mean, it was just a point. Tracy's like, Well, you couldn't worry about it. I'm like, Yeah, I know, but it it's just me. You know, I want to hit everything.
SPEAKER_00Of course.
SPEAKER_01So how many how many would you say you do in a in a season, so to speak?
SPEAKER_03In a season, including my home visits and appearances and everything. Last year, I was close to a hundred. And I I made myself I'm not doing that this year. It really, really wore me down. I can imagine. I was, I mean, you can tell my voice was kind of low tonight, but uh you start usually like the week before Thanksgiving. I start well. I do do photos November 1st. This was an odd year because I had an open or I had a usually I don't do a public appearances, I just do a lot of photo stuff in November. But somebody hit me up early. They were having a special event with some veteran stuff and all that. I said, Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was the day after Halloween. What? So the kids are coming, it's November 1st. So the kids are coming to sit in my lap and what you know, I'm like, what am I gonna say? You know, what what am I gonna say? And I said, I said, Hey, did you get a lot of candy last night? You know, but basically is what to talk about it.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_03And then we'd go into, you know, hey, Christmas is coming, and are you getting ready? And you know, just conversation with them.
SPEAKER_02And uh Well, the last couple years has been a short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
SPEAKER_03And that's hard on Santa. I mean, it's just like off to the races, you know, it just takes a lot barely like three weeks of school when you come back from this. Oh yeah, and and them too. And that's what I said, everything's kind of crammed together and uh to get everything done.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, absolutely. So what what's the difference? You you see a lot of kids like at schools and stuff like that. What's the the main difference between that and like a home visit?
The Craft: Suits, Fur, And Logistics
SPEAKER_03I mean, um the the school thing is you know, like of course, mostly it's organized, and I I mean I've got control, but not a lot. You know, I get I get very little time with them. Most time it's like and we're on to the next one. Yep. And they want to talk, and and there's you know, tons of kids because most of them are trying to get done in an hour or an hour and a half or whatever. And I get that. The home visit, uh, just like last night I did one in in East Prairie. I went in a kid's room. He wanted to show me his room. And you know, and I'm a giant next to these kids. You know, I've never been tall in my life, but I am to them, you know. Oh, yeah. And it's just a it's a cool thing that they want to take me to their world, you know. And see their the sparkle in the eye. Oh my gosh. Yeah, yeah. And just seeing their face, like I said, you know, we were talking earlier. It's like I I'd love to see what you what I see. Oh, that's what was when you got here.
SPEAKER_01I told him, I said, Man, you need to get a GoPro. And to if you have to blur some kids out, I mean you could do that.
SPEAKER_03Just to s just to see what I see.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Everything is I know I know Maggie Joe loved loved evening.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01And she oh yeah, she he was at the bank and gave away these large big old she is obsessed with peppermint.
SPEAKER_02That's what Becky said. Yeah, yeah. I mean, like she still talks about it.
SPEAKER_03You know, it's it's weird because it kind of goes in cycles. Because like when I first started, everybody liked peppermint. Everybody liked peppermint. Now they like those god, I can't tell they're kind of rainbow. Oh, they're like uh the uh sweet tart. Sweet tarts. Yeah, sweet tarts. Okay, you know, and I tried chocolates one year, well, they all melted in my bag. Well, she likes both of them. All of them. They're like they were like little coins, you know. I'm trying I I mean, don't you have some s coins, like some actual coins? I give a I'll take that back. I tried to give a very nice coin on my first timers, like new customers to me or whatever. I don't give them to them every year. Yeah, I see. It's pretty they're pretty they're like 10 bucks a piece. Oh jeez. Yeah, they're very nice. Okay. And I try to mix them up. And I I've got a guy that that's a Santa, I guess you'd say. He's a he's a Santa too, and he's in Springfield. I haven't met up with him, but I talked to him quite a bit, and and he's he sells Santa supplies.
SPEAKER_02I'm surprised there's not a Santa convention.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there is, there's tons. And and Branson has a big one. Uh Gatlinburg probably has one. There's cruises. Trace is all about that one. But uh it's it's I said could you imagine somebody not being on that cruise and come in, there's you know, thousand Santa's on the on the cruise.
SPEAKER_00What the what?
SPEAKER_03Well, they do it in January. I th I think yeah, it's like in it's in January or February, I think, yeah, when they do it. No, the one in Branson is a pretty pretty big deal. I'll tell you a funny story. Uh, a lady that's one of my customers, she called me the other day. She goes, Hey, can you come by the office? And I'm like, Yeah, yeah. So I can come by there. And she said, I got a magazine I want to show you. And it was Missouri Journal Tourism. And it was a story on that school over at Branson with all the saying it. Oh. And she goes, Look at them. And I said, What? And she goes, she goes, none of them look as good as you. Well, I appreciate that. She goes, No, I'm serious. Look at them. I said, Well, it probably was July, you know, most of them not in full, but she goes, I said, but I appreciate it, you know. And I think my hometown's a little prejudiced. Well, of course, but a little bit, which is great.
SPEAKER_02So well, you're more of a you're sliced, but you're more regional too, though.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah. I go to man, I go to Bernie, I've done New Madrid. I'm trying to think else. Um you said East Prairie, yeah. East Prairie, Bloomfield. Talk about Charleston. Charleston. I go to Charleston every year. Oh, to the school over there. My hern my Hearns kids over there. I mean, they know they I'm I'm their Santa. Kind of like the kids are here. Oh yeah. And so when I when I come in, I mean they know they know who I am. And that's a good, that's a great feeling for me. I'm sure it is.
SPEAKER_01I'm sure it is. It really is. Tell us you you've told me this story. And actually, when I I I try I like I say, I sit we send questions out, so you kind of prepared, but we again Rod and I have been friends forever. Tell them tell them about the story where you get your suits. I just like you get them like Amazon or he's like, oh no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_03Well, when I first started, you know, I there's tons of places that got like costume places and other things, but Santa Express was one I found, and I trusted them. You know, I got my first one in. I'm like, hey, this is pretty good quality, you know. And those were about 500, 600, somewhere around in there. Yeah, yeah. So the greatest fear for a Santa is cleaning your uniform and your fur comes back pink, you know, because you have to dry clean them. A lot of guys try to have come, I mean, over the years, try to do it their self with lint brush and things. And and that'll work to a certain extent, but I mean, when you get different things on you, you've you've got it, you've got to take them in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And and that, and I mean, it's the gr that's the greatest fear of thinking, oh my gosh, my suits come back and it's pink. Well, I've had one to do that. And so I I kind of googled something about Santa suits that the fur comes, you know, comes off, whatever. And boom, this lady comes up, Angie. She is actually in. I always thought she was in Wyoming, but she I think she's in uh Idaho is where she's actually at. I was thinking Vegas. Why do I think Vegas? No, I think there's she'd done some stuff out there. Okay. But she custom makes them and the fur snaps off. Now I'm gonna tell you it's a pain in the butt to take it off. About four or five hundred snaps. There's five, there's probably five hundred on my coat just on the bottom. Oh my god. And when you got arthritis in your fingers, that it's not fun. I I had the girls at work helping me. Oh my god. Snap them back on it. On a long table helping them back. That's parade night. I gotta get these back on again. But and then so you take them off, just don't have them cleaned. Right. I do well they do we can do them separate. Oh, oh, oh, well, I guess that's right. And that way they can they don't get they don't bleed, I guess. To make it pink or whatever. No, because the fur is expensive too. Oh, fur's very expensive. Everything I got is um my just rabbit, you know.
SPEAKER_00I've got fox fur on one of them, and then I've got you've got oh yeah, absolutely fur.
SPEAKER_03Everything she makes is custom to me. Wow. Now that she's got my size, which is very handy, because I can say, hey, I need a vest, you know. Kind of like me, probably with your arms, you know. Yeah, oh yeah, and I am. I've always been big armed, and so it's tough to buy stuff, you know, like off the rack. Off the rack. And and and she was when she was first kind of getting into this, she made the suits, but she didn't do a lot of accessories. And uh she said, I'll send you to a guy that does your shirts. I said, Why don't you make shirts? You're making suits, and she did. She started making it, and uh so she made me some and that I had ordered, just kind of some plain white ones. Well, then she started coming out with these, you know, it's got all kinds of stuff. We you know, snowflakes, and this one I got on now is got lights, lights, Christmas lights. I don't know if you guys saw my button, my buttons are lights too. So I did not see that. I said no, she was really good, they would have lit up. I love her death. She's been very, very good. No. I just talked to her on Facebook. I've never even talked to her on the phone. But I'll tell you a story last year. You know, I got my first suit from her, was that big. I feel the the big one. I don't know if you guys have seen it. It looks I look like Elton John it. Got fur all the way down, all the way down to the ground, but it comes around my head and it's got a hood. I'm not a hoodie guy. I've never been a hoodie guy. Got a short neck, so anyway. And I I like it, I really do. And but I like it's so hot. Because you got layers, layers, layers. You're not in Idaho. Yeah, and I'm not in Idaho. I'm in Missouri. And so it's gotta be cold. Now I wore it the first year in parade, everybody went nuts, you know, and and then it was like 70 the next year, and I'm like, I'm not wearing that, not wearing it. But anyway, I I uh last year she sent uh she sends these teasers, I call them teasers that new new items and stuff out on Facebook, on her Facebook page. And I said, and she put a suit. I guess Santa had paid half of it down. That's what I was getting to ask you about.
SPEAKER_00Tell the story.
SPEAKER_03And he he put it, and it's the one I've always wanted, which is a Coca-Cola suit. If you go back and look at the old Coca-Cola ads, they never had fur around their neck, they never had any on the front, they had them on the bottom and on the cuffs, and that's the one I want. My beard is long enough. Oh, yeah. Yeah, you know, I I and I I I think it kind of took away when I had all that fur up, you know, that's the one you had on the other day at the bank. At the bank. That's what I that's the one I had. And I really love it. It fits me to a T. But the story behind it was that this guy didn't pick his up, or I don't know what the story was behind it. But she threw it out there and it was like half price. And I'm like, I want that. And so I texted her real quick, because I mean, guys are on there all the time. And uh I said, Hey, will that fit me? And she goes, she goes, Well, I'm at the house when I get to the shop, I'll check it, whatever, and I'll text you back. So I'm waiting all afternoon, kind of like like a kid at Christmas, and she texts me back, and this is like in first of November last year, and I said, and she finally answered me and said, She goes, No, your arms are too big for it, whatever. I said, Oh man, I said, I really wanted a coke. Matter of fact, she just brought it out that style after I got my first one. So it was like, oh, should have waited. You know, you know, you never know. Right. But anyway, so she she calls me like two days later or tag or sends me a message two days later. She goes, I'll make you one for that price. What is that? I'll send you the money today.
unknownYeah.
Home Visits, Magic Keys, And Moments
Emotional Stories That Stay With You
SPEAKER_03Most guys pay it out, you know. Oh I said, No, I'll send it to you now. I want it. Oh my gosh. And I said, now not to push it, but I have a parade on December 6th. And I said, and I want it for my parade. Can you get it to me there? Yeah, we should be. Well, two weeks go by and don't hear nothing. You know, so we're in the later part of November, getting close. And um, so I just sent her a little text, hey, how's everything going? Oh, I've been in a car wreck and I hurt my wrist. So I'm thinking, oh, I'm not gonna get it. And she goes, No, I've got helpers. She goes, I've hired some girls to help me get through the season. And she goes, We're we're we're gonna get it to you. She goes, now when is it again? I said, December 6th, is when the pregat. I got it at December 5th at like 7 o'clock on my front door. Oh my god so I run in and I take it on and it fits me like a glove. Oh, that's awesome. So that's that's the greatest feeling that I can tell her you know what I want, kind of size. You didn't have to go tell her your size or nothing. No. She's got everything, and long as long as I keep my where I'm at, but yeah, but shirts-wise and every everything. She knows I got big arms, so she makes them fluffy. And uh anyway. So how many suits do you have? No, you'd go ask me that. Um I was I was looking the other day, including my old ones, and I still keep some. You know, I do I do a lot of stuff with dogs and animals and stuff, so I I've I've kept some older ones that that kind of can clean, I can clean up a little bit, but I think I've got six is what it is. Wow, nice. Um and I do have a blue one, a royal blue one. Oh, yeah. I don't wear that very often. You want to tell that story? That's the one you just told me before. Yeah. Little boy that got hit getting off the school bus last year. Or earlier this year, I guess it was it was. And his favorite color was blue. And it really touched me. I mean, he he you know, he's just an an average little kid getting off the bus, and that that happens to him, and he's lucky to even be with us for the first time. That the kid up was Morley or Yeah, it was between Morley coming out, I think it's Scott Central somewhere where but anyway. So I get in contact with his parents or his dad, and I said, said, Hey, how's he doing? You know, and everything. He he he was coming along, and uh he said his favorite color was blue. So my mom keeps her tree up until Super Bowl. So I she loves to look at it and everything. So I said, I said, hey, I'll go over to mom's and make a video. So I put my blue suit on and I made a video and sent it to his his dad, you know, and basically just saying that you know, hang tough and you know, listen to your parents, listen to your doctor, and everything, you're gonna be fine. And I said, No, Santa's gonna come see you next year. Which is this year. So this is this year, yeah, this year. Yeah. And uh so that was that's where I went tonight. So it awesome. It's pretty cool. And uh they've they've moved. now so they're they're in a Kelly School district now so but gotcha still it it was worth it and they were so grateful so so what what are you you told several stories is there is there one like that we've that we've talked about or that one that kind of just sticks with you or a couple or whatever it doesn't have to be just one I've I've had some like some sp special ones sorry about that Michael was trying to tear up the set here and I had we had to pause collapsing on me we had to pause for a second so Sand's got to tell us about moments that stick there we go there we go you know I've got I've got a few of course there's a there's a ton right you know a few that have stuck to me one of my first ones I was doing a home visit in Christmas Eve and the mom called me the morning of and said said oh we had something kind of come up last night said my daughter wrote a letter to you she got a new puppy and she wants a name tag for the puppy said my husband got it and done and it's under the mat. So when you when you come you know it's gonna be under the mat. So I grabbed it put in my bag so we go in whatever and uh she tells me the story and we do everything and and go in and do our little visit and and she was very polite she was nervous she was right at that age the little girl the girl was eight eight or nine somewhere around in there she said I said I said did you write me a letter last night yes sir oh my gosh okay I said what'd you ask for I said she said I want I wanted a name tag for my new my new puppy she got a new golden golden retreat or golden lab and I said yeah I said so I reach in there and pull it out and it's got the name on it. Oh my gosh she just you know and so of course I'm trying to fight you know the parents parents fight you know everything she goes oh Santa and she was so happy and everything and then right on cue here comes the pup oh my he's been in the kitchen kind of doing his thing and I said hey let's do some pictures so we do a picture and almost like a Hallmark moment they had me in front of the tree and the dog licks me oh yeah and the little girl's looking down at us and the tree is right behind us and it says Merry Christmas right over my head. I mean it got it any better and uh and so I get to the car and her mom texts me she's like we're all balling I said me too I'm trying to hold it together you know oh that's awesome that was that was one of them that one always has stuck with me another one is you know like I said I do a f uh a a free family that I try to try to do every year you know kind of like the one I did tonight and and I did one this guy's special to me and he's got a bunch of kids I'll tell you Jason Jason Davis and uh and he was one of my boys when I was coaching years ago so he you know he's special to me yeah and I remember when I told him I stopped him and I said hey I said I'm coming to your house this year he's like what I mean he's just like little kids oh yeah he was my house and I said yeah you know so okay cool so we did it well we set it up and we got the got got all the stockings we stole he stole the stockings and put them in this truck and so I picked those up and put them in my bag and I told him I said I'm not knocking I'm just gonna bust in oh and he goes that'd be great I said so that's what I've been doing more often here really yeah because Santa's got a magic key oh yeah you hear it rattle and the kids know this stuff I mean it it it's amazing I didn't you know I'm learning as I go but we had to have a magnificent well you don't not everybody has a chimney in the case that's just well that's what we had here that's loot we had a Santa had a magic key here it was and all it ours hung on the door yeah okay on the knob and and I've seen those two you know they you can buy them put them up whatever but uh yeah this is mine so I can rattle it's got bells on it so it really makes no and they'll say hey what's that and I said well that's so I can get in your house puts another thing in the mouth but anyway I so I just bust in and his youngest one she'd had a rough year that was she'd broken arm had some surgeries and things kind of the same situation another boy and so that's why I kind of picked her and she's the one that sees me first and she's like oh my god it's Hannah and and and it goes it just gets better and better and we took took pictures and doing everything and and then she I start pulling their stockings out of my bag and they're all like and they look you know and then they're gone from the from the nail and they're like how did he get them you know anyway the magic it's that's right it's so fun that's right and and then there was another you know there's been a bunch but there's another one I like and this kind of come up on me this year. Had a boy last year again he's about that age that he's hearing stuff at school and oh yeah and but he still wants to believe and mom and mama wants him to believe you know obviously long as you can long as you can and uh so anyway he he come last year and talked to me he said you know what I really want and I said tell me and uh he said I want to get a deer oh I don't know that's tough for me for Santa I'm thinking so I'm thinking a minute I said okay I said do you hunt with your dad he said yeah I said well you listen to dad and I said you Oh oh I thought you meant he wanted one as a pet no no no no he's wanting to get one oh I'm with you now he's a hunter oh he's wanting to get one you know dad's been getting them and he's just not had had any luck gotcha and I said I just told him I said you you you you keep believing keep doing what you're supposed to do being good at school and all things I said all that's gonna pan out I said you're gonna get that deer oh my gosh okay and I mean he just perked up and because he was a little down well this year he comes back to the same event so he sits down I'm like that's the first thing in my mind I'm like oh okay get the deer and so he he sits down and I said I said how you doing he's good he said you know what he said I got that deer oh my gosh he said two weeks after I talked oh my gosh that's awesome that is awesome and man I was I high five deemed you know we fish well because next year he he may not be there yeah you know and and it's just that's awesome just one of those stories that you know always stick with me one of the other ones too I don't think they'll care share but I always do Marshall pull in his family Marshall's had a rough life and that's a poor boy yes he has and um you know when I first went I didn't know I was getting into it you know when I was getting to him now I I I mean I put him down every year and of course I called Derek and you know he's he's kind of been through a tough you know last few years it's been tough around Christmas it's really been tough. So I was like hey how's he doing he goes well this week you know he hadn't been doing good so check with me you know just call me Christmas Eve and we'll we'll see so I always call or text or whatever. And he goes yeah you know and depends on when he's gonna be up early or late or whatever and so I but I want to make sure and get there. Well last year was a rough week and and then he said but he said yeah come on he said just come on he said he hasn't been he said he hadn't he hadn't been move movement you know or any anything he said he's kind of been a lot of pain stuff I was like okay and so they've been keeping him comfortable so I always wear my bells you you guys heard them when I was but I come in the house and he's in the other room and he hears him and uh so we're sitting there and so I talked to him whatever and all of a sudden his his eyes are closed but his eyes were starting to move back and forth and he hadn't done that in a while. Oh my gosh so you're talking about tough trying to trying to hold that together and uh and so his mom said well let's turn the they had ceiling fan right over top of him so they turned the light on when he opened his eyes oh and he hadn't in about a week you know so they're crying I'm well yeah I mean he's just he's a special he's a special kid he's just a special kid oh my god what he's gone through and everything and if I can give him a sh you know just a blink yeah of anything that's oh it makes makes my heart feel good so matter of fact last year my next stop after him I had to call him I was like I'm balling in a car I said I'll be there in a minute you know I said I just I gotta get myself together and I said because that would got me and oh yeah and it usually does I try to do him last we because I know it's gonna affect me every every year but it's sleep schedule yeah it's just just try to try to get it to where we where we can but anyway but he's special speaking of that and all these emotional things and and I'm sure each of them are special in their own way you know some because the kids and you see their light the them light up and all that stuff but you do a hundred or however many of how do you stay how do you keep that energy I know you I mean you're physically taking stuff for it but right the emotional side's got to be tough too. The emotional side is tough one of my buddies you know Glenn Burden he we we eat lunch together a lot and you know and kids recognize me you know when we're out and and he he made a comment the other day he just he couldn't believe how fast I click and I go to character you know it's just like it's like somebody's coming you know and boom and so I turn in I mean I'm him and turn into it and he's like he goes he said it's amazing how you how you can just turn into I said well it's it's from doing it and everything else but the emotional side like you're talking about it I mean it it just comes with it you know one of I was saving it kind of for laughs but I'm gonna tell you now but one of my goals from day one and whether I'm downtown or I'm at school or I'm in a house my goal is that kid right in front of me. Nothing in the world matters but me and them you know because their eyes are that big oh yeah you know and they've got my attention and I you know and so I need they deserve you know every bit of me that they get and so anything that's going on you know side or whatever that that's their moment. And that's tough when you're downtown and stuff's going on also I've always tried to stay focused on those kids. Yeah you know too because who knows you know if they ever get to go again or you know whatever.
SPEAKER_01And we talked a little bit about this kind of as we were getting set up and and and Rod and I go to church together and I know faith is a big part of his life but does how how do those cross?
SPEAKER_03I mean kind of this whole this that as well because you're I I've always said and you there was a picture a few years ago showed Santa you were praying at church or whatever was oh yeah there we go with it in front of the cross yeah yeah yeah and basically bowing that you know right that it's all about that right how how how do you see those how how does that well I mean you gotta be in this time and and era you gotta be careful with different things but and I don't mean heresy that's not what I'm trying to be but you yeah I I I get it but you just try to you know I try to preach to them to be kind you know treat people even like tonight I told kids I mean I ask every kid how you been have you been good you know they know they're gonna tell me the truth they go you know and and I know you know I can read faces you know and I'll tell you a story I had one a couple weeks ago mama called me she goes I'm having trouble she didn't go mom she goes I'm having trouble with a kid and my son he's kind of being a turd at school pulled a girl's hair been talking back to his teacher she goes I want you to scare him and I'm like well I ain't gonna scare him but I'm I'll have talk with him yeah and so she goes we're having a get together and you know said I said don't tell him I'm coming I'm gonna bust in the door just like I you know I've been doing and anyway so I'll I I did and there's seven eight kids there they're making cookies and doing stuff and boom I walk in his eyes got that big around I knew immediately which one he was you know he told on himself you know and uh so then we had the conversation and and I just told him I said what's going on and he goes what I was like well you got stuff at school not going right and you've been been acting up and did you pull a little girl's hair he said yeah so so we had the little conversation and then you know I said well if you do get on the nice list I said what do you want and so he tells me so I'm thinking you know hoverboard and scooters that's all the big stuff right now and uh he says no I want an iPhone 17 he's seven okay oh my gosh and his mom's over there going oh my gosh you know but then he said probably some earbuds I'm like okay he goes one other thing Santa he said I really really want so what's that he said I want a Rolex oh my god and I'm like Santa don't even have a Rolex exactly so that you know that's that's situation that I I kind of come across yeah yeah but but getting back to the thing I was going to share with you you know our I've I've always worked with kids I mean you know I've been coaching since I was 13 until up to a couple years ago so I have 42 years of volunteer just volunteering just yeah yeah exactly out there but never dreamed I'd be Santa I mean it's right just just never did but I've always enjoyed being around kids working with kids and doing everything so it kind of comes natural I mean with working but but you know I and our old pastor George Carl me and him were talking about one day and when he was when he was here and he he told me a story and because he said something about he said I was missing something because I had a a Santa event or whatever and he says don't ever apologize honestly he said what you're doing's a ministry and I said okay and I said and he said let me tell you he said when I was in Indiana you know he lost his wife she passed away she volunteered at the school as a PTO and uh so to honor her I think he decided he wanted to jump in that spot or whatever so he did and he said it was around Christmas time something and uh said he was working with a kid a boy I think anyway and they just had a little conversation at table whatever when he got done he hugged him and he said you know no big deal whatever he got a call from the school and he's an outsider and can't hug the kids and he said never crossed my mind you know I'm a minister you know never never you think about it but he said you can get away with it yes he said because you're sound and I said you know I've never thought of that well then I look back you know some and even even this year I've had some really good but the the hugs I get they're genuine oh there's no doubt there is some I mean there's different ones you know little patches the kind of awkward one you know that you have with an an older lady you know like that but but the kids when they hug you oh man it it it it's amazing and so I hug back and I'm I'm gonna hug hard. Oh yeah because my buddy Marty Young used to teach over at Charleston and he said Rob you know some of those kids that may be the only one to get oh man and I'm like it broke my heart yeah but so when they bombard me you know you feel like Elvis over there because I mean anywhere because they they they come up running and and I take it take it all in or whatever it takes.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah half of them are my leg or my stomach you know whatever but what we hug that does that does make you feel good my gosh I remember it been about a year it was last year at the Charleston football game I was standing in line at the uh in the session line to get some food there's this girl with holding a baby in front of me yeah that baby just started reaching for me and wouldn't let go and like she came to me and she wouldn't let go of me I was like and I don't know what it was I really I she would stay with me when we're a mom.
Faith, Service, And Hugging As Ministry
SPEAKER_03And I know I mean like I I I I totally get it. Not you know I didn't know her. I didn't like we get some runners you know obviously not never my not everybody's a fan especially the little ones but oh yeah until they forgot who you are yes that's right you know and we've learned and I've learned a little tricks and stuff with doing this photography and stuff is you know everybody hands them to me frontwards. I said hand them to me back you know and then they can't see me because most little kids they can't you know they can't turn their neck and right so I said just just set them on there and and let's see what happens. Interesting. And it works. Yeah not all the time. I mean like they may get a glimpse of your yeah but I wonder what it is that is just because I you know we all laugh Santa the Santa Clauses we all laugh about it you know your your whole life you know stranger danger don't and then and then they throw you on a weird man with a beard and a red suit and and run you know basically to take a picture. So I get it. My kids were that way. Most of mine I mean Jaden never look up she's she kept her head down. You know Tyler Tyler as he got a little older did but Jalen never did.
SPEAKER_01But we we've we talked about all the things and we've we've kind of hit on this one I was just sitting here looking at some of the questions but obviously it's it's there's an expense to the suits oh yeah and there is expense gas and got this and whatever but I guess time I I know it it it obviously takes a lot of time to do this as a number of minutes but yeah obviously some pay some most pay yeah but what do you get back?
SPEAKER_03What what does it take from you and what do you get back kind of thing about I I'd say 90% of what I get paid for goes back into everything. Gas, insurance people don't know this you know you gotta have liability you got to have liability no I did not even think about it I mean you know I I was I was reading something the other day the you know if you we talking about the Coca Cola suit if you go back and watch the old Coca-Cola commercials from when We were kids and or even the the com the billboards or the ads or whatever. Yeah. You know, they didn't have gloves. Santa's didn't have gloves. No. The mall guys are the ones that brought out the gloves. Oh. Two things for that. One was keep you clean. Handing you're handing nasty jackets and been outside and everything. Not not that they can help it. It's just part of it. And the other thing is your hands are visible with the white gloves. So when you're holding a kid, you see, you know, I I I don't have my hand down here. I don't have my hand. Oh your hands are visible. And you know, I thought, man, I never thought of that when I got into this, you know. But I I always wear gloves. I mean, I always have. I just think it's cool. He's got some the new ones with the SC on there. It's really cool. Got those this year. And I I had a few last year I wearing a parade and this other thing, but I thought, man, the kids like them. They and then they do, they point at them and everything. And it's kind of kind of interesting in uh part of my part of the suit, I guess you'd say now.
SPEAKER_02So yeah. I didn't think about the liability until we start talking about it. I did not either. I did not either.
SPEAKER_03You know, and that's what I said there's a lot of guys that do it for the business, you know, and and they do very well. Very, very well. But I'm not.
SPEAKER_00I mean you want to cover your expenses.
SPEAKER_03I'm trying to uh yeah, obviously I want to cover my expenses, and sometimes I don't, you know. We we do presents and and you know I'd love to just do it for free. For free? Yeah, I know literally was what I was getting ready to ask. Everybody asked me, hey, can you you know, I can't. I just I just can't. There's certain ones I do, and that's my choice to pick and choose, you know. Right. But I don't like, I mean, and there's not very many. And most of them, I've got to get a little bit of money for my time. My suits to get cleaned, you know, that's that's a big expense. Yeah. That's a lot of it. Do you have to clean them multiple times throughout the season? Oh, I didn't even think about that. Several times. Well, the one we were talking about, the cocoa suit that I got all the snaps put on, the very next day I got threw up on. So it had to go back. I'd take everything off. And you know, you can clean it to a certain extent, but some funk don't come out. You want to clean it you want to, and I did. And then so that suit was out of the circle, cycle, I guess you'd say. I took it, and so it's in you know, three or four days before I get that. So that's a good thing I have in these combos where I have vests and different things.
SPEAKER_01So you can wear kind of mix and max.
SPEAKER_03So you got six full suits, but you may have 15 that you can make. I've got n eight or nine vests that I can interchange, and I've got another one coming. She's making me for next year. So you you may have 20 suits with you or whatever. You know, yeah. You've got red, and then you've got this is a green one I'm wearing tonight. Yeah. I don't wear it very often. I was kind of leery about when I after I bought it and I got in, I argued with her for uh two days. I said it's black. And she's like, No, it's green. I promise. She goes, I promise it's green. I put it on every house, every light in the house. It's black. I can say green there. But it's green, but it's under a natural light or outside. It's green. It's really, it really, really green. It was laying on that yeah.
SPEAKER_00That light color leather there.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. You you can tell. Yeah. And and like I said, I had a child tonight, you know, he said, Santa, you look really nice tonight. It made me feel good. You know, I tried it, I mean, it's for them. It's it's what it is. They like it. They love it. And and and it's kind of silly, but I try to like you know, your bank events or the pause or whatever I'm doing, I go back and look at pictures like what I wear last year. So I try to wear something different in schools, you know. Oh and um, and that and if you ever try to look through the Facebook page of a school, and you know, they've had they post they take things every day. One day I sit there at lunch just going, Oh my god, I'm never gonna I'm never gonna get back to December.
SPEAKER_02So um, so do you find that the kids receive you better in their home than they do at a public event?
SPEAKER_03They feel more comfortable at home, uh you know, obviously. And they're more uh I shouldn't say that, but they're they're a little more silly, you know, kind of acting out a little bit. Well, yeah, which they're comfortable. Right, right. And Santa's in my house. Oh my god. Yeah. Exactly. That's that's the big thing. Exactly. But he's better than elf on the shelf. Oh, he's way better than an elf on the shelf. You know, the Santa's are not a big fan of this elf on the shelf. There's so many like like like when I go to the schools, everybody's got one in their classroom. What's it? And then they ask me, What's his name? I said, Well, you tell me, do you know? And that's and then they'll tell me, you know, like that. But you know, we're supposed to know.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And then, you know, they want us to touch it so it'll come alive. Oh my, I can't do that. I said, He works for me, he's watching. And then it puts that back in their mind.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I saw a TikTok video literally today. This this dog grabbed one of them and had it in its mouth. And the little, I think it was a little girl, he's got yeah, whatever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and then and he's she goes, You're a monster. And I was because the dog just holding it in his mouth. Drew Lincoln. Oh, I was laughing. I was laughing. They're so funny. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01So what do you want to be like your legacy from this? What what what do you what I obviously you're very proud of it, and we're very proud of you. And like our you're our Santa. Yeah, and you know, everybody, everybody knows that. And but what what do you want to be? What do you you know if you stopped tomorrow, what would you want people to say?
Costs, Safety, And Being A Pro Santa
SPEAKER_03Well, I'll tell you, I just happened, you know, I've had several people tell me, but I don't know if I told you this, but little lady last weekend. We did uh donuts sana with donuts for the parks department. And that's kind of been in the past few years, you know, it's hit and miss. We had cinnamon buns one year, and we did, you know, it's just it and it's a lot of things. Depends on the weather, and you know, a lot of things. And uh, but we have it at the Clinton building. And this year it was a blowout. I mean, all different types. We had adult special needs come in too, which is awesome. They're just big kids, you know. That's basically all they are, and that's the way I treat them. Talk to them just like I do the others, and they're excited just like to see me, just like you know, so I act like I'm excited to see them. But I had a mother come up to me and I recognized her. She had a daughter, and and I recognized her daughter, you know, and said, Hey darling, how are you? And we we talked, and and she gave me a big squeeze, you know, and I'm like, Oh man, and and it just made my day. And she walks off, and her mom grabs my hand and stops, and she says, I just want to tell you thanks. And I said, Okay. And uh so what what I do, and she said, Well, we go downtown, you're her Santa. I said, You went to school, you're her Santa. Uh-huh. And then we come here, you're her Santa. She goes, that makes my life so much easier. Not have to explain other situations, you know, when you see them, whatever. She goes, She loves you. Wow. So yeah, that that's why I do it. Yeah, yeah. It uh it absolutely got me. Yeah. And uh and I get several like that. You know, some people will tag me on stuff, you know, and say thank you, thank, thank you, whatever. But yeah, when she did that and yeah, I lost it. It was Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure. It's special. And and it and that's what I want to leave as my legacy. You know, when one of these days when these old, you know, everything quits working where I can't climb the steps and can't, you know. Uh I done a home visit the other day and the steps were about that wide and you were in these size 12 boots with jingles on it, and that wouldn't that wouldn't sound good going down. But uh but as long as I can do it and I'm gonna enjoy it. I mean, because I I love I get as big a joy as they do of me. Isn't that something and I never dreamed I'd do this.
SPEAKER_01That's you ever just in the joy is really is giving. Oh, it is the whole thing. You know, you don't as a kid, you're like, the joy is getting stuff, you know.
SPEAKER_00You know, new video games and whatever, but the joy really is giving. It is, and and uh like I said, it wears on me.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I'm sure. You know, I was gonna ask you guys a question. Yeah. You ask most of your guests what their their song choice is or whatever. Oh, what their walk-up song is? Yeah, or walk up song. I I I have a Santa list, and that's what I play in the parade. It's all Santa songs. But Mr. Santa, let me look it up sometime by Amy Grant. Okay. Okay it's very pop, pop, pop, pop, you know, and I thought man. Is that like Mr. Sandman? It's it is. Is it really? That's exactly what it is. That's funny. That it's Mr. Santa, and then she goes into all the things, and I mean you need to listen to it tonight. I will. It's pretty pretty awesome. She's you know, and it's it's probably from 15, 20 years ago. But I've never even heard it. When we're going through the parade, that's one of the ones I keep on the loop. And it's I got like five or six that's you know, yeah, some of the old stuff, and got those Michael Blue Blay in there a little bit. But but yeah, it's awesome.
SPEAKER_01That's so shift gears a little bit. Yeah. For those that don't know, and I'm sure they do know, if they know right at all, tell us, you know, this is the doghouse, so give us uh Santa's take on the Bulldogs issue.
SPEAKER_03Oh, well, you know.
SPEAKER_01And by the way, if you're going, get there early tomorrow night. Fortnite, yeah. Yes. It's a 4 30, it's a ninth grade. Right. Freshman JV varsity.
SPEAKER_03You know, it's hard for me to talk about it because I'm so busy. I've been a SEMO conference. I've been I've been a hit and miss. The way my Friday is set up, I take every Friday off in December at my regular job. Oh, yeah. So that allows me to do stuff during the day. Yeah. So I do try to I do try to do that so I can block and watch championship or the whole I just like tell trees I see a 10. You know, which that's every night during Santa anyway. So if you if you guys can see my calendar, basically from Thanksgiving, once Thanksgiving hits, I've got stuff every day. She's a single lady, huh? Yeah. Well, she's a Walmart, so she's the same way. Oh single lady. But we just pass. I mean, everybody says, hey, last night we actually got to have a meal together about 8 30. Oh my gosh. But because I got done. I was over Bloomfield, got done, come back. She did she had to work until 7 30 and just kind of lined out. It doesn't happen very often. But but anyway, but back to the Bulldogs. You know, I hadn't got to watch them. What I watched them online, you know, I told I told my buddy Glenn that he goes into everything and like you guys, and and I said, you know, ask him what he thought. I said, I said they look good. I said, and we need to work on rebounding. Yeah. I think that's going to be a weakness. Yep. Which we don't have the hype that we did last year, obviously. But I said, but that'll come. I think it'll come as they get going. But man, they're fun to watch. Oh my gosh. They are fun to watch. It's just it it just amazes me year after year after year. And you know, look how many seniors what we lose last year. Six, six, and uh what eighty eighty percent of our scoring.
SPEAKER_02Right. But they went and how many of them went to college? All six of them played post high school basketball.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. That's absolutely you know, that that's a big thing with me. When Tyler was a bunch, was going through you know, Sykes and Kids, and then we had travel, travel team, and we had 14 on that travel team, and I think nine. Nine either signed minor league contract or played college baseball. That's crazy. That's just that don't happen. No. No. Now, and I I try to tell them when they're in high school, like you're saying earlier, when you're in high school and you you're like, eh, you know, now they're they're having kids and they're married and everything. Like, that was very special. Oh, big time special. So you you guys don't know it we do because we've been there. You know. Yeah. But I I do. I think this is a special group. They're gonna be a tough act. I think the thing, and that's what Glinton, you know, my my panel that we talk about talk about, they we were all talking about they I think they're more I mean, I hate to say that they're more of a team. I mean, they have to play that way. You can't guard a certain one. Yeah, you know. Nope. Well, we looked, we seen that the other day. Well, I just want to say we've had two thirty one or thirty points plus you know, poor Port Kobe last year was just kind of the wingman over there, and and every once in a while they'd kick him one, he'd hit it. He scored 30 twice this year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he had 30. But I'm just saying two different people this week. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, two thirty points scoring. And we talked about on our well, this will be on the pre pre-show of this. Yeah, we talked about how it those two have scored 30, but Jahara could get 20 or 30. He's gonna have he's gonna have that game. Sean Cole could get that many.
SPEAKER_03I mean they're they're gonna have those games. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00As a confidence, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Ben J-Ray can go off one.
SPEAKER_00Ben can get 20.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, easy, as good as he shoots. Like you said, a lot of these guys haven't played varsity. Yes. They're still that in that hesitant stage to where, like, hey, am I going to yell that for do that? You know, right. I've been there. I know exactly what he's talking about. Right. And uh, but and and as they get more comfortable in playing together, I think it's it's gonna get better. That's the hallmark of a Hollyfield team as they progress and get better all year. And that's his goal, always.
SPEAKER_02Yep. Yep. I don't care what you do. He said It's a mixture though of like I mean, I know we got a bunch of people there's some kids that played Rose last year, right? None of them starters. No. And then I mean, then you bring in another group of young ones that are it just keeps the wheel turning.
SPEAKER_03That's how important playing when when you're I tried to explain this when Tyler was going through. If you're not gonna start on varsity as a JV player, you need to play JV. Yes. That's what it's for. That's what it's development. That's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_02Well, I mean, like Quay Allen and uh and Sean Cole's gonna be the most minutes on the court this year.
SPEAKER_01Yes, because they're gonna play two minutes of every var or junior varsity game and four four quarters, I'm not two minutes, two quarters, two and quarters of a JV game.
SPEAKER_02I guarantee you Peyton Howard played probably played more minutes than anybody probably ever in Sykes and Basketball history.
SPEAKER_00Yes. And look what it did for him. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Exactly. I saw him the other night, by the way, at the game. At uh I can't remember if it was the Hay Tie game or I think it was. I was gonna say, I thought I saw him at the Hayti game. I snuck snuck in the end of that. Great for him. Well, Santa Rod, I have I didn't send you these and I didn't send them to you on purpose. Okay. These are these are the lightning round, okay. Let me get a sweet. It's basically warrant, it's basically kind of like a this or that.
SPEAKER_03Gotcha.
SPEAKER_01All right. Cookies or milk?
Best Ages, Tough Questions, Quick Thinking
SPEAKER_03Uh you can't imagine how many cookies I eat. Every house has them, you know, especially on the home visits. Oh, yeah. You know, I had I tell you a story last year. Livy is a little girl that's real special to me. And I've done her the very first year, she hated me. She came to Tanner Street, she cried, she wouldn't even come near me. And then about halfway through the summer, she asked her mom, she said, When are we gonna go see Santa? She goes, Christmas? It was like July. Right. So, and then she we developed this back and forth. But she she's the one last year, I well went real early, it was like second week of November, and uh did their home visit, and I bustled in the door, come in, and she cries. I mean, I broke my heart because we've been so close, and and she said, I didn't get to make your cookies. I said, Honey, I said, Santa's just coming to visit. I said, You can make them cookies for Christmas Eve. Okay, okay. But I mean she was already in tears. Oh, yeah. I said, it's okay, it's okay. And what we were doing was I brought the the presents in and everything was Disney. And so she's opening, her little sister's opening it, and they're you know, I said, You like Disney? And she said, Yeah. And she goes, We're gonna go to Disney World this summer, and I said, No, you're not. She goes, What? I said, You're going tomorrow. And she didn't know it, but they were leaving for vacation tomorrow the next day. So, of course, Paw Paw paid for everything, so but Santa's the hero. Right, exactly. Jumping on my lap and everything. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's hilarious. That's one of my favorite stories, too.
SPEAKER_01All right, what's your what's uh Santa's favorite Christmas song? Christmas song.
SPEAKER_03Most requested, which I sing, I do sing, you know. He does. Good luck to uh Alexa. Everybody has Alexa and they'll say, Hey, can you want to sing a song? Yeah, we'll sing a song. Let's sing a song. So I sing with them, you know. Awesome. But it's jingle bells. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Most of them like jingle bells. Okay. What's the best age for kids that visit Santa? What do you think of it? What's the best age? Uh, probably kindergarten. Uh five ish.
SPEAKER_03But they're they're past the scary freaking out, and they're not too cool to be Santa's there, you know. Second, third grade.
SPEAKER_02They're not questioning yet either. No, no.
SPEAKER_03Nothing. Yeah. Oh, they're their eyes are yeah. Oh, they're they're all focused.
SPEAKER_02They're all in. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Rudolph or Frosty? Oh, Rudolph. Gotta go, Rudolph.
SPEAKER_02Of course.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02I watched it both of them today. Did you? By by the time I went to church.
SPEAKER_01Have you ever have you ever had to improvise a toy request? Like somebody you had to kind of change it out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Not necessarily well, toys. I try to look at the parents. You know, when the when the kids are there, you know, they're they're looking at me. Um the parents are right behind them. Yeah I learned this kind of early in that about animals, you know. Because that's I want I'm saying I want a dog for Christmas. Yeah, or a horse or something. So I'm looking over there, and mom and dad's talking to somebody, and I'm like, okay, what am I gonna do? So, but I've learned that we don't make dogs at North Pole. Oh. So that'll be up to your parents. And they're like, oh, okay. You know, so but with but with toys, you know, like a Rolex, like we had earlier. If that works, yeah, Matt wants a Rolex too. Matt's gonna get on the laptop.
SPEAKER_01I'll sit on your lap for one of those. I'll sit right on your leg.
SPEAKER_03But I always I do try to look at the parents, you know. Sometimes if they're real young, I can't understand 'em. Oh yeah. Yeah. There's there's Santa here, and I just say, you know, Santa's old. You're gonna have to tell me again, and then I'll try to get to 'em. 'Cause my hat hangs down over one of 'em so I can't hear. And so I try I try to get leaned down and talk to them and and then and then and they They get up there, they're all excited, and then they can't remember, you know, and it it's funny.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Got a couple more.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01North Pole or Sykston? Man.
SPEAKER_03That one's tough. I'm a I'm a homebody, so I'm I'm gonna say Sykston. Because the the Siksten folks are so good to me. That's right. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01That's right. Yeah, that's right. It's home. And last one. Yeah. What's the best reaction you've gotten from a kid? I know you've you get it all the time. Do you have one in particular that sticks out to you?
SPEAKER_03Just like when even downtown you get some, but home visits are a little special. I mean, they'll come and just run and jump in my arms. Yep. I had a little boy a couple weeks ago. You know, I I come in the door and he's playing in the floor, you know, just having and just that's awesome. You know, jump in my lap, made my day, you know, hugged me. And like I said, they're genuine. They they there is no you know, pat pat or whatever. They they hug. Oh yeah. Those are the ones that get me. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01So if if somebody how would somebody get in touch with you? What's the best way if they want to schedule this? Like, and I know you probably got not this week. Yeah, yeah, no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we're we're done for this year. Yeah, yeah, but I'm saying for next year. Next year, I mean, obviously the earlier the better. Okay. Most I mean, I've I've probably got 26 already booked for next year with with photographers and some other stuff. But I've already had schools and home visits and banks and a little bit of everything. Yep. Everybody hits me early, which is is good for me. Oh yeah. I mean, it gets me in there and and then I can kind of fill my schedule up. But uh best thing is my Facebook page is is it's Santa Rod. So it'll go back usually in February or March to my real name and to Rod and Rod Ancient. And then uh usually I'll flip it, but that's that's the best way to get me.
SPEAKER_01Um and and obviously get if if if you don't know Rod and you know me or Micah, you can be in touch with us. Right.
SPEAKER_00We'll get you in touch with Rod. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean if you've never done it, you need to do it at least once. Oh yeah. I tell everybody because the the parents give the big biggest kick is you know I tell you a story the other night we had doing Lambert's and last year. Oh yeah. Uh that was Saturday, I guess it was. And I'm there from one to five, you know, in the afternoon. And it's usually the Saturday before Christmas, so you know, people are traveling, and it it's just cool. So they're not hardly any of them from Sykes, and it's just don't know them, they don't know me. And yeah, that was yesterday. So I'm sitting there and all of a sudden these ladies all start piling in. And then they just keep coming, and they just keep there was a bus of ladies all decked head to toe in in uh Christmas attire, I guess, with lights and and uh antlers and the whole bit. Oh yeah. Drove down from Chicago just to eat at Lambert's to eat at Lambert's What?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, see, you were telling us that story earlier. I didn't catch I missed Chicago.
SPEAKER_03Just they're from Chicago. Chicago? Yeah, and that's what I said. You come to eat Lambert's. She says, Yes. And said, then we're gonna stop in Boomland and and get some lottery tickets on the way home.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I was I was texting, I was trying to get something done. Y'all were talking about it. I only caught a piece of that. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_03And and and that I said, well that's spending the night? No. They turned around, the bus, the bus pulled up, they got back on.
SPEAKER_02So what time? Pray afternoon then probably leave about six, seven o'clock in the morning.
SPEAKER_03It's it's eight or nine hours for sure to get up there, isn't it? It's to Chicago.
SPEAKER_01I really don't want to say that. But it's six to seven hours. It really is. It really is. I know, I know. Now, if they stop, and you know, it can be a good thing. That's what I said. And it's a bus. Yeah, it could be it could be for sure.
SPEAKER_03But they uh they were very festive. They were going around, you know, and they were bringing some of them had grandkids, they were bringing them to the house. Oh, that's cool. So yeah, that's cool. It was it was really fun. And you know, because there's been, I mean, I've done it for years out there, so there's been some some days it's not been very busy, and or you know, it's grown-ups. It's it's it's grandma and grandpa going somewhere, you know, and they're like, hey, you know.
SPEAKER_02I figured I figured now that you put it out there, maybe people may make a trip to the street.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's what I said. They they may they may do it, but it it was it was awesome yesterday. That was that was really fun. I told my told my wife last night, I said that. That and they were it was mostly adults, you know. Now, does Therese ever go with you at all? No, she's she's I've been begging her. Yeah, but she's telling you get her a Mrs. Claus outfit. She is not I I called her, was it well when I ordered my Coca-Cola suit? I called her. I said, Hey, what's your address size? Uh she goes, Well, you need to know that. And I said, So get you Miss Claus. No. I think I think she will when she eventually retires, you know, if I'm still doing this, and I think she will. She'd be perfect. Oh yeah. She got the hair. Everybody talks to her out there anyway, like that. They know, you know, the little Livy. She she asked her how the elves are and how the reindeer are out at Walmart. Oh yeah. So yeah, she plays along. And uh and I got to help her this year. She did the she does the Children's Miracle Network and fundraiser. And uh we I did Summer Santa and we did uh little photo shoot out there and and uh tried to raise some money. No, I think I've seen that. I think I did see that. Try to raise some money for plus I get to wear my Hawaiian stuff and my fedora and stuff and I think somebody I think one of my friends have posted on there that worked out there that was talking about. Yeah, and and like I said, the kid the employees are big kids. I mean, that's that's of course, you know.
Booking Santa Rod & Community Events
SPEAKER_01Of course, but how can you not look I mean geez, you hear the bells, and that just put you in a good mood. I mean, how could that not put you in a good mood?
SPEAKER_03Heck I I'm gonna tell you what, it you'd be surprised. I I I'd have to say the women, the older women, I'm gonna watch myself here. Not not the little girls, but the older women, they they still have that thing for Santa. I mean it's just there, and uh, I mean as soon as they see you, the smile's there. Of course, and they're like, hi, I mean, they're so excited, and and uh, you know, they're like I said, adults are just big. Everybody's a kid. Absolutely. When you see Santa, you're just either big or you're small. Well, it takes you back to when you're a kid. It does. I mean, everybody loved this. Let me get a question for you guys. All right. Where were you when you found out that Santa About Santa? About Santa.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if I remember really.
SPEAKER_03Man, I was to me, that's a thing like where when you know the OJ deal happened, or what I mean, you know. No, I do. I do I was in the towers, you know. I mean, yeah.
SPEAKER_01To me. I was in third grade and somebody told me, and I was I didn't believe them at first. Me too, me neither.
SPEAKER_02I didn't believe I know I I remember I didn't believe the stories. I'm yeah, I still believe in Santa. What are you talking about? I was gonna say, what are you talking about?
SPEAKER_01I went home and we we talked about this just a minute ago or before we started. I went home and asked my mom about it, and I said, Mom, I this wasn't verbatim, but I said tell me about Santa. And she was like, Well, why do you want to know? And kind of talked about it. And then she said, Well, she said, now there was a man named Chris Kringle, yeah, and he he helped kids that were un you know in a bad situation or unfortunate, and he brought them presents and had it in a bag, and that's where this came from. But this is what Chris Kringle did, and so that's where it came from. And he said, Well, you know, mom and dad have been saying on it, but you know, talked about the spirit of it and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_03And so I'll tell you mine, you'll laugh, but I was in my backyard. I it's crazy, and I can remember this. I was in my backyard, it's in fourth grade, David Jones is in fifth grade, and he tells me. Oh, yeah. And so I I blame him every you know, every chance you get. Every chance I get it Oh, I'm next time I see him, I'm gonna say, You run that bully for for Santa. But uh you know one of the things we always say, kind of our Santa's motto, in order to receive, you have to believe. Yes. And one of my big things is you know, let kids be kids. Santa's a fraction of their childhood. Yep. You know, and and I totally that's just after having 21.
SPEAKER_01He's 21. I couldn't agree with you more, Micah. What do you I mean?
SPEAKER_02I I totally agree. Let a kid leave a little bit.
SPEAKER_01Gina, let them be a kid, man.
SPEAKER_02Who cares?
SPEAKER_03They're already rushed to be adults. Yes. With with, you know, social media and everything, you know, they can't wait to get their own cell phone. They can't, you know, let them be kids. Let them be innocent and be and have the fun of it. And the twinkle in the eye, and everything. And you know, I had a story uh from last year. They called family called me and she goes, she goes, this probably be it. You know, but I I want to have a home visit on Christmas Eve. And I said, okay. And uh said, she's 12. And I said, okay. And she goes, yeah, she still believes she absolutely believes. Well I get to there, and there's probably 25 adults, and she's the youngest at 12. But when she saw me, it was just like oh, you know, it just it immediately took just like she was a little girl again. And she but she's still I mean she was taller than me. But we sat on the couch and we visited and everything. Well, and I noticed on her mom's social media when I, you know, set up with her, it was her birthday. Not that she has a December birthday. I said, Hey, was your birthday good? She goes, you know, my birthday. And I said, Yeah. Santa knows everything. Awesome. And uh she gave me a big hug and she goes, Yeah, I had a great day. You know, it's like so that that part, you know, when they now they're you know now that they they know and they're on it that that's the tough part. But you always clients. Oh, I'm gonna get new clients every year. I get new babies. Oh yeah. If you go on my Facebook page, you know, I I work with five different photographers in Jackson, basically everywhere. Jackson, Tune Syson, East Prairie, all over. And uh they're wonderful. I mean, they some of the ones that I've had this year have been I mean, I'm getting better at it. It's an act. I mean, you just gotta of course, you know, and and you gotta learn your photographer too, what they want and what you know, uh you can't just put on the suit. That's what I try to tell people all the time. No, there's a difference than putting on the suit and being sana. That's right. It's a big, big, big difference. And um and I've really studied it. And and I can you can tell. And you know, and I try, and that's why I said if I am my if my my thinking, if I am gonna charge you money to put stuff back into this thing, I'm I'm gonna give you everything I got. My wife, my wife will tell you that you know, I'm gonna have the best uh baseball equipment. I'm gonna whatever, whatever. I'm gonna do the same thing. Yeah, and and you it's it's amazing when people see my suit that have not seen one for the first time, you know. They're like, oh my gosh. Speaking of Christmas list, I mean like what are the Cardinals? Can you bring up the pitching? Man, that might that may be tough. They're they're they're uh no pitchers more than four to they're circling the wagon right now.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_03I don't know. I don't that's that's kind of they've dug a hole and it's gonna be tough to get out of that. I think I think we're probably two two, three years away before we really at least win some games. Yeah, well, that's what I said to put people in the stands. And I think the fans kind of made a statement this year, though.
SPEAKER_02Uh-huh. You know, we well, I mean, I've never really remembered the Cardinals advertising for season tickets to be so.
SPEAKER_03We we went in September. We always go to uh my buddy Ty Tucker is a Reds fan.
SPEAKER_04Uh huh.
SPEAKER_03So we always try to go when the Reds come to town, and they usually do a matinee. And so we always go try to go that game and take an afternoon off when it's a noon game, whatever. We go up there, there's more Reds fans than there was Cardinals fans. Oh, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_04Because they were still in the playoff records.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they were. And I'm like, this is crazy. In St. Louis, there's more Cincinnati people. Yep. I was like, man.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, they're gonna have to act like they want to put a product on the field.
SPEAKER_03That's exactly right. That's what we're talking about. Uh, you know, you can't throw the farm team out there and expect to win. Yeah, exactly.
Mrs. Claus, Summer Santa, And Joy
SPEAKER_01Can't put the seventh grade team out there when we're playing varsity. No, it's not gonna work.
SPEAKER_03You know, can't bring a knife to a gunfight, you know. Kind of what it's been like for it seems like a couple of years. Anyway.
SPEAKER_01Got some more questions for us, Anna? Are you good? Is that it? No, I think that's it on me. Okay. Um okay. Hey, you know, well, listen, we've touched on everything. Okay. Is there any last what any anything that you know you've forgotten about we want to mention? We got to hit us with a ho ho ho.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna ask for a ho ho ho.
SPEAKER_03I'll do that too, but uh okay. One thing I wanted to tell you though, you you talked back to you talking about legacy. You know, Christmas is not about gifts. That's right. We talked about that a little bit about or or get receiving gifts. It's about how much love we give. Yeah. And that's my always been my goal. Oh, yeah. Like I said, I get emotional talking about that. That's all right. That's all right a little bit, but you know, they're only kids, like I said, they're only kids for a while. Yeah, you gotta love them the best you can, and yeah, and that's that's what I try to do. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02I had a pastor once said you're most like Jesus when you give. Exactly. That's what he did. Oh man. How good is that? Yeah, that's terrific.
SPEAKER_03I try to, and like I said, when I'm in front of them, I give them everything I got. Oh, yeah. You know, try to. Then when they kind of get bored with me, and you know, I'm the home visits, I'll I'll tell you a little bit about them. You know, people think, oh man, it's not bad at all. Uh, you know, if you're in Sykston, it's 50 bucks. Uh I'm 15, 20 minutes. I come in, take pictures. You and then some of the stories I forgot to tell you about is they put the presents outside. Oh, yeah. And over the years I've learned, you know, not try to get shot, but uh in the dark. The neighbors and everybody's got cameras now. Yeah, but neighbors or whatever. But they put them out at a special place and take a picture and then text it to me. So then that way I'm not looking to try to try to find it or whatever. Rummaging through the garage. So they throw throw that in there. But anyway, and then I can then I can get in and take it in. But I had one one year, and I told her, and this is the first year I got my bells. So there and it was new, you know. She I think this is her first year too that I did this house. And I told her, I said, put them outside. Didn't explain very well. Yeah, just put them outside, whatever. She put them right by the front door in a black trash bag. You know, in the dark. In the dark, and a little bit of light on, you know, and here's my bells. Jing, jing, jing, jing. Here I come up the steps. So I'm transferring the and it was a big toy. It wasn't just a it was like a chair, I think. One of those springy things. Oh, okay. And it, you know, it wasn't a big one, but it was for a little girl. And I'm trying to transfer it into my bag. Of course, you know, can't can't get it to fit and everything. And she hears me. The little girl. She hears me, door opens, flies open, and she goes, Santa! I just went with it. Oh yeah. I just like, hey! And I'm like, look what I got you. You know, I couldn't get it in there. And then and then I had one last year that they had. I mean, I think they left everything for Santa to bring in. Oh, geez. And I I said, uh, I just left it out on the front porch in my bag. I got it in them in my bag, but I couldn't I couldn't pick it up in and walk upstairs and everything. You know, you gotta think I die I dodge dogs. I dog. Oh my gosh. They're the mailman.
SPEAKER_02You can't just park in front of the house.
SPEAKER_03You can't, and that's the thing. I have to park park down. One of the cutest pictures I had, I had a client that did the a house visit uh out in Greenbyer, and luckily the streets aren't real real bright down there, and I parked a couple of streets down, but she got a picture after I left. They all went to the front door and they're like this. And she got a picture from the back. It's one of the most awesome pictures.
SPEAKER_01But that's cool.
SPEAKER_03But yeah, the the and then one year I did it, did one in Cape. You know how Cape is, and it's it's kind of it was kind of out off of Lexington out that way. And and I mean and they were having a party. It was a youth group, and and uh they were having a party, and I was like, I'll park a couple, you know, things down. I start, and that's where I had my bells, I think. It's been a while. Everything rolls pretty quick. Oh yeah. But um there ain't no sneaking up now. No, no, yeah, not now. Meanwhile, I'm walking up and I'm thinking, yeah, that's that's cool ornaments they got in their yard. You know, I'm getting ready to cut through the yard and light and whatever. And I said, That deer looks about that time it went pow. It was a real deer.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh. Speaking of deer, speaking of deer. I got to thinking this morning when I watched Rudolph at 5 30. Oh my gosh. So did Santa use reindeer before Rudolph, or was that well, if you go back and read.
SPEAKER_03I knew you were a story, so I kind of he they used horses first. Did they okay? And then they went then they and then the flying reindeer.
SPEAKER_01Uh well, I mean, he's got was that before Rudolph then?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that was before Rudolph. And then Rudolph was added, what, in the 60s, I think. Oh, I mean he's got a they gotta fly.
SPEAKER_01He's got a man's gotta.
SPEAKER_02I'm telling you what, you're taking off right now from Australia. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you better get started, Santa. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_00You're uh I know it's coming up on a busy season for you. And 20 questions everywhere I go, you know.
Belief, Childhood, And Letting Kids Be Kids
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah. Like when it, especially the schools, where's your reindeer? Oh, yeah. And and the best thing I've got, like I've been using, you know, because everybody knows the complex. So I tell them, I say, Oh, they're out there grazing the complex. At the end of the airport. At the end of the airport, yeah. Yeah, because that's where you take it. Because I think they're not gonna be, you know, there's no way they they're gonna figure it out. So that's kind of what I'm but I I I do, I get 20 questions almost every time. You got you gotta be on your toes. Oh my gosh. I got one story that comes to mind one year. One year we were I was doing a house visit, and the boy had been again, he's 10, I think. And mom he's he's on the easy he's he's already hearing it at school, you know. And grandma and mom want him to believe. Yeah. And I said, I'm in. I said, I'm in. I'll I'll do whatever. She said, he'll freak when you knock on the door. So I knock on the door, and grandma would put the present outside. So I put it in my bag, come in, and there's a lady outside, and I wave at her next door, you know. She's like, Hey, shut up. You know, so they they know, you know, they know they know what I'm doing. And I parked a couple of doors down. Anyway, get in, and I mean, he's lit up. He's like, Yeah, come in. Come in, you know. So we go in, whatever they say, everything's good. School, yeah, yeah. You know, baseball player. So we talked a little bit. And I said, Hey, I think I got something in here. It's an early present. We're about five days away, you know. I said, give you an early present before he's okay, that's cool. And so he gets it out, opens it up. Grandma wrapped it in the Amazon box. She what? She wrapped it in an Amazon box. Oh. So and he's like, an iPad. Well, you know, he knows what Amazon is. Uh-huh. So and she's behind the wind behind him, going, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And I I said, Well, you know, my elves have trouble with electronics sometimes. So we we do have to call Amazon. He's like, Oh, okay. And I mean I mean, when you when I you gotta be on your toes. Oh my god. With a thousand questions. You know, I had one where I, you know, I'm doing multiple stops a night, and the first house had toys and stuff, whatever. Well, something fell out of the like a baby, you know, a little baby bottle or whatever. Well, when I go to another house, it ended up in somebody's bag. Somebody's bag. So and they're pulling it out, and then like nothing to go to whatever they got. And and she was quick thinking, mom was, and said, Well, maybe you're getting a bar, you know, baby doll for Christmas. And she's like, Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00You know, you just got you gotta be ready. Oh my gosh. You should have said, Oh, we we had to fire some elves.
SPEAKER_02Somebody's in trouble. But he was at it again.
SPEAKER_00Buddy was at it again.
SPEAKER_02Hey, I know him.
SPEAKER_03I love him. I get that more than I love that thing. I love it. I get the Santa, you know, screaming adults and the movies. I know him. I know him.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I love it. I love it. I love it. Well, we're how long you think we've been going? I don't know. Probably an hour and a half. Hour and a half. Okay, that's good. Hour 35, yeah. So you've got you got to hit us with a ho ho ho, and then and then we're gonna end with go dogs. You're gonna go, I'm Micah Harris. I'm Matt Tanner. Oh ho ho dogs.
SPEAKER_02Go Dogs.
SPEAKER_01Go Dogs. That's gonna do it for this episode of the Dog House. Thanks for hanging with us and showing love to Sykston, where small town pride runs deep and Bulldog Grit never quits. Don't forget to subscribe, leave us a review, and share this with anyone who bleeds red and black. From the heart of the 573, this has been the Dog House, where Sykston stories always have a home.
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