Santa Makes The Day Better

Whew, today was another rough day!  It got much better as the day went along, but it was bad at the start, especially after arriving at work.  I immediately had to deal with a continuation of the issues from yesterday, which had to do with issues between management and an employee.  One manager, who is a very good guy and short to get angry, was furious over accusations by the employee that were blatantly false, and we had received proof overnight that the union had made the accusations without any evidence.  The result was a rather contentious meeting between all of the parties.  While the issues were resolved, tempers flared and tension still exists.  It was a difficult meeting to be a part of.  I'm not at all used to this type of behavior, and dealing with it was a challenge.

I came home late and in a bad mood, but coming home to my beautiful little girl made my day.  I wanted to do something special given that the last few days were so difficult and I felt like I had not been giving her the attention she deserves.  So I suggested that we head out to the Mall in Columbia, grab a bite to eat at the eatery, and go see Santa.  She was all over that idea, kind of like peanut butter on toast, and off we went.  Right after she finished her homework.

We arrived at the Mall and grabbed some dinner.  We decided to eat at Chick-Fil-A, and after a fine meal and enjoyable conversation (no smart phones), we took a little walk around the Mall.  Santa was all by himself, and he gave us a big wave as we approached.  A jolly guy, was ol' Santa!  Melody quickly ran over to Santa, and he invited her to sit on his lap.  Several pictures were snapped as he asked her what she wanted for Christmas.  She played it safe and said she wanted a new cage for her hamster, Macy, since she has gotten too fat.  We got a few pictures, said goodbye, and continued to walk through the Mall.

Melody had decided she wanted to buy something for herself.  I told her that we were getting close to Christmas, and it didn't make a lot of sense to spend her money on something on herself.  She insisted, though, and had brought ten bucks with her.  We ended up at the Disney Store, where, after at least 20 minutes of wandering the store, she finally settled on a stuffed Perry The Platypus.  She paid for it, and we decided since it was getting late, we'd better start heading home.

As we left the Mall, I told Melody that we would drive through the Symphony of Lights at Merriweather Post.  She was very excited, so off we went.  Aside from the line attendant giving me a hard time about being a Steeler fan, we had a nice drive.  The lights are a highlight for us every year.  My girl loves Christmas lights, and the various shapes and characters made out of the lights are fun to see.  We took our time, despite how many times we had cars behind us ride right up onto our bumper (and moved to the side to allow them to pass), especially the large number of cars that keep their headlights on despite signs and announcements on the broadcast associated with the drive.  Then we headed home.

It was a great end to a hard day, and I'm so thankful that I get to spend it with my wonderful daughter.  She's a blessing from God.

Have a great evening, everyone!