civilized ku # 137 ~ a Xmas surprise
Monday, December 15, 2008 at 09:35AM 
A seemingly Viagra-enhanced North Pole • click to embiggenThis past Friday afternoon as I was returning home with Hugo in tow, the conversation eventually came around to Xmas, Santa Claus, and something called a White Future Mega Power Ranger.
I asked Hugo if he would like to visit the North Pole and see Santa at some point during the weekend. He informed me that the North Pole was too far away so he was a bit puzzled when I said that we could drive by it on the way to my house. Drive by it we did and his only comment was that he didn't think that Santa could be there because "Santa lives in an igloo."
As the weekend went by, I grew less and less enamored of the prospect of a visit to the North Pole. During our last visit 2 or 3 years ago, I came away quite depressed by the rather shabby state into which the place had sunk. It just seemed rather tattered and worn and on its last legs. It probably didn't seem so to the children but the wife and I found it to be a rather melancholy experience.
The place had been teetering on the brink of closing for a number of years - even after a new owner / investor had taken control of Santa's reins so to speak. And that would have been a shame. The Pole, as many in these here parts call it, has been around since 1949 and it is reputed to be the nations first theme park (Walt Disney sent out his spies to check it out). It was designed by Arto Monaco, the builder of The Land of Make Believe mentioned in my castle picture entry of a few days ago.
At its peak the park attracted a single-day record attendance of 14,000 visitors. It was a local "industry" in and of itself. Quite a few motels and restaurants popped up around it. The hamlet of Wilmington depended upon it for its economic survival. To this day, kids in my hometown don character costumes and perform other duties - as did many of their parents before them - at The Pole for their summer and Xmas season jobs.
In 1953, the federal government recognized The Pole by granting it Rural Postal Station status. So, if you want your Xmas cards to have a "North Pole" post mark just stop by with your cards or send them in a package to the North Pole. And, in a Miracle on 34th Street kind of thing, most letters mailed in the eastern US addressed to "Santa Claus" or "North Pole" are delivered to The Pole.
IMO, the only thing The Pole lacks is designation as National Historic Landmark. It really is a national treasure.
Reindeer Barn & Rudolph • click to embiggenSo, you can imagine my utter astonishment and delight last evening when it became apparent during our visit to The Pole that the place was literally aglow with renewal. It seems that everything in the place has been refurbished and renovated to, if not an absolute pristine state, a certainly fresh, clean, and lively one. The Pole seemed positively rejuvenated and reinvigorated. Even Santa's reindeer appeared genuinely healthy and happy. It was a joy to behold.
So, instead of an expected melancholy experience picturing something that used to be, I ended up with many pictures of something of value that still is.
Sweet!
Now if I could only figure out why the wife kept asking me, "does it vibrate?" ...
Reader Comments (3)
Hugo is actually asking for future white mega power ranger. Key on the word future - this toy does not exist, and he knows it. He hopes Santa can bring it from the future. When he asked for this, Santa looked at Hugo's mom -even Santa can't promise toys from the future.
I suggested getting a white mega ranger and putting a foil cap on his head, and hope for the best. It worked for Buck Rodgers.
Thanks for the memories Mark
Hugo actually crawled out of bed early this morning went down stairs and came back up crying and waking us up asking for us to help find the future omega ranger santa promised because he couldn't find it downstairs.
oh boy... curse you santa!