Santa's Reply

Dear "Good Girl" Marcilliat,

Santa is quite impressed with you glowing personal assessment of your behavior this year. I am quite sure that there is no exaggeration in what you report and the elves are busy verifying your account at this very moment. By the way, my elves take great pains to verify the spelling of all names on the official "Nice" gift list. Less detail is given to those names on the "Naughty" list. It may interest you to know that your email is the first of the year. Santa expects many more like yours but most arrive after Thanksgiving.

After reviewing your file, Santa has decided to grant your requests.

You will find all of your hopes and dreams in a very large package that Santa will leave on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. The name tag will say, "Chicago" but it is for you, and all you wish for is there.

Tucked away in the southeast corner of your package you will find your diploma. Many request for this special present makes timeliness a problem some years. Santa has not been able to grant some such requests until late May or early June. If your diploma is not there in December, please feel free to "re-search" until you find it.

The other tings you wished for are in this package also. Your own car, parking space, dance studio, cashmere sweater, manicurist, and Pony can be found in various locations within the package. You may have to work a bit to find them, but I know how special they will be to you when you finally do. You will find as you grow that few things worth having are come by easily.

Leaving cash will probably be a problem. Santa does not carry cash with him. In fact, I now have that bit of information prominently posted on the side of my sleigh. "Sleigh driver has less than $50 cash." Santa has found that his VISA debit card is the one thing accepted worldwide. I must travel light, you know.

As for your boyfriend, the one time you did decide to kill him apparently didn't harm him to the degree you thought. My elves report that he is hiding out in a nearby city where he seeks legal advice.

Mrs. Claus says "Hi" back. It is her fondest hope that you will share some of your holiday cheer with her at the house. It is cold here, but you will not see any noticeable difference from where you are. It's just a matter of a few "Degrees."

As always,
Love from Santa

P.S. - I like Oatmeal-Raisin cookies.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

This year I have been especially good. On no less than
217 occasions I have been nearly provoked into killing
my boyfriend, but have managed to abstain from doing
so all but once. For this, I think I have earned many
good presents.

My gift requests are, of course, modest. First and
foremost, I would like a master's degree (or a Ph.D if
you have any extras) preferably from the University of
Chicago, but I will also accept one from Yale,
Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, or Stanford. Please be
sure to spell my name correctly on my diploma(s).
There is no "e" in Marcilliat.

In addition, I would greatly enjoy my own car, parking
space, dance studio, cashmere sweater, manicurist, and
pony. If this list is too complicated, feel free to
simplify matters and just send cash. I accept most
first-world currencies, but please, no checks. One can
never be too careful, not even with Santa. If sending
dollars, please concentrate on 10's and 20's, with the
occasional 50 thrown in for good measure.

I feel sure that you will find this list satisfactory,
and completely deserved by yours truly. Please send my
greetings to Mrs. Claus, and may you have a joyous
Holiday Season.

Cordially,
Maggie "Good Girl" Marcilliat

Spencer Pants

Crazy Legs

Pretty leaves outside my apartment