Thanks, Jeanie.

Actually, doing the Santa gig sort of reawakened my interest in performing in general. I spent several years of my long-ago youth singing on streetcorners, and when I found myself perched on a thone at the center of a shopping mall, it felt very much like an indoor streetcorner "stage." Whenever I had a long waiting line of "customers," I had opportunities to mug and clown a bit for the crowd when dealing with a recalcitrant toddler. And on the few occasions when no one was waiting to see me, I would pick up a toy xylophone I found in the back of my photo-prop "sleigh," pick out a few carols, engage the attention of a few passers-by (young mothers as well as kiddies), and draw a fresh crowd.

In fact, I only picked up my long-dormant guitar and slowly started practicing and "re-learning" -- and began to obsessively hang out at Mudcat -- after starting out to be Santa.