Mission Accomplished

Cookie delivery to those cool firefighters. Check. As usual, the universe eases the way as I put on my Santa Hat and head off in my minivan/sleigh to bring some cookies to the Hartford firehouse I pass many days on my drive to work. A path of green lights transforms the drive that sometimes takes 15 minutes into a 5 minute trip.

When I pass the firehouse, it's all locked up. NOOOooo!! But then as I park on a nearby side street, a fire truck pulls up alongside me. The firefighter nearest me points to my Santa Hat and gives me a smiling thumbs up. I gesture that I'm trying to deliver the cookies to them. Too late. The truck pulls away.

I start jogging after them, balancing the plates of cookies, the puff ball from my Hat bopping me in the eyes. Pretty silly.

Then someone behind me hails, "Merry Christmas! Love your Santa Hat!" A nice mail carrier is waving to me from an apartment landing. I thank and then chat with him briefly. Okay, I'm workin' this :).

And behold! Ahead of me, the fire truck that had passed me is backing into its bay. I finally get across the busy street and shout to the man heading into the firehouse. He turns, surprised. Am I really here for them, he wonders in some disbelief. You betcha. He had just been saying to his crew how good it was to see an elf. He thanks me heartily.

After I head back to my car, he calls out, "Wait! What organization sent these?" Well, no organization. These are from Santa Claus, of course.