Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Weekly personal blog
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I’ve been growing out my beard and hair in preparation for my role as Santa this year. I usually keep my head shaved and my beard a manageable length. As it gets longer, it’s getting itchier, especially the mustache. Doing simple things like eating ice cream or drinking coffee make a considerable mess of my face.
It is still much shorter than I want it to be, but I think I have until about July before I have to start bleaching so I can take my promotional photos. The Christmas season starts in September (the -ber months), so there is a lot I have to do to make sure I set up my charity appearances so I know what days I can book with paid gigs.
In the next couple of months, I also have to get my suit which should cost between $600 and $1200. The shipping from the U.S. with cost another $200, so I have to get the money together. This season is my first season, so I am not spending much on a suit, belt, and boots. Most Santas spend much, much more. I need to make a little money before I go all out. I will most likely reinvest the money I make this year into suits and accessories.
Here in the Philippines, since it is so hot, even during Christmas, it is important that I get a suit that breathes so I don’t get overheated. It wouldn’t be good for Santa to pass out cold on the floor in front of the children!
The two looks I am going for this year (pictured below) are quite nice. The vest and shirt combo will be especially good when I visit places where there is no air conditioning. Everything is cotton, so it will breathe and allow me to stay cool. The other traditional suit will be for the mall or other places where it will be cool enough to wear velvet and fur.
I am very much looking forward to donning the suit for the first time. Every Santa I talk to tells me how much of a life-changing experience it is to portray the big guy. Just seeing the smiles and happy faces of all the children will be enough for me. I imagine I will have many great experiences in that red suit.
Medium Days
Last week I wrote that I recommitted to my writing on Medium and that I am going to start treating it like a job again. I’ve been on my new schedule since Thursday, and it’s been great. Since I’ve had more time to spend crafting my articles, they have been much better.
I have a daily plan:
6:00am — 8:30am: Pick topic(s) while I get my daughter ready to go to school.
8:30am — 11:00am: Research and write simple outline(s). This consists of writing my headline, subtitle, introduction, and conclusion. Then I will outline the body.
12:00–4:00pm: Write article(s), edit, format, and publish.
5:00pm — 10:00pm: Catch up reading. This usually ends up being mostly on Medium. I try to read and clap for as many other writers as possible. Sometimes I will read a book. I also get caught up on social media during this time because I try my best not to check it while I’m writing during the day.
I plan to stick to this schedule as much as I can. I know that life will happen (like today. I have to pay bills), so I will do my best to be flexible. That is another reason I want to write multiple articles a day, so I can still publish when I am otherwise occupied.
I am going to follow the schedule every day except for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is the day my wife and I are off. Sunday, I try to write a personal blog like this one where I talk about my week and discuss successes and failures.
I will schedule a post for Saturday so it will publish while I enjoy my day off.
I think this schedule is doable. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself and am planning for days I’m busy, or periods of depression or anxiety where I am unable to write. I’ve learned to plan for those times because they still happen more often than I like to admit.
How was your week?
