So close but yet so Far away...

Tuesday looms in the distance, I can see it well.  The outcome though may change many times in the interim.

I watch and listen to O'reilly's 'No Spin Zone', but over the last few weeks, maybe even a month, I have decided that Mr. O'reilly's "Traditional" views and political stance have, or so it seems to me, taken a decidedly "Right" swing.  I am not sure if it's always been there, but it is much more apparent to me lately.

Regardless who wins the White House, I will support them as a good citizen should, not blindly though, as might a political lemming.  We get close to the proverbial cliff, this little guy is bailing.  I know which side of the bread my butter is on, but I also am strong enough to give up butter... should the need arise.

With that bit of insight, I leave you to pursue your days activities remembering at all times that what we have is temporary to be soon replaced by what we shall get... Life works.

Omar sends greetings to all and of course is considering what new and great adventure he will find himself ensnared in... I will keep you posted.

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It will rain... I am cleaning on the inside, nice and warm

Well after getting out of bed this morning and seeing the condition of the sky, I decided that this would be a great day to really clean up the house, knock down the webs, vacuum thoroughly, dust and generally do some things that I've been a tad lax on for the last couple weeks.

Generally, anyone that has been to the tent would tell you that it is in pretty fair repair, not too many tears in the fabric and not too many critters hiding in the corners.

Not too sure about what I will do after getting everything done on the clean the house front, but I am pretty certain there will be something.  If nothing else, I have some stuff on the DVR to watch.

Omar was up when I got back from coffee, he was doing a crossword by himself and arguing about whether he'd spelled a word right.  There was no one with him so he probably does actually 'hear voices'.  Funny guy.

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Short, Sweet and Great...

The day, and the repairs went beautifully... good time, good company, good day...

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Clear view for Tuesday evening... at least for Del

Coffee this morning, earlier than usual but that was ok.  Del came in about 7am and we left for his place about 8:15.  Dropped off his car and headed to Albany in my Toyota pu.

Deposited Del at Gentsler clinic for his cataract operation and picked him up at a shade past 11:15.  Patch on the eye for 6 hours then 3 bottles of drops and he should be good to go.  The other will be done in 2 weeks.

My, how technology has lept ahead in the ensuing years.  It wasn't all that long ago and people with cataracts were just condemned to ill sight or possibly no sight at all.. Now, they replace the lense and correct the vision deficiencies all at the same time... No More Glasses... killer deal.

Nice day, filled up the Mini and what with my lead foot and all the little trips, it still got 25mpg.  Driving it nicely should yield me about 30 or so.

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I hate 'Ethanol'... mileage drop of 4.5 mpg

My little Toyota pickup went from almost 27mpg in town to 22 thanks in large to the mandated 10% ethanol that Gov klug required by law.  Asshole.  Even though it's proven to reduce mileage and power and destroy some engine parts, we still have no choice.  Talk about Government intervention... Again I say Asshole.

Lovely day, just really like the weather now and with the added benefit of being able to piss away more money on lousy gas... why, I don't know how I could stand to be any more pleased.

y'all have a good day!

After a couple of hours of stirring the pot of mental dysfunction that I meander thru from time to time, I decided that the day was pretty alright as a whole.  

Omar finally came back to the surface, hair (what little he retains) all amok with leave bits thruout.  I asked him what took him so long to come out and he mentioned something about a gopher hole and how there is another world down 'there'.  I definitely am going to burn that pile now.  

Perhaps a good tilling would be in order too and a bag or two of quikcrete.

I can't figure out how he got down there...

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Thank you Lord for this most beautiful day...

It is crisp, it is 'fall' and probably my favorite time of the year.  Coffee was good at McDonalds and the conversation lively.

Back home, time for hot chocolate and an English muffin.

I didn't get the lawn mowed yesterday, but today I will for sure (I think).  No, really, I will get it done today as I need to drain the hoses anyway so why not.

Omar did get the leaves raked up into a nice big pile he then backed off about 5 yards and took a running leap into the middle of the pile... I've not seen him since.  Can you burn leaves now??? (no, I would check on his location first *grin*)??

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Another beautiful 'fall' day...

After getting out of bed, which I was reluctant to do as it was warm and cozy.  I headed down to McDonalds for my normal morning intake of coffee.  After the usual bullshit session I headed back home.

I made some hot chocolate and and English muffin for breakfast and then decided to check my email and update this rag.

Nothing too new today although I do plan to mow the yards after it warms up some.

This afternoon has been very lazy here.  Been glued to the tube for a couple hours and watching a brain numbing series called 'Reno 911'.  I tell you there are shows out there that are only funded by the absolute unadulterated theft of viewers attention.  

Omar, being the astute individual that he is seemed to find some intellectual merit in the show... not surprising to me though as he is mentally challenged (or should I say defunct).  Either way, he giggled his way thru a couple episodes before I kicked his arab ass out the back flap of the tent to rake up the leaves...

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Yet another Friday... they seem to come too frequently for me.

The weather is still chilly, there was a little fog earlier this morning, but the sun has managed to burn most of it off now... the afternoon promises to be nice.

I have an appointment this afternoon at 1:30 to take care of a personal issue but other than that it should be uneventful.

When I get back home, I will vacuum pack the spaghetti bags that are currently in the freezer and that will provide me with about 18 meals.

Leann, my compassionate feelings for your impending schedule can only be described as intense.  I don't know how you manage to do it but power on ya girl.  One day at a time I suppose.  

I meant it when I said that we would have to hit Wal★mart next time you are here... 'white boards' make messages really easy to jot down.

Cathy, I hope your back is feeling better, I know about back pain and it is nothing to sneeze at (that hurts even worse).  Take care of yourself my friend.

Omar made an appearance this morning grumbling about hurting in places he didn't know he had... he asked me for some horse liniment ... I snickered to myself and got him the Absorbine Jr. and told him to keep it north of the great divide... I don't know if he did or not, as I left shortly there after.

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Nice day, clear skies and breakfast with friends...

Beautiful outside although the fog did try to make an appearance but dismally failed.

I have an appointment for the mini at Rasmussen Mini in Portland next Wednesday to check on a small coolant leak and replace the shifter handle as it has some flaky chrome on the knob that irritates the hand.

Too bad there isn't a closer place to take it but that is the way it goes I guess.

Nothing on the schedule for today, I did sack up the left over spaghetti sauce and have it in the freezer.  Once the bags are frozen I will vacuum pack them and have mucho spaghetti for future dinners.

Omar came in this morning, my stolen shirt in shreds and he with numerous bandaids and apparent bruises...

I asked what happened but by the look he gave me I figured it best to let sleeping dogs lie...

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36˚ outside on this Fall Wednesday morning...

It was likely colder when I went to coffee this morning, but now at 10am it is still only 36 degrees.  The sky is clear and very blue and that is great.

I got home and put together a 'humungousitantic' pot of Spaghetti which my daughter and I will enjoy this evening or early afternoon...

There was only one little problem in the production process of this pot... I got busy doing something and let it burn on the bottom... because of that I had to empty the pot (messy process) then clean the original pot (ugly bottom) and then put all the sauce back in and put it back on the burner on simmer.  I think the the pot doesn't have a thick bottom which may have contributed to the problem.

It is simmering and smelling a lot like Italy in the tent.  Lots of garlic and a red onion (that had an attitude).  I am considering how to best freeze the portions I will have left and think that perhaps using the food saver and quart bags will be the best.

Anyway, it will be a good dinner and we should both enjoy not only the eats but also our company together.

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It was so very Foggy and cold this morning...

Thought you all might enjoy a beautiful picture depicting the time of year we are in... It's not local, but it is beautiful... do enjoy it.

I wished that I had put on a long sleeved coat this morning rather than the vest I wore as the weather really had some 'nip' to it.

I had 16 clients today and only one no-show.  I wish they would call in and tell us that they won't be home.  You package up the meal and all then traipse to their door, ring the bell and nobody shows.  Gonna sic Omar on em...

After deliveries, I stopped at the dentist guy and got some prices and was pleasantly surprised to see that I was eligible for 'Senior discount'.  Damn, it pays to get old...

I then stopped at Comcast to verify my normal bill and found it will be about 8 dollars more than I thought but that's ok.

Omar stole one of my old flannel shirts and said he was going kite flying?? What the hell could he be up to I wonder???

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A new beginning... at least for the week.

It was raining during coffee at McDonalds and continued for a little while during my meal deliveries.

One of my clients will probably be going into managed care as she is in advanced stages of dementia.

I am sure as time goes on, more of them will go that same way.  You can see them going downhill... some quicker than others of course.

My plans are to challenge myself mentally to keep the mind eating diseases away for as long as possible.

Omar sends greetings to all... good thing that I am relaying them as he could truly use a shower.

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Race day today...

Well, it's overcast today too and the race will start in about an hour and a half.

I hope Dale Jr. has a good day, he has won before at this track so the chance for success is present... Jimmy Johnson is awfully good here too and Jeff Gordon could easily win... We will see how it all shakes out.

I have a friend coming over to watch the race with me.  A few beers and good laughs will be a nice addition to the day.

I've banned Omar from the tent for the day.

Jimmy Johnson won and Dale Jr. came in second.  A good race, even though there was a lot of conversation during the race I did manage to see the finish.

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Quiet and subdued day... warm quilt and crackling fire would be nice though

Nothing going on today at all, been curled up in the recliner catching up on some taped shows... nothing outside these tent flaps is drawing me outside for long...

Just made a trip to the store for some milk and a few other items... back home and done with the outside for now.

Hope you are having a great day and that you are warm and cozy.

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TGIF but why??

Yes, it is Friday, I will give it that.  Not much exciting today, delivered meals and stopped to see if I could find a paint swatch that would be compatible with my carpeting.  I have one in mind and kind of like the way it looks against the wall and the carpet.

I will paint the entry hallway on both sides and am considering repainting the front door and the entry into the garage too.  There would be yet another choice of color and or design/texture.  I think I need to take some Estrogen to give me better designing insight... Quit laughing !!!

Nothing new from Omar, yesterday he wasn't too happy about his namesake heading out to sea rather than making a mess on shore...

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So, if they are both 'losers' then who won???

Having watched the whole hour and a half of painful diatribe, I came away thinking that presentation and cool factor wise, Obama definitely did the better job...  'Joe the Plumber' overdone and mis-stated by our War hero McCain.

Sadly the one thing that most would like to have seen was obviously missing and that is the diligent and active pursuit of those in industry and government that allowed the American people to be financially raped.  They did so knowingly and without an ounce of intervention... I am so very pissed about that.

Omar says that we could experience another 'Civil War' but this time it will be the taxpaying blue collar folks against Corporate America and corrupt Government officials.  I thought that to be pretty insightful of him... sometimes he surprises me.

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"Do or Die" day for the 'Republicrats'

Well nothing really exciting today, delivered meals for the third day in a row but have tomorrow off.  

I am excited about the debate tonight... If McCain doesn't show more than he has in the past, this could indeed be a 'death knoll' for the Republican Presidential hopeful.  Palin already buried herself so he won't be able to turn to her for any poll points.

Obama needs just to hammer home the Economic plight we suffered for the past 8 years (actually mostly the last 3) and he should but won't target the folks that were ultimately responsible for the failure of what most Americans thought were rock solid institutions.  

I believe, from past performance, that Obama definitely has the edge going in.  If he puts McCain on the defense, 'Game over'.

Omar is excited, this is his first election and he told me that he plans to stuff the ballot boxes... I didn't want to disillusion him so I didn't mention that we vote by mail.

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No winner at Bi-Mart...

This is a beautiful day, some clouds and cool but a really nice day all the same.  

It started off with Coffee at McDonalds as usual then off and taking out meals to my clients.  On the way back to the Senior center, I stopped off at the credit union to consolidate some small bills into a larger one.

At the Senior center I turned in the baskets and then headed to Bi-Mart to check my membership number... no winner today.  Heading back to the pickup, I stopped at the dollar store and got a bag of mini tootsie rolls and a bag of atomic balls.  

Odd, Omar won't eat tootsie rolls, I asked him what it was about them that he didn't like... he says to me all straight faced and all "I know where they come from".. needless to say I didn't pursue the conversation.  Some folks are quite comfortable in their ignorance.

Cathy is having her procedure today in Birmingham and I will call her later this afternoon or early evening to see how she fared.  She's a tough old bird so I've no doubt that she will be fine.

Leann... gosh I feel terrible that I haven't been in touch with you for awhile... seems I am playing catchup all the time.  I can't do the movie thing this week, too much going on and got another run tomorrow for meals too.  We will go, I just don't know for sure when yet... forgive me???

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Satisfying Sunday... and many other things too...

Coffee at McDonalds Del gave me some bacon he cured and a piece of flank steak (for stew meat), I came home and vacuum packed the flank steak and put it in the freezer and the bacon in the fridge. Off to Creswell me goes... out thru Brown Towne and hit the freeway. Mini handles the corners so nicely... almost makes you think that they aren’t there... but they are and I approached them with care. Got to Creswell about 10am and Mike and Dana were up and about but not by much. After Dana got cleaned up and dressed, we went to the market and I bought 3 great big honkin Rib eyes for us, Back at the house, Mike and I cleaned some crab that they had caught at the coast Saturday and added them to the salad. We watched the movie ‘IronMan’ which I must admit was a good one. I rented it this morning from redbox. left about 4:25 and got home about 5:15 so I made pretty good time... must admit that keeping my foot out of it is difficult because it is so responsive and fun to drive.

I've decided that Omar has a marked jealousy streak.  He hasn't spoken to me since I brought the Mini home... Oh well, his loss I guess.  He will come around cause basically the greedy little bugger doesn't like to miss out on anything.

Turtle soup would be clearer than the weather today.

Coffee at McDonalds. It was quite cold and foggy this morning on the way to McDonald's. Back home now and have the bedding in the washer. The mini is parked crossways in the front drive, I suppose the vanity part in me wants to display it to the passing people... I used to do the same thing with the harley after I had washed it. It probably is my way of compensating for having no one at the house to share with. That will eventually change. I was going to head to Creswell today, but after talking to Mike last night we decided that Sunday would be a better day to come down.

A nicer weather day today...

Coffee at McDonalds then off to the Senior Center to deliver Meals. After finishing the meal deliveries, I stopped in at home towne hero and had a turkey avocado sub sandwich with chips and a diet pepsi. From there, I stopped in at Safeway and refueled the Toyota to the tune of $33.15. After refueling, I stopped at the DMV and put in for the title change and specialty plates for the Mini cooper. It will take around 4 weeks to get the new plates... they are “GOMFWA”. Neato huh ??? I decided to call Lollie and see how things were going regarding the garage door... (They called last night wanting to know how to open it if the spring were broken and it was and they could not lift the door so they left the Lexus outside). They are headed back to the Bay area to enjoy Fleet Week during which American Warships will be on display and open for visitation.

Garbage in and garbage out Thursday remains trash day...

Coffee at McDonalds then Del and I went to AppleTrees and I bought him breakfast to celebrate his birthday which was yesterday. Home now and turned the heat on as the temperature in the house was only 62˚ and that is a wee bit cooler than I like it. In awhile, I will pair up the Supertooth 3 and my iPhone so that I can start using them together. The day started off clear but the clouds have moved in and I believe that rain showers are predicted...

Fog and Chilly today...

Coffee at McDonalds then over to Schwabs to check with Brandon and make sure my mini tire will be in then back home. Jacked up the mini and pulled off the LR tire. I will drop it off at Les Schwabs this morning. Put some stuff that was just taking up room in the garage out into the shed. I will have room for all 3 vehicles in the garage now. Foggy this morning, cold too. I am used to keeping my PU in the garage so walking outside to get it this morning was a little different, the windows were all covered in dew and it was chilly inside on the leatherette seats. I told Ralph at coffee that unless the sun came out I wasn’t going to put on his water pump today.

Consternation and frustration seem the order of the day...

Coffee at McDonalds then off to deliver meals... routine is boring but rewarding at the same time.

Raining now, I get wet with the folks that don’t have covered porches... good thing I don’t rust *grin* Stopped in at LinnCo and got the check for M Car Company and paid off the Mini. Stopped at the Post office after dropping off my deliveries receipt and got a ‘receipt requested’ envelope to send the payment to M Car. Called Justin and told him the check is in the mail so that is a done deal now. Went to Bi-mart to check numbers... a wasted trip. Back home now and getting things in order for the day. Instant Messaging with Lollie and trying to get her to send me a picture of her system permissions, but she keeps sending it small size and I just can’t seem to get thru her mind of how to see what is on the screen... She is stubborn and determined that she sees what is there but I end up having to call her and lead her by the hand to what I want. Anyway, finally got her squared away... it is often a chore though.

Leann, I posted on your Blog... I can appreciate where you are coming from, but don't let it overcome you... I meant what I said in the comments.  Chin up old girl, better times are a comin.

Cathy I've not seen anything new on your Blog... let an old friend know that you are ok...  I may not be there, but know that all my prayers and thoughts are with you...

Omar is in the dungeon, (as I promised Leann) he is banging on the cellar door in an attempt to get my attention and hopefully convince me to let him come up again... A couple days ago, I installed an overhead sprinkler system in the dungeon (Omar plays with matches) to prevent any unplanned tent warmings from occurring... Wonder if I should try out the system now??

Mucky Monday... I want sunshine !!!

Coffee at McDonalds then off to deliver meals. On the way back, I stopped at the credit union and took care of some business. Got a call from Ralph last night about 8pm. Evidently he went over to the coast yesterday with a lady friend and on the way back on hwy 126 he managed to miss a turn and slide over into the oncoming lane and clipped another car... no injuries to humans, but he tore up the LR quarter panel of his Buick and did some serious alteration work to the other people’s car. Too old and too fast and he doesn’t see well either... that is a recipe for disaster. Home now and put another house key on the keyring I use for the Toyota. I also went thru the paperwork that needs to be in the car. Instant Messaging with Lollie a bit now, she wanted to know how my weight loss is doing... as I said another time the girl is way to nosey for my likes. The weather outside is sucky today and it doesn’t look any better for tomorrow either. It’s all good though, the Mini is in the garage keeping the Harley company. Called Rhodes Warden to talk to Don about dropping the insurance on the harley and see how badly they will bite me in the butt to insure the Mini...

I love to share and of course though the picture of the Mini makes it my baby, I am incapable of childbirth... but I can be a 50% participant in the production process... Hope you enjoy the picture... it's a sweet ride.

Seriously??? I am once again a kid...

Coffee at McDonalds and a few of the folks went out to scope out the Mini. I can honestly say that this little car is so well appointed that it just takes me aback. I know that the European and German Auto mfgrs along with the high end Japanese, put much more thought and convenience in their cars than American manufactures do. Driving the car is a joy, but don’t confuse it with a luxury ride... that is something it ain’t. It is surprisingly quiet for a car it’s size and it handles like a slot car. The inside room is very deceptive as standing at the outside of the car you would never ever imagine the room inside. Everything has been thought regarding not only safety, but also driver experience. And many of you have seen the Mazda ads that to “Zoom Zoom”, this car puts them to shame. When you stay out of the SuperCharger, the mileage hovers around 32 -35 mpg. When you jump on it, that goes south quick... On the freeway coming back from Portland, with the cruise control on it stayed right around 34mpg and that’s at 70mph. Need to pass??? put your foot down and watch people’s eyes pop open... amazing power. The little car is amazingly quiet inside too, it is, after all, a sports car and designed for road racing... Not that I will be doing TOO much of that. Anyway, nice toy, gonna sell the Hog so that is where my life stands right at the moment. When I got home this morning, I washed it (What??? you thought I wouldn’t???).

Oh, Leann, this Mini S has the 'John Cooper Works' package so it may not be quite the same as the one you saw... there aren't many like this one. Omar... poor boy. Says he prefers the Camel.

MINI•MINI•MINI•MINI•MINI• What else can I possibly say !!!

Coffee at McDonalds then Ralph and I took off for Portland to get the Mini Cooper. We got to M Cars at 10am and the Mini was parked out front and Justin was inside the office waiting for me. We looked at some of the cars in the warehouse then Ralphy left and Justin and I went for a drive with the Mini. Half way out, he pulled over and told me to drive. Once back at the office, we filled out all the papers. When we finished with the paperwork, Justin had me follow him to a service station and he filled the mini with super and off I went. Trip home was totally awesome as I learned several things about the car... It is all I expected and a lot more. When I got home, Clynton came over and ogeled the mini and I took him for a nice ride... He is wowed with the car and told me so many times... He didn’t think that I would buy it... Surprise Surprise... We got back here to the house and clynton and his son stayed here to watch the UFC fights... I don’t care that much for them but it was a great 4 hour visit. Off to bed soon, Coffee should prove interesting tomorrow.

Dampness reigns today and maybe for the weekend too...

Coffee at McDonalds then off to deliver meals... I had 16 clients today and all were home. Weather or Whether matters not to the lovely creature I've chosen to share with you today... Gods ability to create beauty has no bounds...

Stopped in at Economy and paid my bill there and then on the way home stopped at claudines to ask her about the bill I got from Oregon State Tax. No problem she said, it is just a poorly worded letter telling me that I don’t owe anything.. she says the State and the Feds are screwed up lately. Rain seems the order of the day so I won’t be venturing out too much. I’ve been thinking of what to do with the front yard and have been leaning towards rocking the front 1/3rd of it and keeping the grass up by the house.

Here are some pictures of a Mini Cooper that I am considering buying: A sweet little car that has been appointed with every bell and whistle available and is a one owner (not a kid) car.  It is a 2006 model and is a 'Cooper S' model and has had the high performance package installed.  Asking price is $25,950 which is the lowest I've seen for awhile.  I talked to the sales manager for a bit... this is a really nice car.

I am considering trading in the Harley on it, but could buy it without doing that.  It will depend on what they offer for the Hog...

Tranquility rules today...

Coffee at McDonalds. It rained last night and is damp this morning too. JJ showed up for coffee and also the other JJ from Napa.. he is moving to SweetHome. Left McDonald's at 8am to pick up Ralphy. Back home and he is napping and it is raining and I’ve cleaned up the kitchen and am enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and some toast with Jam. Today won’t hold too much excitement, tomorrow I will have breakfast with Dani so I think I will go real light on dinner tonight.

Omar asked me this morning who Dani was and I told him that she was a friend I met several years ago.. he proceeded to ask me why I was going to breakfast with her.. I told him that sometimes friends like to get together and enjoy a meal at a restaurant.

He seemed satisfied with my answers so I don't really know what is going on in his pea brain.

WTH??? October already ?? !!!

Coffee at McDonalds then back home and made some hot chocolate. Well today is the time of bill paying. Got everything taken care of and am current with everything. Weather seems a little off today, cloudy and cooler but then there is a cold front headed inland this afternoon and rain is predicted for tomorrow. I have a date with Melissa this afternoon, we are supposed to head out to Waterloo park for an afternoon picnic with some KFC or Roths chicken for lunch.

Wow, I just got to thinking how in the hell did October manage to get here so quickly ??  I can't believe that we will soon be preparing for 'Thanksgiving' and then heaven forbid, 'Christmas' will be here signaling then end of yet another year.

I was telling Omar about christmas and of course, as a devout muslim he had no concept of what it was... I told him that if he were good he would get a present from 'Santa'.  The word 'Santa' must have a bad equivalent meaning in Arabic because he immediately put his hand on his scimitar and mumbled something that had an ominous sound to it.

Harvesting worms and deciphering Arabic pose equally difficult challenges so I decided to just let it go...