Dear Secret Santa,
So I woke up around 2:30 today even though I planned on waking up in the morning. I had some banana nut muffins for lunch and then went back to my room, where I surfed the internet for awhile.
Anyway, this got boring quickly so I did some writing for awhile (wrote a miscellaneous chapter for my ongoing novel which I'll never be fully satisfied with) and then got ready for church, as we've been going to Saturday masses for the past 15 years or so instead of Sunday masses. Before leaving for church, we had a hard time opening our mailbox, as the rain from yesterday froze overnight, and so we had to use several things to try and get it open.
There wasn't anything interesting in the mailbox that day. A credit card bill (ouch), a memory stick that Kram ordered, and a couple flyers. So we put them in the car. However, if anyone remembers Secret Santa 2006, we saw something that looked like an old piece of wood that seemed to have gotten onto our porch.
So I went over to retrieve it, and again, just like Secret Santa 2006, it wasn't a piece of wood, but a package! With a lot of tape! And "Amazon" crossed out with black markers! I went in the car and we went off to church. The box said "Open with Care!" And I tried, I really did. I didn't have a box cutter with me (because why would I carry a box cutter to church?), so I used one of my reliable Walt Disney Resorts pens.
And when I opened it, there was a wad of wrapping paper that came out, along with a
Lady and the Tramp: 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition pin.
I opened an envelope inside, and loved the card (which had Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto holding Christmas gifts). Inside was a wonderful and long handwritten note by you, Secret Santa a.k.a.
Aaron Wallace. I was very touched by what you said, and am grateful to have been your Secret Cindy Lou Who this year. Don't worry, your handwriting is better than mine!

The rest of the New Jersey Trilogy say "Hi!" back!
Sheesh, all this and I didn't even get to the actual gifts! I think the best way to thank you for them would be in a song...
Thank you for being a Secret Santa
Looking all over for Donald and back again
Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidante
Thank you for being a Secret Santa
And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see the worst handwriting was from me
In a card attached that'd say
Thank you for being a Secret Santa
(horrible lyrics, I know!)
So thank you SO MUCH for
"The Golden Girls" Seasons Six and Seven and for
Amy Grant: Greatest Hits and
Amy Grant: The Christmas Collection! Without even unwrapping them, I knew that the CDs would be Amy Grant!

They'll definitely go on rotation in my CDs-for-the-Car collection (which is actually smaller than I'd like, only about 15 CDs).
BTW, wise choice with the wrapping paper. Frosty the Snowman is already and awesome choice, but the latter really got a chuckle out of me. If I had to be burdened with High School Musical on my wrapping paper, I'm glad you made sure it was Ryan and Sharpay Evans!
Your Secret Cindy Lou Who,
Albert "Escapay" Gutierrez