updateIt is getting real exciting here at the North Pole. Santa launches in just two hours.

Santa remains asleep at this time. Mrs. Claus wants him to sleep as long as he possibly can.

But his sleigh is ready to go. Elf Gloria gave it her seal of approval a short time ago. It is ready. Things turned around when Elf Doyle showed up eating a sandwich. When Elf Quinton asked him where he got the sandwich Doyle simply said “The fridge.” as he continued to watch them work on the bells. When he said that both the Silversmith and Elf Quinton looked at each other and smiled. Elf Doyle had accidentally given them both a great idea. The Silversmith — without a coat on — quickly took the bells he was working on and he thrust them into the snow piled up next to the sleigh barn. He let them sit there for about five minutes before he brought them back inside and allowed them to slowly warm up. Within 30 minutes they were at room temperature and at last they were a perfect match for the rest of the bells on the sleigh.

“I don’t know why we didn’t think of that earlier,” said Elf Quinton. “Silver is a pure metal. That is why Santa uses it on his sleigh. But it sounds different at various temperatures. The new bells we were installing were still really hot from the Silversmith crafting them. He needed to cool them down and we both failed to realize it.”

Well, whatever. I don’t understand all the technical details but it makes me happy to know that Santa’s sleigh is good to go.

— Elf Ernest
Direct from Santa’s Newsroom at the North Pole

launchcountdown

Estimated Time to Launch: 2 hours
Current North Pole Weather: 12 Degrees, Blizzard Conditions
Command Center Status: All systems are go, all lights are green
Santa’s Status: Napping.
Reindeer Status: Eating a meal.
Santa’s Workshop Status: 97% complete, catching up
Santa’s Sleigh Status: 100% ready, all issues resolved
Wrapping Department Status: 99% complete, waiting on the workshop to complete
North Pole Christmas Party Readiness: 100% complete
North Pole Medical Center Report: No new cases of sickness reported
North Pole Post Office Status: 99% complete, half staff now working, others diverted to Santa’s Workshop
Latest Secret Spy Reports: Extreme fire danger reported in western Australia; high temps reported in the Amazon; broken fence reported in Denver, Colorado…
Where it is Christmas Eve now: Shanghai, Yakutsk
Where it is Christmas morning now: Nowhere