12/18/98

Work is slowing down as people stop making travel plans and start traveling. Next week will be the quietest week of my year. This week, however, the Christmas frenzy is hitting its stride. Today a huge, obviously drunk man staggered into the office and demanded to buy the gigantic Mickey Mouse in our display window. "Name your price," he said forcefully. We demurred, explaining the stuffed toy belonged to the Walt Disney Corporation and was on loan. "So what's to stop me from breaking the window and just taking it?" he asked rhetorically. His friend in the doorway said, "Come on, 'Dopey,' let's go."

We took Mickey out of our front window 20 minutes after they left and stuck it in the back room. If he comes back this weekend all he'll see are a Disney beach towel, a few posters of Tahiti, and an enormous Cathay Pacific model airplane with one engine fallen off.