How did this happen? It can’t be Christmastime already. But I know it is because there was X-mas Muzak in the Hong Kong airport and now the house down the street has its illuminated holiday sign: “Ho Ho,” it says on the roof. “Ho” it says on the porch just below. So of course I always read it as “Hoho, ‘ho.”
Many years ago I produced a half-hour Christmas special for public radio. People tell me it’s still floating around out there on the airwaves, but I have no idea where or when. That’s okay. Here it is.
‘Tis the Season begins with the divinely corny theme music written and performed by Hot Combo. Then you’ll hear a whole lot of me — unusual for my work, believe it or not — starting with a recording of Dad and me singing Silent Night when I was two. But there are lots of other great people in there, many of them (like Dad) dead now: A woman homesteader remembers brutal North Dakota winters in the 1920s, blues legend Brownie McGhee describes homemade Christmas presents, Adi’s father reveals that all New York Santas gain entry through the fire escape, and an Oroville grandfather tells about how he uses the snow machine to make his plastic Christmas tree even more realistic.
HO HO, HO!