reading time: 4 minutes

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 1. In this week’s song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?

I’ve been watching lots of holiday movies, so lots of Santas there.

To be honest, as much as I love the holidays, the big guy himself is something I tend to avoid. At least, a real life version of him. My dad, who died almost 8 years ago, was a Santa deadringer. To the point that the holiday season for him meant pulling out the suit to do his duty in the Santa Army at charity events all over the county. So it pulls at my heart.

2. Finally Elvis just can’t take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?

Any one? Just kidding. Not really an indvidivual. More of a collective group of people. And that’s as far as I’ll go with that for the moment!

3. “Just Because” is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?

I have not been to Memphis, or Tennessee at all. Slightly unrelated, I live in Hawai’i, which is another Elvis mecca!

4. Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. “Just Because” is one of them, and it was included on Elvis’ first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?

Holiday shopping. I research a LOT before spending a dime. Spreadsheets, price comparisons, coupon codes… you name it. Plus I shop throughout the year, taking advantage of sales along the way. I save hundreds that way.

5. In 1956, when “Just Because” was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?

A couple skillets, I think!

6. Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?

Definitely not. I live in military retiree housing. Not bougie enough for stained glass!

7. He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis’ gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car’s expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?

I had a pair of love birds once. They were… a handful!

Fun fact about where I live… the islands have a ton of wild chickens roaming about, in large part due to hurricanes that set them free. There are also free-ranging peacocks here and there, one such place heavily populated with them being Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific (NCTAMS PAC), right near where I am. There are more at Fort Shafter, where my husband works. Side note… there are also wallabys roaming Kahuku Valley, descendents of zoo escapees.

8. Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?

Honolulu International is the only commercial airport on the island. But we live less than a mile Wheeler Army Airfield… an airport for the military?

9. When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas). Do you think it’s ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?

I say do what you want to do. So many people get utterly offended by people who put them up “too early” or take them down “too late,” but who gets decided what those times are? Traditionally, we do ours the day after Thanksgiving, although the day shifts a little depending on my son’s work schedule. And they come down outside by the 15th, the date set by Army Housing. (Although since COVID, they’ve relaxed the outdoor dec rules.) Inside, however, they come down whenever the hell I decide. I love holiday decorations, so I hate taking them down right away.

But then again, I’m the one with a plethora of trees…

• the main family tree
• a tabletop pink bottlebrush tree with tiny birds on my desk
• a tabletop tree with seashells and sea stars
• a big tabletop tree that’s Pokemon themed (one of my son’s)
• a tabletop tree with serial killer trading card deco (mine. what can I say? I’m into true crime.)
• a white tabletop tree on my coffee table
• a vintage white tree that was my grandmother’s, pushing 70 years old (the tree)
• a tall skinny white tree
• a medium silver tree

The latter three form a tree garden on the balcony overlooking the living room.

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