Okay, this has been one shitty year, but I’m looking forward to today. I’m not much of a holiday person, but I have one Xmas tradition I always look forward to and that’s the annual “Pause With Mr. Claus” out at the Northwoods Mall.

This started six years ago and I turn the tables on Santa Claus and take him some sort of treat or some presents. It’s always a lot of fun and it always puts me in a festive mood!

The last couple of years I’ve combined this with a fun and festive trip to one of my favorite locally-owned gift shops Relics, so let’s get over there and let this fun holiday tradition start!

Here we are at Relics. This is one of my favorite gift shops in Peoria!

The place is jam-packed with fun and unique items you won’t find anywhere else in Peoria.

Let’s take a look around.

It’s always a blast to shop in here!

It’s 2020, so of course there’s masks and hand sanitizers.

I love the Mac & Cheesus! “Good Lord It’s Good!” Ha ha ha!

And that beard kit might be a perfect gift for Santa!

Relics features items hand-made items created by local artists. Here’s an installation by Rachel Newell, a collage artist from Chillicothe.

Her artist statement is at the top and these are beautiful works of art. There’s collage art cubes, cards and buttons. You can see more of Rachel’s work here.

Laurie and Nadia were behind the counter and they were both looking beautiful in their masks.

They wrapped up the gifts and we had a nice conversation. Relics is one of the friendliest places in town!

This year, more than ever, shop local and support our Peoria businesses. They need your support more than ever before!

Here’s what I got for Santa this year: One of Rachel’s buttons that says, “Bitch, Please!” on it, the beard kit and a mask for Santa. I even hand-lettered the gift bag!

Alright, here we are at Northwoods Mall. Let’s go in and start this year’s festive adventure!

Oh shit! Look at the gumball machines…they’re closed! I hope Chad Wallace doesn’t see this! Looks like we may have to postpone this year’s gumball counting episode!

The merry-go-round is closed too. Let’s move along, this is kind of depressing.

Let’s go see Santa, my festive mood is evaporating fast!

Okay, this is more like it! Santa’s village is all it up and sparkly, let’s go inside!

Oh no!

What the fuck? I made an appointment online! This can’t be!

I went in and no Santa, just an empty chair

I waited around and he never showed up. Just an empty chair.

It doesn’t get much more 2020 than this folks!

I left my presents and came back home. I hadn’t had a good day prior to this and this was the straw that broke my back.

I kept staring at that photo of the empty chair and it made me obsess over this whole nightmare of a year and what’s happened to all of us.

The country’s never been more divided, there’s a horrible virus that just seems to be getting worse every day and everyone, including myself, seems to be consumed with hate.

After obsessing for hours, I realized that the chair wasn’t the only empty thing in the room. 2020 took away something important from me and I think from a lot of us: Hope.

Well, you know what? Fuck you, 2020, I have hopes that 2021 will be a better year. I may have missed Santa this year, but in a weird way, it brought hope back into my life. In less than a month, 2020 will be in the rear view mirror, let’s watch it shrink while we all put the pedal to the metal and fly into 2021.

There’s still some rough times ahead, but let’s try and slowly exchange the hate for hope everyone.

We’ll never all agree, but let’s try and get together. Let’s all relax, have a seat and get along in that empty chair that 2020 gave us. United we sit, divided we fall.

Now I have to go and prepare my airing of the grievances. We’ll see you all tomorrow!

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Relics

1219 W. Glen Avenue

Peoria

309-681-9588

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Hope of deliverance from the darkness that surrounds us…

Surprise link, click on it…I dare you!