Ho Ho HMO!

I don’t know if all the recent news feeds about us raising a nation of obese children are true, but from the looks of things at the mall this past weekend, Santa’s gonna be opting for knee replacement surgery during the off season. If Santa Claus rates as jolly because of his size, we have some kids out there who are close to hysterical euphoria. I don’t know what kind of insurance the Elves’ Union has, but I hope it’s not an HMO. Santa will have to get permission to go out of network, and it’s hard enough finding an elven orthopedist without having to get one within sleigh-ride distance of a team of flying reindeer. And while Rudolph seems nice enough, I don't think he would be trustworthy with a scalpel and a bottle of pain medication.

So for Christmas this year, when you hear the familiar jingle of bells and hoof beats on the rooftop, leave Santa a little something to cover his medical bills. From the look on his face when I waddled up to sit on his knee yesterday, the man is seriously in need of some help.