A Chipmunk Christmas

 

 

 

Chipmunks

From Thanksgiving through Christmas, the radio station we listen to at work plays only Christmas music; 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (You can listen to it live online at, kjwl.com) We all love Christmas music, especially since we only listen to it seasonally, and we all have our favorite carols.  I have a few Christmas carols I like a lot, but one brings back a very special memory from childhood; The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) by Alvin and the Chipmunks. I know, I know, you’re thinking I’ve lost my mind, but I have a great story.

Ross Bagdassarian, the creator of Alvin & The Chipmunks was born and raised in Fresno, CA. Bagdassarian was a songwriter and he and his cousin, William Saroyan (yes, THE William Saroyan, also from Fresno) co-wrote the song, Come On-A My House which was recorded by Rosemary Clooney.   As a party joke, Bagdassarian taped his voice singing a song and sped it up three different degrees. This was a huge hit at the party and David Seville (Bagdassarian) and the Chipmunks were born; a party joke had turned into a multi-million dollar business.

Bagdassarian rented a house in Fresno which was owned by my parents. My Dad and Grandfather used to do all the repairs on the rental properties. One day, my Dad tells me, “we’re going to David Seville’s house to do repairs; do you want to come along?” I was 8 years-old, of course I wanted to go to the Chipmunks home! So we get to the house and my Dad introduces me to “David Seville.”

Alvin & The Chipmunks

 I then very politely ask if Alvin, Theodore and Simon are home. Mr. Seville, with all seriousness, told me they were napping and couldn’t come out at that time. This was my close brush with the Chipmunks and it remains a very fond memory to this day. Just thought I’d share that with you.

Christmas is Coming

This time of year, all day long, we get phone calls asking about deliveries. We totally understand this; we’re buying Christmas gifts, too, and want them by Christmas. Do you have it in stock? When will you ship? How long will it take to get here? While people ask these questions all year long, it is just so much more so during the Christmas season. Our goal is to always deliver when we say we’re going to deliver. Most importantly, if we don’t have it in stock, we say we don’t have it in stock and really try to give an accurate estimated time of arrival. It’s as important to us that you receive your order when promised as it is to you. We know how frustrating it is to wait for something you really want (we’re the same way with our vendors). We never want to over-promise and under-deliver, you have our word on that; we’ll always be upfront about your order status.  We’re very pleased to say that we have a pretty good delivery record and we will keep trying to make it even better!Santa Claus Delivering Gifts

Santa Claus Delivering Gifts

Gift Certificates

Gift Certificates are still available, and thanks to the magic of the internet and email, we can scan and email your certificates immediately. No fretting about whether they will arrive on time! But, if you do want an item shipped, we have a lot of stock on hand and available for immediate shipping. UPS expedited shipping can still deliver before Christmas!

So, on that note, I’m on my way out to the warehouse to help unpack incoming product and ship out the orders. Just like that…it’s MAGIC!

Until next time,

Paul