A Christmas memory

My father loved to do his own Christmas shopping.  He would go out a few days before the big day and wander shops looking for the perfect gift, which was always a wallet for me and lotion for my mother.  He also got interesting gifts that one would never think of owning, and Christmas was quite entertaining when opening up his presents.

The second Christmas of Madison's life my father drove to Florida.  Along the way he stopped at a Cracker Barrel and found a gift he was sure Madison would love.  It was a typical Russ Mason gift.  It was a creepy real-life looking bass fish on a plague with a Santa hat.  On the front was a sensor that when activated would start the bass, named Billy, singing.  His little fish mouth would open and close and his tail, with a bell attached, would shake.  Madison was scared to death of the thing.  Which in turn only made my Dad laugh harder.

We had to put Billy Bass away for several years because each time we would bring him out Madison would run in the opposite direction screaming bloody murder.  It got so we would just take him out of the Christmas box and put him to the side never to peek inside his bag.  This year, however, I got him out and put in batteries to see if Madison would do her thing.  This year she just giggled.  At some point Tom took the fish and glued him to the front of our house to the right of our door.  It had to have been done at night.

Because the next day after everyone was off to school and work Billy Bass began singing.  Apparently, Tom did shut off the sensor button in the back and apparently it has bionic sensor because every time a car passed my house Billy Bass sang.  I could not turn off the button in the back because Tom glued the animal to my wall.  All day long Billy sang as cars passed by, and every time Billy Bass sang Elliot ran to the door barking.  By the end of the day I thought I would kill Billy with my bare hands.

The second day was more of the same until I went outside and surveyed the scene.  I wish I had done it earlier because a little piece of black duct tape over the sensor shut Billy right up.  I am thinking of taking it off tomorrow since I don't think many cars will pass by my house, but maybe the few that do will bring us a little cheer.  And Madison and I will think of Russ and laugh...