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The skinny

By Times Wires
Published December 27, 2007

Christmas cleanup

Death couldn't stop him from sending cards

Friends of Chet Fitch were a little freaked this holiday season when they got his Christmas card. Mostly because the Ashland, Ore., man died in October, and the message in the card reflected that. "I asked Big Guy if I could sneak back and send some cards," it said. "I'll probably be seeing you some sooner than you think." And the return address on the envelope was "Heaven." Fitch had worked it out with his barber more than two decades ago that she would send them after he died. "All I could think was, 'You little stinker,'" said Debbie Hansen Bernard, one of the recipients.

'Santa' lets loose a little in Hollywood

There are often a lot of people dressed a little strangely in Hollywood, so it wasn't all that weird to see a guy in a Santa hat in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater on Sunday night. The weird part was that he was a big guy, about 6-4 and 280 pounds, and was wearing a blond wig, black shoes and leg warmers, a red lace camisole and a purple G-string. "We are pretty sure this is not the Santa Claus," said Deputy Chief Ken Garner. Police were not remotely surprised to find the man, Rick Carroll, had surpassed the legal limit of Christmas cheer. Garner said Carrol's 2008 Impala was impounded. "He had to sober up and find his own reindeer."

Christmas stinks from in septic tank

If you're bellyaching about where you had to spend the holidays, Robert Schoff says you have nothing on his tale of woe. "It wasn't good, I'll tell you what," Schoff said. "It was the worst Christmas Eve I've ever had." And it's hard to argue, since he spent several hours stuck upside down, head first in the opening of his septic tank. He was there for about an hour before his wife, Toni, happened to walk past a window and notice his feet kicking in the air. She couldn't get him out, but called 911 and some very nice police officers pulled the 5-foot-5, 135-pound, 77-year-old out of the tank opening. He had reached in to try to find a clog. "I thought it was the end of my life," Schoff said. "I don't think I could have stood staying in there much more."

Royal inspiration

Architect wants Diana in the skyline

We're not quite seeing it, but the architect of this proposed building in Cincinnati - the "Queen City" - says it was inspired by a picture of Princess Diana wearing a tiara. "(The architect) thought 'That's perfect. Here we have the crown of the building, and the nickname for the city is Queen City,'" said project manager Joe Robertson.

Compiled from Times wire services and other sources by staff writer Jim Webster, who can be reached at jwebster@sptimes.com.

[Last modified December 26, 2007, 23:12:51]