This weekend I was an embedded elf for the Spokane Fantasy Flight to the North Pole.

The event, now in its 12^th or 13^th year, scoops up 60 disadvantaged children from the Spokane, WA area and brings them to the airport for a very real flight to a very realistic-looking “North Pole.” There, they find reindeer, an all-you-can-eat buffet of candy, gifts galore, oodles of elves and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus.

For me, the real magic took place at the security checkpoint at the Spokane International Airport.

While ‘regular’ Saturday afternoon passengers were trying to catch their flights, the TSOs (Transportation Security Officers) on duty cheerily processed dozens of kids taking their first airplane trip and 100 or so chaperone-elves decked out in outlandish, heavily jingled-belled costumes.

Even the enhanced pat-downs seems downright jolly .

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