Soapy Claus Got Chased by a Raccoon

That's right. A raccoon.

Did I mention that I live downtown? In a big-ish city? Because I do. I was walking along the busy streets in the urban area that I currently live in -- and out of the corner of my eye I notice a fuzzy thing up ahead. At first I think that it's someone's dog tied up outside the convenience store.

Nope.

It's a raccoon the size of three cats that is getting increasingly anxious as I approach. It locks eyes with me and all I can think about is the episode of This American Life where a woman gets attacked by a rabid raccoon and can't kill it. It just won't die. At this point I turn the eff around and start running as fast as I can. The raccoon chases me until I round the corner and then it jumps a fence into a preschool playground.

Good luck kids. That thing was a big'en.

And at this point you're probably asking yourself, "Okay, that explains the raccoon part of your blog title, but what the hell is Soapy Claus?"

That is a fair and intelligent question. It shows you read the title and expected there to be a reference in the post somewhere about Soapy Claus. I will not disappoint.

I have become obsessed with Estrella Soaps. It's a serious problem. We have stacks of Estrella Soap in our bathroom. It is, quite literally, the best soap in the entire world. It smells amazing and it moisturizes like a motha'. It rules.

So this year for the holidays, I got everyone Estrella Soaps. We have a gigantic box of some of their most awesome scents. Doug started calling me Soapy Claus. And I like it.

So that's how it all fits together. Neat and tidy. Now, just stay away from the intersection of 2nd and Seneca in downtown Seattle unless you want to be mauled by a possibly rabid raccoon.