The Candy Cart

Dixon trots The Candy Cart out for us every Friday ... twice. First round's at noon, just before lunch when everyone's a bit peckish, and then again at 3.00pm, when the second crew's just arrived .... and the morning crew is peckish again.

For three bucks you fill your cup with all sorts. I tend to fill mine with wine gums, top it off with a scoop of Presidents Choice glossette peanuts (a super chubby brand of choc peanuts), then stuff a few swedish berries in the gaps. I think to myself "I'll just have one or two off the top, take the rest home for Fred". Fred is, to this day, unaware that The Candy Cart rolls past my door every Friday ... twice.

Dixon had a fabulous day on his cart! He raised $337 ! At one point he ran out of cups and someone had to run round the corner to get him more from the dollar store.

He had a captive audience on the main floor of our building. Friday the 13th was our annual "Miracle on Broad Street", a radio telethon fundraiser for Santas Anonymous. It was mayhem down there! Seriously crowded. But Dixon worked his way through, despite his fear of crowds.

Dixon comes in Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon till 4pm. On the dot. At 2pm he drops everything, on the dot, for his fifteen minute break. He spends his break downloading music, one of his (many) obsessions. He has specific tasks each shift and you can't change the timing of any of them unless you warn him one shift in advance. That's the way he rolls.

Once he's settled into a particular task, Dixon dons his headphones. And sings. Quite loudly. Sort of like this .... "R-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-X-anne!!" And whatever Dixon is listening to is what everyone else ends up whistling or humming or drumming on their desk ... or downloading. It's good.

Anyway, Santas Anonymous goal was $250,000 on Friday. They did $376,337 including Dixon's Candy Cart earnings, which he kindly threw into the pot as he shot out the front door at the end of his shift at 4pm ... on the dot.