I bought my nephew Gavin a remote controlled car about a month before Christmas.

  The package said the car was for children 24 months-plus. At Christmas Gavin was 24 months plus three weeks.

  We were to go to Jamie and Allison’s for Christmas Eve supper, and about 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, I got out Gavin’s gift and read the instructions on the package. It said the car required three AA batteries and one 9 volt.

  Oh, oh!

  I don’t know about you, but I stockpile AA, AAA and C batteries, but only buy 9 volts when I need them. I needed one on Christmas Eve.

  I dropped everything and made mad dash to town. Thankfully, Saluda was not out of 9 volts. I started to buy a single battery, but for some strange reason I bought a 2-pack.

  Guess what one of my Christmas prizes was? A remote controlled car that required a 9 volt battery.

  Yes, Virginia, there is a Battery Claus.

  I gave Gavin the car on Christmas Eve. I was pretty positive, he would be terrified of it at first.

  We have a Roomba Robotic vacuum cleaner Gavin turns on every time he visits. When it starts moving, Gavin runs out of the room.

  I knew he loved remote controls, so I figured he would eventually get used to the car. On Christmas Eve, however, he would only operate the car while sitting in my lap. He was safe.

  He also mashed both buttons on the remote at the same time, so the car didn’t know if it was coming are going.

  I knew how much Gavin’s sister Kailyn loved to draw, so I got her a set of paints and brushes. The paint was self contained within the brushes. They were lovely, some complete with sparkles. The set came with stencils, and it also came in a case with wheels and a handle, like a carry-on bag.

  When Uncle Ralph bought the paint set, he only saw Kailyn’s artistic learnings. He did not think about Kailyn living in a house that was 75 percent covered with white carpet, carpet that was cleaned just a few days before Christmas Eve.

  I thought Allison was going to die when she saw the paint set. Later, Kailyn and her big sister Erin were coloring a stencil, and Gavin stepped on the stencil and onto the carpet.

  Allison was close by with a rag.

  "Don’t worry, it’s water soluble," I told Allison.

  I don’t know if it is or not, but I thought I’d better tell her that anyway.

  Along with the aforementioned remote controlled car, I got a good looking sports coat on Christmas morning, which was almost exactly like one I already owned.

  Because of my after smoking weight gain, the new one fit better, so I gave the old one to my brother Jamie.

  I also got a music trivia book, which featured a forward by Dick Biondi.

  "I know that guy," I thought.

  I read in the forward by Biondi, who was a Radio Rock and Roll Hall of Fame disc jockey from Chicago.

  The Biondi I met years ago was a disc jockey in North Myrtle Beach, who was renting a house from Grace Spainhour.

  I Googled "Dick Biondi," and his Wikiepedia bio said he worked at one time in North Myrtle Beach.

  I did know the guy who wrote the forward to the book I got for Christmas. How about that coincidence!!!

  We had Christmas brunch at Elizabeth and Rickie’s at 10:30 a.m. This time was chosen so some could make other family gatherings.

  Elizabeth gave Kailyn a robotic horse, about the size of a Shetland pony.

  Needless to say, when the horse’s head began to move, Gavin left the building.

  You’ll gather from this column, many of us derived great pleasure this Christmas in terrifying a two-year-old.

  Gavin matured as the days passed. The day after Christmas Jamie and Allison hosted Allison’s parents, her brother and sisters and their families.

  I joined them for supper and saw Gavin operate the remote controlled car without sitting in anyone’s lap.

  He also fed the carrot to Kailyn’s horse ... as long as he was holding on to somebody’s leg.

  On a final Christmas note, remember my comments in my column last week on the Snuggies?

  Christmas morning I got a package for Morgan and Shelby. I tore open the paper and saw something soft and red inside.

  "You didn’t," I said to them.

  Yes, it was a Snuggie, but it was a joke. Morgan and Shelby actually own Snuggies, and wrapped up one of there’s.

  They made me put in on before I "reluctantly" gave the ugly thing back to them.

  Cameras flashed as I modeled the Snuggie. I sent some Christmas pictures out to family members that afternoon, including that photo.

  My Uncle Keith in Spartanburg wanted to know why I was dressed like a monk. See!

  I was saddened to learn of the death James Porter.

  Since James was a product of the Emory Community, I knew him all my life.

  I really got to know him, however, when his son Charles and daughter Melissa became members of our Yankee little league team, and James because a member of our coaching staff.

  I saw James display that uncanny ability you parents have - seeing out of the back of your heads.  

  In 1976 our Yankees won the league championship with an 18-1-1. We had some close games, and we also had some romps.

  In one of those blowout games, James had his back turned to the field and was talking to someone at the fence.

  The batter hit the ball to our shortstop Dickie McDaniel, who made a great backhand stop and threw to second.

  Unfortunately, there was no runner on first.

  In mid-sentence, James turned to the field and yelled to Dickie, "Boy, what are you doing?"

  I still don’t know how James saw that play.

  Because of youth baseball, James became a member of the Civitan Club, the organization that sponsored the program back then.

  He volunteered his time at a school for learning disabled children in Greenwood, and encouraged the Civitans to support special needs children with their time and money.

  James was also the Civitans’ Candy Box Chairman. He used his vehicle and gas to travel to stores around the county, where he placed a box filled with peppermint candy.

  Poeple donated change to buy a piece of candy. All proceeds went the the Special Olympics. Of course, James wrapped all the change, too. It’s no telling how many thousands of dollars were raised for the Special Olympics because of his dedication.

  Children of ability and disability had a great friend in James Porter.

  He will be missed.