In my younger days (please refrain from any "senior" comments--I know where you live!) I financed a lot of my adventures by working in fast food restaurants.

First at my dad's Orange Julius (for a whopping $1.40 an hour, incredibly, a legal wage then), then McDonald's, and later Wendy's.

Fry man. Dress man. Grill man. It was sweaty, greasy work. But it was also fun and put plenty of cash in my pocket so I could take off on big dreamy trips.

Like driving across the US for two months in my brother's red Chevy van, visiting as many national parks as we could squeeze in and getting a taste of personal freedom that has never been satisfied.

The next year it was a five-month thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. 2,100 miles of life-altering adventure, walking northward, and home, with the seasons.

And finally, such work afforded me a few years of college and the essential monies for food and beer.

Good stuff. But it took money, and my stints in the burger joints made all the difference.

And that's why still to this day I have a warm spot in my heart for all who toil away in the funny uniforms asking if you'd like that super-sized. They're probably financing their dreams too.

So, at this very special time of year, please join me in a little holiday cheer and sing along in celebration of the season...