Shimmying through the vents? Let me explain

Do you know those stories and references only your immediate family would get?

If any of us in my household reference me "shimmying through the vents" it'll draw an immediate chuckle. 

Let me try to explain.

In the newspaper business, it's not uncommon to work weekends and some holidays. I'm sure I've worked them all. I previously wrote about hauling the grill in on the occasional Labor Day. But I've worked Christmas, Fourth of July and plenty of New Year's Days. It's not an official holiday -- though for those on the night shift they should get bonus pay -- but I've also worked many New Year's Eves. 

Five years ago, I worked New Year's Eve and it happened to coincide with when the St. Petersburg Times changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times. We were producing the first edition with the new brand.

As my family joked about working on the big night, my creative and super hero-loving son concocted this tale of me shimmying through the vents to make the name change come to fruition. Why it stuck I'll never know, but in my household, it's a go-to reference right up there with "cornbread."

Maybe we'll tell that story at another time.