On a recent December morning, weeks before Christmas, United States Postal Service mail carrier Lesly Gonzalez gave Santa Claus a run for his money, hand-delivering letters and small packages to the shop owners of Ventura Boulevard.
During the holidays, Gonzalez works overtime, sometimes clocking in for 10 hours a day, six days a week. She typically averages nine miles on her pedometer, but in the weeks before Christmas, her route gets longer. "The packages get pretty heavy," she says.
Still, she doesn't mind the extra cash, which she spends on presents for loved ones. Plus, she said, walking down a stretch of sidewalk decorated in garlands and bells, "It's actually kind of nice. The spirit goes up. Holidays have effects on people."
Over her blue-collared shirt and navy shorts, Gonzalez wore a red dress with white trim, paired with red knee-high socks. On her head was a small Santa hat. She greeted each of her customers with a lilting voice. "Good morning!" she called out to the owner of a perfume shop. "Buenos días!" she said to a diner waitress. She was greeted warmly in return.
"I enjoy it," she said of her holiday route. "It sounds like a long day, but once you're doing it, it really is not as bad."