Man About Town: A Christmas special delivery

Chris Erskine dons his wife’s gardening gloves to work at a Christmas tree lot in South Pasadena.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Tying trees to car roofs can get tricky.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Erskine helps UPS driver Dave Nieto deliver Christmas and holiday packages in Santa Monica. The easy part of the day? Driving.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Lift with the legs.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Making sure that holiday packages arrive in a timely manner is UPS driver Dave Nieto, with an assist from Erskine.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Wait, who’s this? Oh, yes: Erskine prosthetically made up as a resident of Whoville for Grinchmas at Universal Studios.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Erskine and elementary schoolchildren get in the holiday spirit with a snowball fight at Universal Studios Hollywood.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Pastor Gary Dennis, right, of La Canada Presbyterian Church talks about his 40 Christmas sermons as a minister.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)