My Old Man

Happy Friday, friends. What I always admired about my old man, among many other things, is that he never tries to be cool. He is what he is, there's no image he's trying to uphold. He's not too proud to wear a worn out teenage girl's jacket to plow snow. He's happy to tell you about an episode of Amos & Andy that he just listened to on cassette, or give you the farm report. He proudly wore his mustache long after it was fashionable to do so (if it ever was). While some folks his age were buying big trucks or sports cars, my old man bought several cars which could be the antithesis of the masculine car. Among them were not one, not two, not three, but four Chevy AstroVans & not one, not two, but three Dodge Omni's (actually, two Omnis & one Chrysler Horizon, same car). I saw an Omni the other day that looked exactly like the one he bought brand new in 1988. If I could've, I would've bought it for him right then & there. He never was a drinker or a smoker, no, his vices were much more controversial. Little Debbie Snacks & Winn Schuler's Bar Scheeze are his downfalls, although he could survive, if he had to, on canned tomatoes over macaroni. He's quirky in every sense of the word, which in my eyes will always be cool. We always had fun playing basketball in the driveway, watching the Three Stooges, playing Ping Pong, going to baseball games & baseball card shows, mowing the lawn, chopping wood, going to Bud's & doing all kinds of other things. Here's to you, pops, I hereby announce that we will postpone your birthday to Monday this year so you don't have to spend it at a wedding rehearsal dinner.

for you, a song...




Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Simple Twist of Fate-Bob Dylan, Earl's Court, 1981

In the Summertime-Bob Dylan, Earl's Court, 1981

Resurrection Fern-Iron & Wine, The Shepherd's Dog

Flightless Bird, American Mouth-Iron & Wine, the Shepherd's Dog

The Old Revolution-Leonard Cohen, Songs from a Room

Happy Friday, friends...

andrew