The Big Guy Turns 83

So the big guy turns 83 today.  He seems depressed but that's all part of the disease so we're gonna do our best to get him out of his funk.  Mom started out by making him his favorite breakfast ... I just experimented in the kitchen and made him a turkey Panini (anything more than a Panini would've been disastrous).  He said he liked it; maybe just being nice, who knows.  Of course there will be an abundance of cucumbers cut with a salt and pepper drizzle.  Those are a staple in his diet.  I don't remember a time we were ever without cucumbers for more than a day.

We are currently arguing over the reasons I think Gillette's are better than Bics.  "Remember that razor you had that looked like a car shifter in the 80s?  Wasn't that a Gillette?" I say.  "Bye.  I'm going to the store to buy Bics."  Those are the extent of our arguments these days lol.  They're really simple.  It seems like almost every day, something new confuses him, even if just for a minute.  Sometimes it lasts a lot longer than a minute.  We pull him back, and his recovery is perfect.  "Oh yea yea I know that!" lol.  I don't even think the word 'thankful' can accurately describe how I feel about being able to have my dad every day and write about him in this blog.  My parents are simply my favorite people besides Drew.  They are both a wealth of knowledge and love.  They love us with everything they have and we know it.  Our family is crazy, we fight, we talk shit, there's drama, but there's so much love it's unbelievable.

These days I try to ask dad as many questions as I possibly can about everything; how long were you in  the Korean War, what was it like living in Detroit when it was beautiful, what was your favorite part of raising horses, why do you like white bread better than wheat?  These are all questions I ask him.  I know I drive him crazy sometimes and he laughs at me, but I'm taking it all in.  Every second except when he's lost.  I push those moments aside and in reality, I'm probably in the process of blacking them all out.  That's not our dad.  Drew woke up this morning amidst dad's cell phone rings with my sibs one by one, calling to wish him a happy bday.  I told her to remember its papa's bday and say it when you go downstairs.  She went downstairs and sang Happy Birthday to him, the whole song.  His eyes lit up, it was cute.  It was a good start to both of their mornings.  Just something that little.  Loved it.

We are taking dad to one of his favorite restaurants tonight, Rocky's in Northville.  Of course he'll order a filet cooked medium; he lives for steak.  Dads a steak n potatoes guy.  Actually so are all of the boys.  It's probably MOST boys right?  I'm sure he'll have something funny to say for me to post on Facebook.  I'm sure every waitress and bartender that knows him will stop at the table.  I can only hope that if I'm here for 83 years, I can have as lucky a life as he has had.  For so many people to love someone that much, that's gotta be just a little bit of magic.