One Fine Day

If you would permit me... I would ask your indulgence... as I take a brief moment to brag about my family. And... since its my blog... should you deny me... I will simply give you the metaphorical bird and do it anyway... dammit.

Father's Day began the way all should... a morning ride with a beautiful girl... on a gorgeous day with nary a cloud in the sky. It was as if God looked down and smiled on middle Tennessee... as He so often does.

We left the boys with DJ and hit the old roads for short ride. I suppose we were about to turn for home when DrWho decided she hadn't quite had enough and suggested a trip by mom and dad's.

Serendipity! We head over there... have a quick cup of coffee and invite them to breakfast with us...

Breakfast... Father's Day Breakfast.... at THE Cracker Barrel! I salivate from the mere memory. Sausage, Eggs, Biscuits and Gravy, Grits, Chicken Fried Chicken with more Gravy, Hashbrown Caserole... I waddled out of there. There are few joys like this... Enjoying a meal with my parents... my wife... 3 boys.. and bonus!!! DJ! My boys are very well behaved in public... but the are always Rock Stars at Cracker Barrel. I don't know what it is... Jeb is just a shameless flirt. The cute blonde waitresses get hugs and kisses...Can't imagine where he got that. Plus Eli has to make the rounds to talk to every baby in the place.

So how do you improve on this?

Well duh...

Julie and the boys go shooting with me! How's that for a Father's Day Tradition? No range reports right now... I'll just point out that apparently both the Steyr and the Glock .45 shoot inside 10 inches at 50 yards. 50 YARDS!!!!

So then of course... its off to get some ice cream... where in it occured to us... hrmm...

See my Dad really enjoys TV. No really. He REALLY enjoys it. He's a babyboomer. I make no judgement... I'm just sayin'. So see... my parents TV went tits up... and he's been relegated to a 27 inch Cathode Ray monstrosity built in like 1991. Meanwhile... JAC and I both abhore television... but we both have BadAss HD LCDs.

This is pure injustice... and Julie and I just couldn't abide. I mean.. it would be like dad having a 1200GSA down in the basement while we rode around on early 90s GS500s.

So what did we do?

We did the one thing left that would improve the day.

Dad got called into work... so he walked out of the house 10 minutes before we carried in his new 42 inch Plasma.

I don't think I'll get to be there when he gets home to see it... but I'm confident he'll stare at it... agape... awe struck... mouth open stunned... for like two hours. This is precisely the reaction I have in mind.

Mom called him... and handed me the phone... and when I told him the news... all he could muster to get out was "you... you...you can't do that!" You can't!"

"Oh? I can't? I do believe I get to decide what I am or am not gonna get you on Father's Day."

"But... I... I... I don't know what to say."

Unfortunately... that was true... and since he didn't know what else to say... he just said thank you.... over and over and over.

He even went so far as to call my brothers... and tell them to tell me thank you.

I really couldn't tell you if which I enjoyed more... Cracker Barrel or carryin' that box into mom and dad's house...

Y'all when shootin' with your family is the third most fun you had... it was a damned fine day. Dads... It is my sincerest hope that you were as celebrated as I... and fellow son's and daughters... I hope you had as much fun celebrating your dad as I did.