Old School

Dads can be wise guys.  Mine is a big man, raucous and strident.  Still, most everyone loves him; he's fiery, spirited, joyous, loyal and unselfish. He possesses a flat-0ut cavernous cache of quips and corn-beams for a situation.  Now, I catch myself  dropping the old jokes.  Remind myself they're not my lines. 

A life-long friend popped down on a cross-country trek with his sweet dog, Haley.  We had a great time visiting over Vino's Pinnacle IPA and pizza.  I guided a tour of LR, and then we sat up with H past midnight catching up on everything.  Talked over the Charlie Brown Christmas album.  After college we had lost touch but about five years ago, reconnected and have seen each other almost twice a year since.  Between visits we don't talk on the phone, don't email. There is the occasional joke-text and reply, but that's it.  This time, a conversation topic was the nature of our friendship.  We tried to define it, not too hard understand.  We were too busy chuckling.  Haley, his sweet, road-weary dog fell asleep on the couch between H and me with her head in my lap.

When he was leaving this morning over scrambled eggs, toast, O.J. and coffee, I hugged him and said, "Man, come back sometime when you can't stay so long." 

Merry Christmas Skidz.   Thanks for the visit,

MJF