Happy Father's Day Photo From Nephew Jason

Incoming email this Father's Day morning, with a photo from long ago, with the source not being Microsoft's OneDrive Memory from this Day.

The source of this photo is my Favorite Nephew Jason.

Explanatory text in the email from Jason...

I recently stumbled across this photo of your parents and myself with your 3 beautiful sisters.   Circa 1979.  Thought you'd enjoy this.

That would be my mom holding Baby Jason. With my dad behind mom. You likely were able to figure that out without me explaining.

The big sister on the left is known as Nancy, the middle sister is Jackie, with littlest sister, Michele on the right.

The year being 1979 would have my dad being 49, if I am doing the arithmetic correctly. That is way younger than my current age. Mom would be 46, again, if I am doing the arithmetic correctly.

The fact that dad is wearing a tie, and mom and two-thirds of my sisters are wearing dresses, indicates to me this photo must have been taken at some sort of church event. I do not recognize the location. 

And apparently I was not there when this photo was taken. By that point in time, 1979, I tended to shy away from any church type events, a tendency which continues to this day in 2024...

Happy Juneteenth Father's Day

I really do not like how it seems to be that time is flying by faster all the time.

Hard to believe it has been five years since I had a Father's Day McDonald's Buffet with my dear ol' dad.

At that point in time I blogged about that particular Father's Day in Dad's Father's Day McDonald's Buffet With Uncle Mooch & Tillie.

A screen cap of such is what you see above, with dad staring at the camera whilst holding one of his McDonald's favorites, likely an Egg McMuffin.

Today is the first time the new Juneteenth holiday and Father's Day are happening on the same day.

I had a nice HOT Father's Day hike in Lucy Park this morning, feeling a bit melancholy. So much has happened and changed since five years ago today. And before you know it, another five years will fly by...

My Final Happy Father's Day Was Four Years Ago Today

I did not know it at the time, but four years ago today I had my last all you can eat buffet with my dear ol' dad. Dad lasted on this mortal coil less than two weeks after the 2017 version of Father's Day.

I blogged about that Father's Day McDonald's buffet in Dad's Father's Day McDonald's Buffet With Uncle Mooch & Tillie, part of which is screen capped above.

I also did not know at the time that that month of June was the start of several years of the most unsettling years I remember being unsettled by.

When I learned dad was in bad shape I quickly made arrangements to go to Arizona.

Via driving solo.

My vehicle came to a halt a few miles east of Flagstaff.  An hour or so later a tow truck arrived delivering me to a repair shop. Five hours later, with a new fuel pump, I was back on the road, arriving at my little brother's in Scottsdale shortly before dark.

The next day I called my mom to say I'd be there in about an hour. My Favorite Nephew Jeremy was about to take mom to see dad. Mom said they would wait for me. I'd only been to mom and dad's place in Sun Lakes a couple times, and never under my own navigation. In other words, I got lost. Had to call so Jeremy could get me back on track to find Riggs Road.

Little did I know then that over the following years I would be returning to Arizona so many times finding Riggs Road became second nature, as did multiple other locations in the Phoenix metro zone.

I stayed in Arizona for about three weeks, with record breaking HEAT. I was dreading the return to Texas drive, fearing another breakdown. But, I made it back without incident, other than not being able to find a motel with a vacancy when I got to West Texas. Had I known such was the case I would have overnighted in El Paso. 

I made it back to Wichita Falls early the next morning. About a month later I found myself flying out of Wichita Falls for the first time. That was an adventure, flying a little plane to DFW International.

Little did I know, at the time, that this would be the first of multiple times flying out of Wichita Falls over the next two plus years.

That first time I flew out of here it was to Washington, where David, Theo and Ruby picked me up at Sea-Tac, along with their mother, my Favorite Little Sister, Michele. This was my first real happy moment in weeks. The first of many happy moments over the next week in Washington, including three days up north, at Birch Bay, delivering dad to his final resting place in the Dutch section of Lynden's Monumenta Cemetery

Instead of flying directly back to Texas I flew to Arizona for a week to see mom. That was in mid August of 2017. Late January of 2018 I flew directly to Arizona for the first of many times, the last time was in July of 2019.

Anyway, enough of this reminiscing about these past four unsettling years, losing both mom and dad. The ongoing Trump nightmare, topped off by the COVID nightmare. Methinks happier times are soon here again.

I certainly hope so...

2020 Flooding Father's Day

It was four years ago today that I called my dad for the last time to wish him a Happy Father's Day.

It was three years ago today that I was able to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day, in person, for what turned out to be my dad's last Happy Father's Day.

On my dad's last Father's Day my favorite brother-in-law, Jack, and his first wife, my sister Jackie, brought a McDonald's all you can eat buffet of all my dad's McDonald's favorites to the banquet room of my dad's final home zone.

I blogged about what turned out to be dad's last McDonald's Happy Father's Day buffet in a post titled Dad's Father's Day McDonald's Buffet With Uncle Mooch & Tillie.

Little did I know, at the time, that I was to be seeing Uncle Mooch about two months later, along with Uncle Mooch's first wife, Aunt Jane.

I had been sort of holding out hope that the current world situation would improve enough by now so that my long planned trip to Washington could take place next month. But, I think the current world situation is about to get worse.

This morning's weather at my Texas location is a perfect metaphor for my current drippy melancholy.

Thunder stormed during the night. Soon after the arrival of illumination this morning dark clouds began delivering copious amounts of downpouring rain, along with a booming musical accompaniment of thunder drums.

That is the super wet view from my computer room window you are seeing above.

The current result of all that rain is my abode is now surrounded by a moat. This is the most substantial moat I have been surrounded by since living at this location.

The rain has finally stopped, for now, the flooding is subsiding somewhat. I think I will venture out in it and see if I can make it to my vehicle.

I almost forgot to wish a Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day In A Fog

Around noon this Father's Day Sunday I sent out Happy Father's Day text messages to all the Father's in my phone.

Well, almost all of them.

One of the replies to those Happy Father's Day messages was from Hank Frank's Father, Joey, who sent me the pic you see here.

That is Hank Frank's grandpa, Jake, you see him reading to.

In the Happy Father's Day text message to Hank Frank's grandpa I asked if he would be seeing Hank Frank's dad, Joey, and Spencer Jack's dad, Jason, today.

The reply was in the negative, that grandpa Jake was spending Father's Day in a fog in Hoodsport, whilst Joey was at home in the Skagit Valley and Jason was at the Mall of America.

Soon thereafter Jason called and I learned he was not yet in Wisconsin, that he and Spencer Jack were flying out of Sea-Tac later today, heading to that aforementioned mall, and to the Wisconsin Dells, and Lake Michigan, in no particular order.

Meanwhile I have not received a single call, text message, email or card wishing me a Happy Father's Day today....

Father's Day

This morning I woke up to soon realize it has been a year since my Dad's Last Father's Day McDonald's Buffet.

And that this is the first Father's Day where I won't be calling or seeing my dad.

Sad.

Father's Day

Dad's Father's Day McDonald's Buffet With Uncle Mooch & Tillie

So. My dad's Father's Day All You Can Eat McDonald's Buffet went off okay.

Opening right on schedule a half hour before noon. Well, maybe a few minutes past that half hour before noon mark.

Dad's new hearing aid was misbehaving today, so tomorrow we are bringing in the hearing aid doctor to figure out what is wrong.

In the partial picture of those attending my dad's Father's Day McDonald's Buffet that would be my little brother, Spencer Jack's grandpa, and Jason and Joey's dad, Jake, on the far left. Next to Jake you are looking at my number two sister, Jackie, who is not a grandma but is the mom of Christopher and Jeremy, who were not in attendance. In the middle, looking at me, is the aforementioned dad. Big Blue on the right is my brother-in-law, Jack, who also is the husband of my sister Jackie and the dad of Christopher and Jeremy.

Miss Daisy, also known as my mom, is partially visible under Big Blue.

An incriminating photo of me was taken by sister Jackie, showing me double fisting a couple burger, with an array of McDonald's products in front of me. Unfortunately I am unable to share this photo due to it having been sent to my phone and due to the fact I left the phone connector to my computer back in Texas.

Dad's Father's Day McDonald's Buffet marks the first time I have actually heard mom refer to me as Gerry, aka Uncle Mooch. Last night, on the way home from seeing dad, mom confessed to repeatedly referring to me as Gerry.I told mom I had been told she had been doing such, but that I had not noticed.

Until today.

Continuing the theme, today, at least for awhile, dad thought sister number two, Jackie, was sister number one, Nancy. This became apparent when dad asked Jackie a dog question about sister Nancy's dog, Tillie. Something like "how's Tillie doing?"

Yesterday Spencer Jack's dad texted me he was arriving in Arizona tonight. But Spencer Jack's grandpa knew nothing of this arrival, as of when I saw Spencer Jack's grandpa this morning.

The heat has begun to get HOT. Miss Daisy sent me into Walmart this afternoon on the way to see dad. Dad had requested a chapstick lip balm type product. I do not know if the lip balm survived the bout in the heat before returning to air conditioned safety.

I guided Miss Daisy to dad's room and left as I heard mom telling dad she had something for him. I assume mom was referring to the lip balm.

I currently feel like I am living in a TV show. A sort of hybrid of Seinfeld and American Horror Story....

Happy Father's Day With Dad In Arizona & McDonald's

It is the morning of the 2017 version of Father's Day. I do not remember when last, til today, I actually saw my dad on Father's Day, but on this Father's Day I have already said Happy Father's Day to my dad and given him a Happy Father's Day hug.

And what a blessing. No hearing aid drama this morning. So far.

I went swimming this morning, all alone. Apparently all the Sun Lakes ladies, and the Grande Dame, take Sunday off.

In the view above you are outside my dad's room, in the covered patio zone. That would be the window of dad's room you see on the right.

If I remember right we are supposed to get heated to 114 today. 119 tomorrow. Yesterday early evening it was a bit brutally HOT during the dad visit, just the transit from vehicle to interior air conditioned comfort. To maximize my heat related discomfort today I am in long pants. I figured I'd try this sort of modified Arab method of dealing with HEAT. We shall see how well that works out.

Last night I reserved the special activity room for today's noontime Happy Father's Day McDonald's Buffet of all my dad's McDonald's favorites. I am hoping this includes my McDonald's favorite, that being the Fish Sandwich. I have not had a McDonald's Fish Sandwich since the last time I was in Arizona, five years ago.

I vaguely recollect my sister telling me this coming week she may take me and mom south to Maricopa to see Penny at one of that town's three McDonald's. Penny manages one of three McDonald/s and has been asking where my mom and dad have been of late. I do not think we will be bringing dad along on this McDonald's expedition.

I am currently planning on beginning my return to Texas this coming Saturday morning. Mom is planning on loading me up on frozen things, like banana bread and apple sauce, and unfrozen things like raspberry jam....

Happy Father's Day Part Two: McDonald's In Pink

The wonders of the modern world really are a wonder at times.

Around noon I texted my dad with a "Happy Father's Day Pa!"

To which my dad quickly texted back "Thanks!"

Then a short while ago Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason, texted me the photo you see here, with the text saying....

Just received incoming photo of your father from my father. Apparently they are having Sunday Father's Day brunch at McDonalds.

Who does the color coordinating of my mom and dad's outfits? My dad? Maybe mom can still make out colors through her degenerated macular.

Who would a thunk, 20 years ago, that electronic communicating would evolve such as it has. My brother snaps a picture of mom and dad in an Arizona McDonalds, then sends the photo, via his phone to his eldest son, who still lives in Washington, who then sends the photo to my dad's eldest son, who still lives in Texas.

All done without those vexing long distance type phone charges of now ancient times.

During Spencer Jack and his dad's recent trek though Yellowstone and the Lewis and Clark Caverns the boys documented what they were doing via texting photos and videos.

Years ago when I was on a roadtrip I would buy these things called postcards. Then, at night, settled in in a motel room or campsite, I'd entertain myself writing long-winded messages on those postcards  and find a place to mail them the next morning.

That seems so primitive now.

Usually I would have returned home before anyone received one of my postcards.

Happy Father's Day To My Dad

That would be my dad you are looking at here, way back decades ago in the previous century.

That adorable baby, who looks to be only a few months old, would be me.

I am assuming this photo opportunity took place in Eugene, Oregon, which was the town I was born in.

Or maybe this photo was taken up north, in Lynden, Washington, on my first visit to see my grandparental units.

I suspect I was older when the first of many trips to Lynden took place. I don't think I'd met my maternal grandparental units before the below photo was sent to my Grandma and Grandpa Porter.

As far back as my memory goes I remember being told that when Grandpa Porter saw the above photo he wired money to Eugene telling my mom and dad to get that boy some clothes.

I do not remember, for sure, when the last time was where all my dad's children were at the same place at the same time. It may have been when the below photo was taken.

This was in my sister in the middle's backyard in Kent, Washington, where we were assembled for mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary, which is August 6, but as always seems to happen for mom and dad's significant number wedding anniversary parties, the party takes place on August 11.

My birthday.

At this particular 50th wedding anniversary I was not expected to attend. But I solo drove from Texas, with only Spencer Jack's dad and his uncle knowing I was heading north. Since I was not expected, but arrived anyway, a hurried makeshift birthday card was cobbled together and given to me. I recollect saying something like "Is this all I get? No presents?"

Hard to believe, this coming August 11 it will be 15 years since the above photo was taken. Grandma Vera, sitting next to my mom, is no longer with us. Nor are several others who were there that day. Like my mom's little sister, Aunt Mike. And my dad's little brother, Uncle Mel. And longtime family friend, Glen Youngren.

I have no idea why my little sister, Michele, now the mother of David, Theo and Ruby, appears to be taller than any of her siblings, because she is not.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day to my Dad and all the other Dad's out there....

Happy Father's Day To My Dad, Brother, Brother-in-Law, Nephew, Cousins & All The Other Good Papas

Above is a screen cap of Google's Father's Day animated Google Doodle with the animation paused on the part of the animation which looks to be a human Father holding a baby.

Google's animation appears to expand the Father's Day concept to the entire Animal Kingdom, with a fox, bird and possum and their offspring representing the non-human part of the Animal Kingdom.

The Fathers in my immediate relative circle are my dear ol' dad, the pa of me, my brother and my three sisters. My brother is the pa of two of my nephews, Jason and Joey. My brother-in-law is the pa of my other two nephews, Christopher and Jeremy. Jason is the pa of my nephew, Spencer Jack.

Jason is being a dad cut from the same mold as my dad, what with taking Spencer Jack on fun vacations. Currently I think Jason and Spencer Jack are still in Hawaii, but I do not know that for certain.

It was from my dad I learned to love a Roadtrip. Dad always made Roadtrips stress-free. Unflappable he was, not matter what, a vehicle breakdown, driving in Los Angeles for the first time, no matter what, totally unflappable.

I learned my highly evolved level of unflappability, driving-wise, from watching my dad drive in vexing traffic situations, like on the streets of San Francisco, a trailer in tow.

My first Roadtrip that took me to San Francisco, and beyond, free of the parental units, I was driving up Lombard Street, hoping to drive down the curvy downside, but my old Mustang's clutch started slipping. I had to back down the hill, other cars honking at me. I was unflappable, thanks to dad.

Later that same trip, after watching a late night taping of Laverne & Shirley at Paramount Studios, the clutch totally gave out on the streets of Hollywood. The clutch died right in front of a big service station. Spent the night sleeping in the car. Next morning the service station was able to fix the clutch. I was unflappable, again, thanks to dad.

I actually remember that weird night stuck in Hollywood as quite amusing. But was glad to see LA in my rear view mirror the next day.

Over the years there have been many a Roadtrip incident where my dad inherited unflappable-ness has been a good thing.

I remember a flat tire in Death Valley. There were two vehicles on this Roadtrip. The Goober Twins went into full panic mode at the flat tire. Their dad was not an unflappable sort, so they never learned the art of unflappability. I knew worse case scenario we could walk the five miles to Stovepipe Wells where I had made reservations for that night months prior. Turns out the spare worked fine, easily got to Stovepipe Wells, then the next day had a mighty fine time in the California town of Bishop getting the flat tire fixed.

That flat tire incident became known as the Curse of the Luxor Obelisk.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day.....

June 21 Summer Solstice Nude Hiking Father's Day On The Tandy Hills

Weeks ago the Tandy Hills Natural Area sent notice, via Facebook, that, in addition to being Father's Day and the Summer Solstice, today is also Nude Hiking Day.

Before installing the CLOTHING OPTIONAL BEYOND THIS POINT sign on the Tandy Hills the Fort Worth city attorney was asked if it was okay for the Tandy Hills to be a proper location to celebrate this important international holiday.

The Fort Worth city attorney gave the okay, with a few cautionary parameters. So, check out those parameters before you take your clothes off on the Tandy Hills today. Or any other day.

What with all the rain that has drenched the Tandy Hills and surrounding areas in the past several weeks I am thinking today would make for a possibly muddy naked hike.

For that muddy reason alone, I think I will forego participating.

Unless I change my mind.

The First Annual Fort Worth Father's Day Mallard Cove Park Bike Ride Confusing My Brother

Today was the day of my First Annual Father's Day bike ride on the paved trails of Mallard Cove Park, located on the wild and rugged east side of the Texas town of Fort Worth.

In the picture you are looking at one of many big trees which rise from the open prairie of Mallard Cove Park.

That line of trees you see behind the big tree line the south bank of the Trinity River as it scenically passes Mallard Cove Park.

For some unfathomable reason all access from Mallard Cove Park to the Trinity River has been blocked. So, I am no longer able to roll my wheels out of the park to take pictures of big piles of discarded tires, abandoned beds and vehicles rusting in the middle of the Trinity River.

With access to the Trinity River blocked I had only Mallard Cove Park to look at and find odd stuff which seems out of place. Such as that which you see below.

Since I last visited Mallard Cove Park a giant white straw has been inserted into Mallard Cove. My limited imagination could imagine no possible explanation for this unnatural insertion.

After I had had enough of riding my bike I sat at a picnic table under the Mallard Cove Park Gazebo and text messaged "Happy Father's Day" to most of the dad's entered into my phone, including my dad and my brother.

I'd not called my brother in a long time. A really long time.

Within less than a minute after sending out the Happy Father's Day text messages the phone twice made its incoming text message noise.

The first one was from my dad, simply saying "Thank you".

The second was from my brother, simply saying, "Thanks who is this I don't know this number or area code Go Hawks".

My brother is very avant garde with his punctuation.

I replied back saying, "This is your big brother, calling from Fort Worth, Texas. Are the Seahawks already playing football again?"

I have received no subsequent message from my brother, so I don't know if the Seahawks are back playing football. Seems like only yesterday Seattle won the Super Bowl. Is it already time for them to start making that happen again.........?

Happy Father's Day To All The World's Dad's Especially My Pa

On Friday my dad's favorite grandson named Jason, he being the father of my dad's one and only great-grandson, Spencer Jack, partially named after my dad, whose name is Jack, emailed me the photo you see here, with the question accompanying the email asking me what was the occasion where this photo was taken.

First off, from the top, that would be me, looking all bloated and tied on the far left, next to my favorite brother-in-law, also named Jack, next to his wife, my favorite sister, Jackie, next to my not so favorite sister, Clancy, next to Spencer Jack's dad, and then his dad, my little brother Jake, next to his first wife, Spencer Jack's favorite grandma, Cindy.

In the front row we are looking at Christopher, aka CJ, sitting next to my dad, sitting next to my mom, with my favorite nephew, Joey, behind my mom, with my favorite nephew, Jeremy, aka JR, sitting in front of his big brother, CJ.

So, Jason's question was, why were we all in this picture? And where is Aunt Michele?

Well, I told Jason this picture was taken via my antique Nikon camera's self timer on November 3, 1994 prior to all of us heading north, to Lynden, for my grandma's, my dad's mom's, funeral.

As Jason later so eloquently put it, his Aunt Michele is not in this picture due to her tendency to always be late.

With today being Father's Day, I am just a bit sad that I am not one of those getting Father's Day cards today.

Being a good dad is a tough job.

I was a lucky guy because I was blessed with a very good dad. I don't think I would have managed to do as good a job as my dad did, raising five kids.

I found taking care of a cat to be taxing.

I learned a lot of good lessons from my dad which my time on the planet has taught me others were not so blessed to learn.

Things like staying calm when something goes awry.

I was only 13 when we took our first family vacation trip to Disneyland. The level of anticipation regarding going to Disneyland, for me and my siblings, was unlike anything we had experienced before.

Only a few miles into our trip to Disneyland we experienced a major malfunction with our vacation trailer's wheels.

Dad pulled off what was then not quite Interstate 5. Dad then removed the broken wheel part. He then un-hitched the car from the trailer. We then drove south, to Marysville, to find someone to weld the broken part. My dad found a fixer, the fix was made, we returned to the trailer, installed the fix, re-hitched the trailer and were on our way, with mom making us a ham on potato roll lunch on the road which to this day has me feeling fondly at any mention of potato rolls.

Mom and dad made something difficult seem like just part of the adventure.

Years later I found myself back in California. I'd gone to a taping of the Laverne & Shirley sitcom at Paramount Studios. Leaving Paramount my troubled 65 Mustang Fastback decided to cease working its clutch. That night was spent stuck in Hollywood. The next morning the malfunction was fixed. I stayed calm and sort of enjoyed the bizarre experience, thanks to lessons learned of going with the flow, from my dad.

Years later, long after the Laverne & Shirley debacle, I was driving through Death Valley when suddenly it became obvious I had a flat tire. The others in my tour group went in to full panic mode. While I just thought to myself, worst case scenario, we have to walk 6 miles to Stovepipe Wells to seek help.

Turned out switching out the flat was no big deal, and then repairing that flat in the town of Bishop, California, turned out to be fun, benefit of lessons learned from my calm dad.

Anyway.....

Happy Father's Day, and thank you for being such a good dad, Dad!!!!

Happy Father's Day From Texas To All My Relative Fathers

Around noon, whilst doing hill hiking on the Tandy Hills, I made my annual Happy Father's Day call to my dear ol' dad.

No answer.

So, I left my dad a Happy Father's Day message on the answering machine.

And in this blogging venue I'm wishing a Happy Father's Day to all my other relative Father's.

That would be Spencer Jack's dad, my nephew, Jason, plus Spencer Jack's dad's dad, my brother, Jake, plus my nephew's CJ & JR's dad, he being my favorite brother-in-law, Jack.

I think that covers all my close relative Fathers.

Happy Father's Day, Dad

There are only two days of the year when my dad answers my mom and dad's landline phone. His birthday and Father's Day.

I made the requisite Father's Day call a few minutes ago. As expected, my dad answered the phone.

My mom is having Thanksgiving for Father's Day. As in turkey dinner. I was invited, but I don't think I'll make it.

The father of two of my nephews will make it to mom and dad's for turkey dinner.

The father of my other two nephews is currently not in Arizona, he is up in Washington. I assume my brother will be seeing my nephews today, one of whom is a father, as in Spencer Jack's dad.

Spencer Jack's father emailed me a couple days ago asking for my mailing address because Spencer Jack wanted to send me some artwork.

I never noticed til this very moment that father is made up of two words. Fat and Her.

That is a picture of my dad, above. It is not a recent picture. I believe it is my dad's high school graduation picture. But, I'm not 100% certain of that. I think my dad was 15 when World War II ended. That would likely date this picture as having been taken in 1947 or 1948.

All my life I've been told I look like my dad. I don't see the resemblance.

On July 26, 2002, a date that lives on in infamy, I attended the biggest family reunion in my family history. This took place at the Lynden fairgrounds. Most of the people in attendance I had no memory of having met before. More than once someone who I did not know would say something to me like "you don't have to tell me who's kid you are." It was unsettling.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day to all you dads in the world.

A Windy Sunday Walk Among The Village Creek Ghosts Dodging Falling Limbs & Deciphering Cryptic Messages About Green Eggs Smoking

I had myself some computer woes this morning. More on that later. I did not get my computer woes under control til after noon.

I thought a sedate walk through the Village Creek Natural Historic Area would put me in a better frame of mind.

It did. Until I started being a bit concerned over the heavy wind blowing limbs off of trees. I do not like getting hit by a falling limb.

The Village Creek Natural Historic Area's Wildflower Area had lost all its color since I was in that location a few days ago. Drought related wildflower browning?

We have gone over 100 again. 101 to be precise. At the same time it is 101 in my zone of North Texas, in my old location in Mount Vernon, Washington it is currently 55.

Speaking of Mount Vernon, just minutes ago I got email from Mount Vernon with a very cryptic message I can't quite decipher about a Green Egg Smoking.

Below is the cryptic message.....

The Green Egg is smoking (ceramic smoker), cocktails at 3:30, dinner at 5-5:30, if there is anyone in town that is hungry for ribs and brisket, NW style.  Just a few of the ex-nice relatives will be there.  18066 State Route 9, Mount Vernon. That is, if you are in town.  Bring a rain coat.

I don't own a rain coat, so how can I bring one anywhere? I know where State Route 9 is. I'd turn off 9 onto Waugh Road, then a left on Apache, then a right on Pawnee to turn left into my driveway. The streets all have Indian tribe names because the neighborhood is called Thunderbird. I think.

Whilst doing my wind walking I called my dad to do the obligatory Happy Father's Day greeting. I got the answering machine. So, I left a Happy Father's Day message.

The Day After Betsy Price Is Elected Fort Worth's Mayor It Is Father's Day

Looking skyward above the bars of my patio prison cell it appears Father's Day has dawned with a brilliantly blue sky in North Texas.

A HOT brilliantly blue sky currently heated to 83, heading to a predicted high of 102 this 3rd Sunday of June.

We had a mayoral election in Fort Worth yesterday.

I forgot to vote.

Had I remembered to vote my vote would have made no difference in the outcome. Betsy Price beat Jim Lane by way more than one vote.

I think I will go swimming now and do some thinking about my civic irresponsibility.

A HOT Father's Day in Texas With HOT Coffee

It is Father's Day, Sunday morning and you are looking out my computer room window at me drinking coffee and reading the paper, out on my new bedroom balcony patio, soon after the sun lit up the place this morning and prior to having myself a really long swim.

It is now almost 10 in the morning and currently 85 with a Heat Index of 88. I wish the heat would finally burn off the humidity so we can get rid of that vexing Heat Index annoyance making it feel HOTTER than it actually is.

The forecast is no longer for 100 for the first day of summer, which is tomorrow, Monday. The first 100 degree day of summer is now, supposedly, going to happen on Tuesday.

Elsie Hotpepper is no longer missing. But, I still have no idea where she is. In many ways.

Yesterday I channeled my inner African-American, again, and made soul food for lunch. Today I am going to switch to Germany and have bratwurst and sauerkraut for lunch. I'm thinking this is sort of anti-soul food.

Lunch will be sometime in the 1 o'clock zone. Don't be late.

Happy Father's Day With My Dad & Paisano Pete

Father's Day is Sunday.

That's my dad in the picture. This morning I was hunting for a picture I knew I had of my nephews in the pool at Excalibur in Las Vegas, when I came across this picture of my dad.

When my mom and dad retired they took off in their RV for a Roadtrip all over America and parts of Canada, like New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

At the tail end of mom and dad's long Roadtrip I met up with them in Las Vegas, where my mom loaded me down with a box of Christmas presents I was somehow supposed to schlep back to Washington on the plane. However, UPS handled that chore.

In the picture my dad is in Texas, in Fort Stockton, standing in front of Paisano Pete, Pete being the World's Largest Roadrunner.

Yesterday, or the day before, I suggested to Gar the Texan that he take a long solo Roadtrip, rather than one more sterile cruise. Gar the Texan said the idea of a Roadtrip made him anxious. This struck me as very sad.

I have a lot of things I am grateful for, due to my dad. Number 1 may be my love of a Roadtrip. My dad made all our family vacations totally stress-free.

I'll give you an example. The first Roadtrip to California and Disneyland. My siblings and I were looking forward to this like you would not believe. I think us kids being so gungho made mom and dad happy.

We were barely 30 miles into the trip when our trailer had a serious malfunction. An axle had broken. My dad calmly took it apart. We then drove into Everett, found a mechanic to fix it. A couple hours later we were back on the road, with mom making us potato rolls with ham and cheese.

Mom and dad made the little mishap just part of the adventure.

Later that same trip, our station wagon had another woe. This time it happened in Hollywood. The repair took several hours. Me and my brother were in heaven as we took off to explore Hollywood.

Years later I was to have a clutch go out, in Hollywood. I'd long ago learned, from my dad, not to get upset, that's it's just part of the fun.

I have never had any anxiety about driving in traffic or in a new town. I remember when we made our way into the Los Angeles zone for the first time, I paid attention to my dad driving, my mom helping with directions, checking a map.

About 5 years after this first family trip to Los Angeles and Disneyland, I drove myself there for the first time, in my now antique 65 Fastback Mustang. It did not even cross my mind to be anxious about driving in Los Angeles or worry about getting lost.

This is thanks to my dad.

I've known others who were not so blessed in the parental unit department. Who, when a little calamity occurs, it causes them to get all wigged out. Like, I remember a sudden flat in Death Valley, 5 miles from our Stovepipe Wells destination. Two of the members of my traveling party got totally wigged out and turned into major drama queens. Over a flat tire.

While I was thinking to myself, this is cool, a flat in Death Valley. What's the worst that happens? We walk to Stovepipe Wells and call for help. What actually happened is the flat was easily replaced with the spare, with the flat easily fixed the next day in Bishop, California, which turned out to be a really fun place to stay awhile.

Another thing about my dad. I have never, ever, absolutely never seen my dad lose his temper. Ever.

This is why I have such an aversion to people losing their temper. It seems like such a sign of weakness and stupidity to me.

Anyone who knows me has never seen me lose my temper. Something may aggravate me, but I do not deal with it by acting overtly angry to someone. There are far better, effective ways to deal with that type stress.

One thing I know for sure, if all the world was as blessed as me in the dad department, this would be a far far better world.

Happy Father's Day, dad.