Deep thoughts.
Went out to see my dad today. He's waiting to get his second knee replacement and I wanted to get out there and let him visit with the kids and give him a present.
He got my girls a couple of camping kits with sleeping bags, flashlight canteen etc.. My son got $25 to go to the sporting goods store to buy the bow and arrow set he's been wanting.
Dad's wife Samantha was out there, I usually dread her presence but she was on decent behavior today.
.
She has a new baby grand daughter. Samantha's 30 year old daughter has babies by unknown men and then dumps them off on Samantha and my dad for them to raise. Then once they are about 6 she takes them away to punish them for overstepping their role as grandparents.
Cute baby, I'm glad it will have my dad around as some kind of positive male influence.
My dad moved out of his big house and is staying in the remodeled guest house. across the driveway. It's tiny and kind of run down but he's happy to have his own space. His regular house is like a weird old mansion/ 4 story concrete bunker, but no ones been living in it it's kind of become neglected.
I spent three summers out there remodeling and painting and it seems everything has gone back to worse than it was before when it was used for raves and lived in by goth potheads.
Oh well, I guess we'll start on it again.
Whenever I go out there my dad is starving for intelligent conversation so we never talk about crap. Everything we discuss is on the highest realm of philospophy, politics, science and spirituality. It's challenging to keep up with him but we always make each other think. It's even better with beer but we just guzzled black coffee instead.
So while we talked, the kids played on the trampoline, and chased the animals around. Roxy the doberman kept a close eye on the children and made sure they kept out of trouble.
This weird dog greets everyone with a huge grin. It scares most people who don't know her but she was trained to smile before my dad got her. Trouble is she went to obedience school and was taught dozens of commands in German but they lost the instruction book.
She has a weird habit of smiling and rubbing her butt on people while making grunting noises. I don't know if they do that in Germany or the dog got some other kind of training we don't know about...
If Samantha stays settled down I hope to spend more time out there. It's always interesting.
Hat tip to morning glory
posted by Bill Rowland @ December 27, 2007
42 Comments
42 Comments:
Hammer,
Is that a picture of your Dad's place?
Sounds like it would neat place but with a boat load of work.
I happened upon your blog and have been enjoying the read. Great thoughts - great read!
I miss my dad, its a special bond between two men.
Poor Roxy is walking around not understanding anything anyone says? We had a pom like that once, she was raised with french speaking people and looked at us with such bewilderment every time we said something to her.
Achtung Roxy, Achtung!! Funny video, Hammer. Cheers!!
Hope Samantha stays on good behavior so you can spend some more time out there with your dad...sounds like a good time!
Samantha sounds fun :-)
The ariel pic looks cool , and the discussions sound good
Happy New Year to ya
I'm glad your dad's wife was a good behavior and let you enjoy your visit. I know how much shitty relatives suck!
I adore dogs that grin! Kinda like men... you never really know what's on their minds~~~
wow. you're dad is a patient man, i see where you get your laidbackness. did you grow up out there or did your dad buy that place later? it's very cool looking, is there acreage? good place for a blogmeet, that's what i was thinking.
That looks like a really nice place, there. Plenty of room and a nice house and outbuildings.
I hope your dad isn't in pain with that knee. Glad Samantha was on good behavior-is she back on meds? Try and get a pic of Roxy smiling!
Enjoy all the time you get dear... Hope the knee replacement goes well.
When Dum-dum grins he looks like Elvis, maybe that's why I tolerate him.
Heres hoping for a safe surgery and quick recovery for your father!
:)
How wonderful to be able to have good conversation like that with your Dad. Times to treasure for sure. Tonight we visit the in-laws and while I love them very much, it's basically the same talk every time... the weather, the crazy neighbor, a few praises for the kids, fatty snacks, diet soda which I'm offered every single time I go there and every single time I say no, just water, as I loathe diet soda... you'de think after 25 years in the family, someone would know this.... but whatever... they love seeing the kids, so I smile and agree alot.
Hope your Dad's surgery goes well.
Sounds like a lovely day with Dad!
I have a dog that smiles, too. To others he looks vicious...to me, well, it just cracks me up!
Hope your Dad's knee surgery goes well.
i love dogs that smile
Glad to hear the visit went well and that sounds like a great dog.. We had a dog that was big like that but not a doberman. He liked laps.
Like I've said before, you have to put up with the crap in order to be with your dad. It's the least you can do - cause he probably won't.
Thanks for the retrospect clip!
Glad you had that time with your dad......
and that's a great video, I love it!!! ;-)
Peace
Hope your dads knee replacement goes well.
al: it is really odd cool place and yeah it needs a major overhaul.
dana: thanks for stopping by :)
reggie: I don't get to see him near often enough because his wife is on a rampage and I can't have that around my kids.
kat: that's exactly what is happening. I wish she would learn english.
matt-man I out to take a german dictionary out there and start reading things and hope she doesn't bite my balls.;)
kuckie: me too she is blaming her crap on uncontrolled diabetes so I'm crossing my fingers that it's fixed.
beast: Samantha is about as fun as a rabid hippo with an attitude problem ;)
tysgirl: Shitty relatives ugh! I hear ya.
Cheesy: lol precisely
supergurl: He bought 5 years ago when he retired. It's about three acres. you're right if we could get it cleaned up it would be a cool spot.
hermit: It has a horse run, stables, garage workshop with covered car port, the main house and guest house. I like it.
Janet: I will try, it would make a good pic :)
anndi: thanks I hope it goes well too, it's more invasive than I first thought.
meleah: thanks!
crystalchick: yeah those kind of conversations get real old. I've been married for 16 years and her parents still don't remember I'm a vegetarian or how to spell our last name.
RLL: Yeah I was scared when I first drove up and looks out the car window and this dog was smiling at me, now I just laugh.
snowmanpoop: I will try to get a pic.
tweety: big dogs who like laps better not have sharp claws ;)
mushy: You are so right. he won't get rid of her no matter how bad it gets so it's up to me to make something work.
odat: that is a great viseo huh :)
casdok: thank you. It's scary when a loved one goes under major surgery. I'm trying not to worry too much.
This dog looks very nice to me, I've never seen a smiling dog.That's good that were able to see your dad and spend some times with him, too bad for the wife. The house looks great.
The dog may have fleas - they gather at the base of the tail where the fur is thick... Happy xmas and for the New Year alles Gut! Oder - eine gutes rutsche in dem neues jahre!!
I don't want to become difficult for my kids to visit...
glad you had some good time with your dad.
Glad you had a "good" visit with your dad. It's funny though... you mentioned having intelligent conversations with your dad and it made me think how time with my family is just the opposite. My brothers overtake every family gathering, doing "voices" and mimicking their favorite stupid movies. I'm always glad when they go home!
Wow you must have a lot of patience.
Glad for your good day with your Dad. They are so important.
I wish I was able to have some kind of deep meaningful conversation with my Father. It's kind of difficult when I'm more of an adult than he is.
It sounds like a wonderful day, Hammer. Glad you were able to have that.
I know every once in a while you'd like to hear him tell you how things have been on the ranch, but it's cool that he thinks his kid is worth soundboarding off of, regarding big thought conversations. I can't imagine how barren the conversation landscape is for him when you're not there, considering what you've said in the past.
Kitem: the dog is like a kid :) We had a great time.
mutley: I'll have to check out the tail. You have a good new years too.
katherine: Me too! Amen to that.
burfica: Thanks it was nice.
terri: you just described every holiday with my brothers in law.
They give me a headache.
dan: I do to a point but after a while it gets to be too much. Thanks for stopping by :)
jeannie: you are so right. I need to bite the bullet more often.
epijunky: I'm fortunate to have someone to have talk to. He doesn't have anyone but me.
mts: he tells me that conversations over there are brutally dull and stupid and he has to escape to another room when his wife has her family over.
Sounds like quite the spread.
~Oswegan
my dad's a pain in the ass--
but as he approaches the end i dig him a little more.
thanx for the perspective, hammer.
Glad to hear your visit with your Dad went well. It seems everyone was on good behavior in your world also.
My daughter in-law actually was on good behavior for a change. She got a little snippy and my youngest sons girlfriend just said very nicely. "It's a very nice day, let's enjoy it" Now if you had ever said I would have expected her to be so nice. I am shocked to say the least. I am not the biggest fan of my sons girlfriend. But she has gone out of her way to be very nice and pleasant this trip.
May your New Year be spectacular.
I miss conversations like that with my dad.
your post makes me wistful for a dad...never had one growing up.
Was that your Dad's house seen from Google Earth? Looks gigantic.
It sounds nice all those conversations, I like Philosophy, science and spirituality best myself, but I think I bore most people like hell with these topics, thankfully my mom and hubby always humor me with my rants.
Never use the word "bissen" around your smiling doggy.
Have a wonderful New Years!!
Didn't you know that all Germans rub their butts on people and grunt? hahaha.
I really hope Samantha stays settled - perhaps the baby will help? Be nice to spend more time with your Dad =)
Sounds like your dad is cool as hell, and you and your dad have a cool relationship. Too bad about the mother-in-law and her folks.
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