My dad can out charm your dad

So the initial pickup action was awful. Dad's pain factor goes way up when he has to sit up straight.( Ok with my father's adolescent Staten Island posture , he has never stood up straight in his life.) But the train ride sucked the life out of him.Then the escalator to the street was going down rather than up. Thanks for your help and logic Penn Station ! Some how makes the potential skills of the bomb sniffing dogs allot less threatening. Then we managed to get a cab with a newbie driver who didn't know that Amsterdam follows Broadway. And then there was the traffic on the West Side highway. My dad was literally trembling in pain.

Some times in my life I have been with other family's in times of crisis and stress .At these moments you can pick up some wacky trivia. Like the fact that others do not nesasarly process things like your pack. I have seen some crowds do this thing when things get tense, they start chatting, getting louder,making small talk. Bizarre. My family we get so quiet ,we could be confused with candidates for the monastery.If it wasn't for those wonderful little TVs that they now force upon us in the back of cabs, our ride would have been mute.

So I get him to my place. he was wincing just walking down the length of the lobby. And we get into the elevator with 3 neighbors. A very sweet middle aged woman who I am on a pleasant,"Hi, how are you today? ', basis with, and 2 over energetic teen aged boys. I am internally in this dialog of begging the boys to bring it down a notch. Don't accidentally bump into my daddy and topple him.

The woman is chatting with the boys about basketball which it turns out she played in high school. And then she turns to my father and declares quite loudly how handsome he is. I agree about my good gene pool. The boys laugh. I mention that my dad played college ball. The boys are now interested. What team? My dad says that he was too slow, not enough follow through at the net. The boys are gracious about opening the door of the elevator for us. And this is why I love my building.

We get home. Dad takes a bath, has a ginger ale with painkillers, followed by a brandy. Needless to say his mood kicks up.He has no interest in the home made soup I made for dinner but wants cereal and a Boston Cream Cupcake I bought him. Things are rocking now. we turn on MSNBC in his room. He has a crush on Tina Fey. Wants to discuss how much money she is worth. Wants to know about have I heard about John Stewart's recent speech at a local college. It seems Stewart at the climax of the speech said, " And I have a message for Sarah Palin.FUCK YOU!" Dad giggles like a 8 year old. I consider how many fathers of friends of mine who might have found this offensive and disrespectful vs a moment of delight.

Later on I am drinking peppermint tea by my self and very aware how my dad has ruined me for all normal dudes, for better and worse.