Dear Ol' Dad

(Psst! Contest 2 is underway! See the new Contest Question in the post below for another chance to win a free, autographed copy of THE LOST HEIR.) And now, back to our regular programming...

Hiya! Hope this finds you in fine fettle, as our friends across the Pond say. I am sure you young'uns enjoyed your first full week of GLORIOUS FREEDOM. (Do I sound jealous? Cuz I am.) 

This weekend is Father's Day, a chance to thank our dads for all they do for us and for all the humor they (often unwittingly) add to our lives. My Dad (G speaking) has always been a jokester. My Mom has a bird phobia and it was all she could do to get herself to cook our Thanksgiving turkey each year because it meant handling a whole dead bird. 

My Dad couldn't resist messing with her on this, of course. When her back was turned to go get the stuffing, he would grab the poor plucked carcass and put his hand in it like a puppet and run around her, making it "fly" around the kitchen while making loud turkey gobbling noises. My mom would run out of the kitchen screaming, and hilarity ensued. My Mom much preferred for him to stay out of trouble and go watch the Steelers game, but nooooo, not my slightly-demented (in a good way) Dad.
 
E's got a Dad story below, but first, take our fun Father's Day poll!     

E says: My Dad reminds me of Frankenstein. No really! He's been taken apart and put back together many times over the years and he's still alive... Alive... ALIVE!!!

He's had more surgeries than I can remember but I'm starting to wonder if he drank some Marvel Comics potion years ago to make him invincible.

Despite many health challenges, he just keeps trucking along and doing
remarkably well. You'd never know by looking at him how many death-defying things he's had to face. Now, if you were driving behind him putt-putting down the road, you'd realize you were driving behind an old fart, but other than that, my Dad's is still quite spry. He kicks my butt at golf and Scrabble every time. (He plays mean.) But my Dad has got nine lives.

Father's Day is kind of sad for him, though, because his Dad died when he was 12. Seeing all that he's been through makes me appreciate having him around. 

G: My favorite story about your dad, E, (my father-in-law) is when he dressed up as a giant blue M + M for Halloween and took his lil granddaughter trick or treating around the neighborhood.

E: Yeah, and we got the pictures if we ever need 'em for blackmail.

G: Ha, ha. I thought it was cute!!!

E: Yeah, but an M + M??

G: Aw, leave him alone. lol. Dads do goofy things, that's why they're dads, and I guess when they're grand-dads they get even goofier. *grin*

E: What about you guys? Got any good dad stories?

G: Or what's the best thing about your dad? We wanna know!