father and son
my punishment for bragging about not cooking all weekend: slaving over a hot stove in 90 degree heat last night (that would be 90 degrees inside). oh, well - for the first time, my father-in-law ate something i cooked, even if it was only spaghetti. he did eat whole wheat noodles and soy "meatballs" for the first time, so maybe he's branching out a bit. probably not, but still, he ate it. we're making progress.
i shouldn't rip on him for his taste (or lack thereof). he is incredibly lovely to me. i really have the best in-laws ever. i just don't understand how he could be justin's father (other than the obvious similarities in appearance). and the poor man could use some sympathy today.
when he left here for semi-retirement in vermont six years ago, his girlfriend moved with him. they both had multiple previous marriages and bonded over their mutual resolve to not re-marry. despite that foundation, the girlfriend decided to propose to him - in a greeting card - 2 1/2 years ago at thanksgiving. he thought it was a joke and responded accordingly, wounding her pride severely and starting a downward spiral that culminated in him driving her back to cleveland for good when he came in this weekend to meet his new granddaughter.
at 7:30 this morning, the phone rang - it was the girlfriend, sounding pitiful and desperate, wanting to talk to him, but he took justin to work this morning and was going to do i-don't-know-what before flying home late morning. as soon as we hung up, my cellphone rang; i missed that call, but i have no doubt she next called my brother-in-law (home of the sleeping newborn niece) and proceeded to call every relative of his for whom she had a phone number. it's way too late to beg for a last-ditch effort to work things out and go home with him, but her mental health has deteriorated of late to the point that she probably doesn't realize it. it's just a sad situation all the way around. it makes for a sucky father's day for him, no doubt.
justin could use a little love, too. father's day is weird for him - he has two sons but no kids with whom to spend the day - a strange sort of limbo. he's working a double shift today so his co-worker can have the whole day off with his two sons, which is nice of him, but i know it's a challenge, especially with all the old biddies at the airport wishing all the known fathers a happy father's day and clucking over them for having to work on their special day. justin plans to get through the day by watching all three world cup games in the employee breakroom, but he deserves better.
i gave him his father's day present earlier this week, because he was going to be gone all day today, and because with our niece being born and our father-in-law visiting i knew we would't have any time to ourselves. that, and because he wore me down begging to know what i got him; i can only take so much, you know? his present was a cavaliers shirt, which he really liked and thanked me for...and then he casually rifled through the paper in the box to covertly see if there was anything else...and he found the tiny cavs jersey for milo. he got appropriately choked up. :) this winter, when we watch their games, he and milo can wear their shirts together while they root for lebron and big z and anderson varejao and all the rest. he also wants to take milo to a game this year in the snugli, so milo will be appropriately outfitted for the event.
damn, we just gotta get milo here in one piece, so he can go to his first cavs game.
i shouldn't rip on him for his taste (or lack thereof). he is incredibly lovely to me. i really have the best in-laws ever. i just don't understand how he could be justin's father (other than the obvious similarities in appearance). and the poor man could use some sympathy today.
when he left here for semi-retirement in vermont six years ago, his girlfriend moved with him. they both had multiple previous marriages and bonded over their mutual resolve to not re-marry. despite that foundation, the girlfriend decided to propose to him - in a greeting card - 2 1/2 years ago at thanksgiving. he thought it was a joke and responded accordingly, wounding her pride severely and starting a downward spiral that culminated in him driving her back to cleveland for good when he came in this weekend to meet his new granddaughter.
at 7:30 this morning, the phone rang - it was the girlfriend, sounding pitiful and desperate, wanting to talk to him, but he took justin to work this morning and was going to do i-don't-know-what before flying home late morning. as soon as we hung up, my cellphone rang; i missed that call, but i have no doubt she next called my brother-in-law (home of the sleeping newborn niece) and proceeded to call every relative of his for whom she had a phone number. it's way too late to beg for a last-ditch effort to work things out and go home with him, but her mental health has deteriorated of late to the point that she probably doesn't realize it. it's just a sad situation all the way around. it makes for a sucky father's day for him, no doubt.
justin could use a little love, too. father's day is weird for him - he has two sons but no kids with whom to spend the day - a strange sort of limbo. he's working a double shift today so his co-worker can have the whole day off with his two sons, which is nice of him, but i know it's a challenge, especially with all the old biddies at the airport wishing all the known fathers a happy father's day and clucking over them for having to work on their special day. justin plans to get through the day by watching all three world cup games in the employee breakroom, but he deserves better.
i gave him his father's day present earlier this week, because he was going to be gone all day today, and because with our niece being born and our father-in-law visiting i knew we would't have any time to ourselves. that, and because he wore me down begging to know what i got him; i can only take so much, you know? his present was a cavaliers shirt, which he really liked and thanked me for...and then he casually rifled through the paper in the box to covertly see if there was anything else...and he found the tiny cavs jersey for milo. he got appropriately choked up. :) this winter, when we watch their games, he and milo can wear their shirts together while they root for lebron and big z and anderson varejao and all the rest. he also wants to take milo to a game this year in the snugli, so milo will be appropriately outfitted for the event.
damn, we just gotta get milo here in one piece, so he can go to his first cavs game.
posted by laura at 7:58 AM
3 Comments:
I remember the first time I snuck ground turkey to G in the guise of hamburger - it also was in spaghetti. He actually ate it without comment the first few times, but once he decided to pluck out a piece I was cooking, the sham was over. I was forbid to fool with the man's meat anymore.
And I think the cav's jerseys were such a neat idea. :-)
Better than the breakroom, I've found a 5 inch black and white television to watch from the office.
Ofcourse, there's the big window overlooking the planning center, but atleast they are used to my moods, so it's better than being in the breakroom surrounded by loads of people - who'd would be making some bullshit comments about me watching soccer, in Spanish of all things..
Justin deserves better. You do, too. And Milo really, really needs that jersey, as soon as you can get a picture of him in it. I can hardly wait.
Post a Comment
<< Home