dad does dallas

my dad … started as an engineer… then became a teacher for the money… then was a chef at my grandparents restaurant… then back to teaching…  and is now retiring at the age of 65…

he is so dear to me I have trouble putting into words how much I love him and respect him… in a world filled with people trying to get ahead, use others to make money, define success with trophies and possessions, there is my dad… who is almost oblivious to that world… because he has focused his life on different things…

all you would have to do is ask students he has taught over the years or missionaries he has supported or grandkids he loves…

so my brothers and the farmer decided my dad deserved a trip to Dallas for his 65 birthday and retirement…  he has always had two NFL franchises close to his heart… Cowboys and Giants… the way he explains liking two teams in the same division is that when he was a kid they only showed Giants or Cowboys games so he ended up liking both teams…

although of late I would guess he is more more inclined to the Giants…  but a trip to see AT&T Stadium in Arlington trumps Met Life Stadium in New Jersey…

highlights of the weekend included the farmer getting to laugh at the jokes my brothers made…  Mavericks game at American Airlines Center… they enjoyed watching my dad use Uber and then get to leisurely enjoy a 25 minute drive listening to Drake in a vehicle with an odd skunk odour…

they took a tour of the Stadium and had another highlight moment… my dad in a picture with two Cowboys Cheerleaders…  the moment I was sent this picture it was one of the strangest things I’d ever seen… it would be like seeing evidence of a vegan/gluten free person with a steak sandwich…  when I was young I recall every year when the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue showed up and my dad would throw it out… often right at the post office…  and he would change the channel when a cheerleader came on… and in every Bond movie him and I enjoyed watching he censored the opening credits…

so this photo was the highlight for me… normally I’m all feminist and protesting the humiliation of women being seen as objects but for some reason this was so odd that it was so fantastic to see…

the farmer went first to make sure that it was safe…  and you can tell by his hands that he’s totally comfortable holding cheerleaders in his arms…

other highlights included eating at the Pecan Lodge and La Hacienda Ranch… my dad enjoying guacamole for the first time in his life and a meal titled the “Trough” which was a bbq sampler and very manly and the men all enjoyed it…

most of all the time the four of them got to spend together… and this is why people travel with each other… my dad had told me he thought there were three elements to the trip that he thought he’d enjoy… the anticipation, the experience and the memories…

and it’s so true…  that’s why I never surprise anyone with a trip because I feel like the anticipation is a third the fun…  and you attempt to be fully present in the experience so you enjoy it as much as possible… and then the memories are often the best part of all…

unless you are 65 and your memory is dicey…  so I’m just hoping he enjoyed the moment… love you dad…