A Whole New Me

I talked to my dad at lunch, who is enjoying his retirement more than I’ve seen any man alive enjoy his retirment.  He’s talking about coming down at least twice this month to help get the house ready and he’s giddy with plans for moving the trailer to our back yard, where he and Mom can stay whenever they come to visit us and we can use as a guest room (for those of you who prefer your staying with us to be a little… um… rustic).

Oh, wait, I have to tell you a story that is only tangentially related to my dad and his thrill at getting to help move us into the house.  So, when my dad was down here last week, he found this little rooster in the hospital gift shop that crows when you squeeze it.  He bought it and had me give it to Mack, you know, just as a little dig about the state of his chicken coop.  I warned him he might be starting a gift war he couldn’t finish, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about my dad, it’s that he can’t often be reasoned with.

But and so he was determined to give the rooster to Mack.  Which I did.  And Mack was all, some people who might not want to have a Hustler box delivered to them probably shouldn’t start fights.  So, when my dad called today, I passed that along and he was all “Woo hoo!  Your mom won’t let me go in those places!”

God damn, that tickled me.

Where was I?

Oh, yes, so I’m all telling him what I did today–pay bills, clean the dog, deflea the dog, wash my unmentionables, do the dishes, give my landlord my thirty days notice, get the things I need to fix the toilet, get dog food, get some paint chips to show the Primary Wife and ask her about over at the house, blog, blog, blog–and my dad’s all “You know, Labor Day does’t mean you do all the labor you’ve been putting off all summer.”

But y’all, I feel good. And it’s one of those “good”s that is a whole body good.  A kind of core, fundimental good, the kind of good that makes you wonder how long it’s been that you’ve mildly felt bad.

I don’t know, America.  It’s nice.  Really nice.

And I think it’s got to do with finally getting all that stuff addressed.

I hope the feeling lasts.