Octagarion

My dad is 80 today! Wow. I find this hard to believe and I am sure he does too. We have plans to do lunch tomorrow as someone else beat me to it today. I would say most other people would not put my dad at 80 either. He is every doctor's dream of following diets, exercise, and he definitely keeps his mind busy. He is still active at church with bell choir, discussion groups, and outside of church there is the Sons of Norway group. No this is not a post about Prairie Home Companion but these groups do actually exist. There is no Sons of Sweden group as far as I know so Norwegians get his support.

Fond memories from my eighteen years or so at home would be his inexhaustible ability to listen to me......talk, and talk and talk some more. We could always count on his body sitting still listening to us ramble. We did give him a test one time and he couldn't remember anything we said but all and all he took the time to sit there. Other bonding moments included popcorn at night, love of good music, holiday concerts, daily chapel at Valpo in the college years, and a mutual desire to talk about stuff deeper than what the kids are doing, but rather stuff that involves me. Not too shabby dad.

Our most intimate excursion was to Sweden in 1998. He was 70 then and we had commiserating time to talk in excess. I learned stuff from that trip that I would NEVER have learned without that extra travel time to chat. Martin came with us as a fourteen month old little person and the stories we can tell from that journey are both hilarious and endearing.

Ingrid is reading this post and cooing.

So, Happy Birthday Dad. I look forward to lunch tomorrow and hope you have a great day today.