The New Adventures of Same-Old Bry

Whenever Dad gives me advice, it sounds like a country-western song.

 

This is not surprising from a man who watches NASCAR, drinks Coors Light, and sees no problems voting for Newt Gingrich.

 

Last night's conversation sounded a lot like a "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away."

 

This was the second piece of advice I received from a man yesterday, the first being "Just get drunk and get over it."

 

Hah.

 

I am quite enamored with the movie You've Got Mail (YGM).

 

Fact: I once got the Meg Ryan haircut.

 

Fact: I like to imagine I work at the Shop Around the Corner when really I work at Fox Books.

 

Fact: The one and only time I've met someone I met online, it was someone I met through AOL chat.

 

The real reason I like the movie is that I love Tom Hanks and I like that he is a bit of a dick in the beginning of that movie. Plus, I just really love books.

 

During our conversation, Dad used the sentence "I've got a project that needs a little tweaking."

 

This immediately brought forward the scene in YGM where Kathleen Kelly wants to meet Joe Fox and he puts her off because she doesn't know she has been chatting with Joe Fox and he knows who she is and knows that she hates him, Joe Fox him. He tells her he can't because he has a project that needs tweaking. 

T-w-e-a-k-i-n-g. 

Tweaking. 

Then I stopped listening to Dad and continued on with the rest of the movie in my head. 

There was a pause in the conversation where I realized Dad asked me a question. 

"Uh. Sorry. Dad, are you... do you ever chat on AOL? Are you online dating?" I ask.

"What? I can't figure out how to get on the computer."

Which is true. Once when I lived in California, my dad drove 20 minutes into town to get me to Google "tractor tires" so that he could find some replacements for his John Deere. 

I kinda like the idea of Dad being off the Interwebs grid. Mostly because it saves me from getting crazy right-winger email chains. 

Oh Dad. How I love you. Happy Father's Day (early). 

I will print this blog and mail it to you.