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Having a rip-snortin' good time...
Oct. 4th, 2004 08:36 pmAll is going well here at home. I've been very busy meeting with clients and visiting friends and family. My lips are all chapped because I'm not used to talking this much.
Sad but true.
I think that it might be possible that my stepfather (George) is a distant relation of John Sheppard of Atlantis. I had a bag of books for my mother to read and we were busily squeeing over them when the following conversation occurred:
George: I'm reading a book.
Trish: Really?
George: Yeah, your sister gave it to me for Christmas.
Mom: Three years ago.
George: Yup, I'm on Page 24.
George: I'm pacing myself.
I checked it out when I got to his house and I'm sorry to report that he was exaggerating.
He's actually on Page 23.
* * *
I've only spent about 20 minutes with my Dad so far (he's been busy). He's finally implemented his retirement plan and announced to the Marina staff that he was scaling back operations and putting some land up for sale. The guys are understandably concerned, but there will be no layoffs of anyone for at least two years (possibly longer), so they've got plenty of warning. Tongues are a-wagging though, not least of which because he has listed the property with my stepfather, his first ex-wife's husband, even though two of his closest friends are agents.
Yes, my famiy is weird.
He has also told my sister that the primary reason for his first two marriages breaking up was because he was a "serial cheater".
Hunh.
I'm still digesting this, but it's not really a surprise. There have been a lot of rumours over the years, but I've never been able to confirm them. In a way, I feel better, because I always felt bad about doubting him. I think that I'm okay with the concept because I've thought a lot about it a fair bit over the years (like I said, lots of rumours). It doesn't change my opinion of him that much (for the record I think that he is a flawed but wonderful man and I love him dearly), but it gives me a much different perspective on my mother. My dad has always said "your mother is a wonderful woman", and he's certainly right. She never, ever said a word against him during the divorce and beyond. She's let us form our own opinion of our dad, even though it must have really chapped her ass sometimes.
They've now been divorced for 27 years and have become pretty good friends again. One of my favourite memories is from 1997. My dad suffered a severe stroke the year before at the age of 46 and almost died. He has made an incredible recovery. The side of his face and his right hand are paralysed, his speech is slightly affected and he has to search for some words when he's speaking, but that's it. Truly amazing.
Anyways, there was a 25th anniversary reunion for Mom and Dad's service club. Mom, George, Dad, my stepmother and I were all there. A table was set up with photo albums and Dad was leafing through them. At this stage, he was still having a lot of difficulties speaking. Mom went up to him and looked through the albums with him. She was so patient, prompting him for the names of the people in the pictures, and giving him time to respond, instead of jumping in and giving him the answers the way that most (well-meaning) people did. When they got to the end of the last book she looked up at him and said, "We did have a lot of good times, didn't we?"
Sad but true.
I think that it might be possible that my stepfather (George) is a distant relation of John Sheppard of Atlantis. I had a bag of books for my mother to read and we were busily squeeing over them when the following conversation occurred:
George: I'm reading a book.
Trish: Really?
George: Yeah, your sister gave it to me for Christmas.
Mom: Three years ago.
George: Yup, I'm on Page 24.
George: I'm pacing myself.
I checked it out when I got to his house and I'm sorry to report that he was exaggerating.
He's actually on Page 23.
* * *
I've only spent about 20 minutes with my Dad so far (he's been busy). He's finally implemented his retirement plan and announced to the Marina staff that he was scaling back operations and putting some land up for sale. The guys are understandably concerned, but there will be no layoffs of anyone for at least two years (possibly longer), so they've got plenty of warning. Tongues are a-wagging though, not least of which because he has listed the property with my stepfather, his first ex-wife's husband, even though two of his closest friends are agents.
Yes, my famiy is weird.
He has also told my sister that the primary reason for his first two marriages breaking up was because he was a "serial cheater".
Hunh.
I'm still digesting this, but it's not really a surprise. There have been a lot of rumours over the years, but I've never been able to confirm them. In a way, I feel better, because I always felt bad about doubting him. I think that I'm okay with the concept because I've thought a lot about it a fair bit over the years (like I said, lots of rumours). It doesn't change my opinion of him that much (for the record I think that he is a flawed but wonderful man and I love him dearly), but it gives me a much different perspective on my mother. My dad has always said "your mother is a wonderful woman", and he's certainly right. She never, ever said a word against him during the divorce and beyond. She's let us form our own opinion of our dad, even though it must have really chapped her ass sometimes.
They've now been divorced for 27 years and have become pretty good friends again. One of my favourite memories is from 1997. My dad suffered a severe stroke the year before at the age of 46 and almost died. He has made an incredible recovery. The side of his face and his right hand are paralysed, his speech is slightly affected and he has to search for some words when he's speaking, but that's it. Truly amazing.
Anyways, there was a 25th anniversary reunion for Mom and Dad's service club. Mom, George, Dad, my stepmother and I were all there. A table was set up with photo albums and Dad was leafing through them. At this stage, he was still having a lot of difficulties speaking. Mom went up to him and looked through the albums with him. She was so patient, prompting him for the names of the people in the pictures, and giving him time to respond, instead of jumping in and giving him the answers the way that most (well-meaning) people did. When they got to the end of the last book she looked up at him and said, "We did have a lot of good times, didn't we?"