Posted 1:12 PM by Alfred

there are many different definitions of cool. well i've got a little story to tell that i think epitomizes the essence of the word.

sometime last year, mrs. p and i were back in LA for some function or another, maybe it was my high school reunion. we were staying at my parents' house. so one night my dad has a hankering for some jack in the box so him and i head up the hill to gather up some eats for the womenfolk. maybe i'm a big dork, but i had this cool feeling like, ok now the men are going to go hunt game while the women prepare for the feast. whatever, i AM a big dork, but that's besides the point.

a little background on my dad. he is the definition of mellow. calm, cool, collected, very rarely confrontational. but with that presence and authority that let's you know, business WILL be taken care of if necessary. as the years go by, i've seen my dad use this demeanor to achieve his goals in life, simply by being a mellow cat and keeping his eyes and ears open, receptive, all-knowing, wise, COOL - that's my dad.

so anyway, part of the reason we go to jack in the box is that my mom wanted the new jack antenna ball thing, cuz it like had a cute scarf or something like that. the hitch is you have to order the sourdough combo. so my dad orders a whole bunch of food (for four people), but not included in there is the aforementioned required combo for your free jack ball. so my dad completes his order and says "and throw one of those antenna balls in there, too."

jack-in-the-box worker replies, "uh, well, you need to order a #5 combo to get the antenna ball, but you can buy one for 99 cents."

my dad: "can't you just throw it in there?"

j-i-b-w: "well I'm not supposed to."

my dad answers, "oh, that's ok," waving his hand, so the guy runs the register, takes the money, gives my dad his change, and starts putting the food together. so me, obviously still not trained in the ways of the force, ask my dad "what about the antenna ball, i thought that was the whole reason we came here."

dad: "oh, he'll put it in there."

me: "I don't know, I mean, you have to order a # 5 meal."

dad: "you'll see, there'll be an antenna ball in the bag."

and sure enough, there was. and i was just like, damn dad, you are the coolest frikken guy on the planet!! my strategy in such an instance would have been to make a big scene and a total ass out of myself, and i probably would have not gotten the antenna ball, rather i would have been embaressed and probably banned from the premises, but just a wave of the hand and a friendly smirk from the clint eastwood of glendale california, and all is well.

so that's my little story about my cool-as-ice dad. why story time about dad today you may ask? cuz it's his birthday you foolios.

happy birthday dad!!!!

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