January 29, 2013, day 28

This is the second day I haven't seen Dad. Today I had to take Mom to a Doctors appointment and pick up my Mom's sister, my Aunt Mel at the airport. She has come to stay with us for three weeks and give me a little bit of a break. It seems strangely odd to not see Dad, despite the fact that while living here I have not been here every day and have gone days without seeing either of my parents. Heck, up until these last two years, I haven't lived with my parents since before I left for college. Why all of a sudden would I be upset at not seeing Dad for two days in a row? Because he had a stroke? Because he was seemingly incapacitated? Honestly, it was because over the last couple of years Dad had become one of my best friends. He was the one constant I had in an otherwise tumultuous few years.
I remember the last time I moved out of state. By that point, in living with them, we had gotten into a routine where I would call sometimes during the day and ask what we were having for dinner, because Dad loved to cook. Abosultely loved to cook. However, he HAD to follow a recipe to its exactness, something I found so very humorous, because I was the complete opposite. If the box of pasta said 10-12 minutes until it's done, sure enough the timer went on for 10 minutes so he could then check it. We would sit around and plan out meals days before. PJ thought we were nuts, but it was something we had in common and something we loved to talk about.
When I was ready to move, I remember Dad and I going out and buying a webcam so we could webchat when I was away. I showed him how to use it and we did a couple of test chats using Skype to make sure he got the hang of it. The first day I drove I left on a Saturday night around 4pm and drove until four or five pm the next day. I had made it to Illinois from Maine (and yes I am a ween bit insane). It was early August. The sun was still out and it was warm. My dog Loki and I checked into the hotel and I was unwinding in the room, playing on my computer, when all of a sudden Skype was calling me. It was my parents. I answered and there they were! It was so good to see them, even though I had just left, even though this wasn't my first rodeo in leaving them. Dad impressed me because he did this on his own. He didn't get into computers until only about four years ago and in that time he had defintely come a long way and picked up alot. You could teach on old dog a new trick! We chatted about the weather, my travels during the day and the fact it was light where I was and dark where they were already. Then my Dad, smiling, asked me, "Don't you want to know what we had for dinner?" I laughed so long and hard at that and it made me smile. It was like I hadn't left even though I had.
This recent memory sticks out in my mind so distinctly as something to treasure and I do so much so.
Below is a photo of Dad when he was just a kid. He's the one on the right. I look forward to seeing him tomorrow. That is all for the night dear readers.