Out of asprin, try a nail to the head

For those of you that don’t know this already, my dad lives in my house with me and my two sons. We absolutely adore having him around all of the time, but there are days when I seem to be at the bottom of my rope and just can’t take it.

Take last week for example. I am at work, working very hard. Ok, you caught me, I was actually catching up on some old email correspondence, but I was sitting at my desk, in the office where I work…so I counted it as working.

Anywho, the phone rings and as always, I look at the caller ID first. I like to be prepared for what is coming my way. It’s a little after 4pm and the screen shows that it’s my house, I think it’s probably one of my kids wanting to talk to me after they had gotten off the school bus.

But no, it was nothing like that, it was my dad…thought you might enjoy hearing how our conversation went.

Me: Thank you for calling ABC company, this is Julie.

Dad: How do I get this beeper thingy to stop making noise? (that's right, no "hello", no "are you busy"...nothing)

Me: Huh?

Dad: This beeper thingy is going off and it is driving me nuts.

Me: Dad, I have no idea what you are talking about.

Dad: You know this thing that keeps time…it’s beeping in the kitchen and it won’t shut off, no matter which buttons I push.

Me: Is it the microwave timer dad?

Dad: No, it’s this beeper thingy you have in the kitchen.

Me: I don’t know what you’re talking about…is it the oven timer.

Dad: NO! The beeper thingy that you use, I have pushed all three buttons and none of them make this thing stop.

Me: Dad, I have no idea what you are talking about, if it is driving you nuts put it in the garage and I will figure it out when I get home.

Dad: It’s this little timer thingy that you have on the table in the kitchen.

Me: (having a light bulb moment) oh you mean the stop watch. (I say sarcastically)

Dad: Yes, the beeper thingy.

(mental note: Beeper thingy = Stop Watch)

Me: Isn’t there a stop button?

Dad: Yes, I pushed it. It’s not stopping.

Me: I don’t know dad, Gibby must have messed with it, because it wasn’t beeping this morning when I left. Just put it outside I will deal with it when I get home.

Dad: No, that’s ok, I will just keep messing with it until it stops…

Really? I cannot believe I had that conversation with my dad over the phone while I was at work. God bless him.

The man makes me laugh more times than not…but I have had to learn not to let these types of situation get to me.

However, I have yet to figure out how to deal with it when he calls me pissed that I didn’t make my bed before I left for work.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…him or me.