I've been busier than a fat man, chugging down a jelly doughnut at a local sip and dip!

Working at Home Depot is keeping me busier than chasing grasshoppers for a fishin' trip!

For all intents and purposes, my coveted weekends are gone. Usually rising at 5:00AM, its been a challenge, if not a pain in the arse to go to work at 10:00AM, 11:30AM or 12:30...This throws my whole work schedule out of wack, not to mention, I hate going to work late in the day!

Other than that, several things...

So far this year, it's been a slew of relatives and mom and dad's old friends. As Herb knows and some of the others,-when parents reach a certain age, or like us, you are reaching that 60 time slot, you begin to wonder about your own mortality.

Before pop passed on last year, he and mom, took several last trips to visit old friends and relatives they had not seen for years. Dad even acknowledged it was probably their last long trip. (Little did he know then, or perhaps he did, that he had cancer).

This year, it's been reverse visitation. Relatives we have not seen in years and even old friends of mom and dad's, have been making a pilgrimage to see my mother. Of course, being the only son of my folks, I have to attend these little visits...Of the relative kind, I don't mind. But for old friends of mom and dad's, I usually have little recollection.

"Oh...", Mom would say. "You remember Bob and Dorinda...)Well...no...actually I was only five years old. I have no memory or very little...So we play the game. Act like I know them very well, recollect all the places they mention, although I have no clue, and recall other friends of theirs that I don't know, or never heard of etc.

I guess it goes with any family that loses a father....but I don't know for sure. What I am finding out is that like most son's I resemble my dad in a great many ways. It's sort of like a Comdiean doing an imitation of someone else. I now find myself, playing that role.

But in the end, I don't mind. If it makes mom, happy, I'm happy. If my fathers resemblance brings some sort of good memory or recollection back to some old timer, than I oblige them. All in all, it's been a good experiance. Even if at times, I find myself nodding yes to some unknown question, they think I know, it seems to bring pleasure to someone. In those instances, I hope my dad looks down upon me with pleasing eyes. ;)