November 9, 2009
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2 The guy is a knight.
3 For the past several years he has been by my Mom's side as she went through all sorts of procedures for all sorts of different things. My Mom was paralyzed the last seven years of her life, and my Dad was with her constantly, loving, helping, and being her rock. He never complained, and both of them have always seen the glass half full.
4 When I was around five or six, he crashed in an small plane in the Sierra. The pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash, but my Dad and his friend lived. It crushed his feet and cracked his ribs, but he walked away. I used to draw crayon airplanes all the time at school. It was always a sunny day, with a blue stripe at the top of the page indicating sky, a bright yellow sun, and me in a garden with lots of flowers. The teachers were worried, but really, once Mom told me Dad was okay, I used to play and not think about it too much. I saw him in the hospital and he looked a little scratched, but fine with his two big old casts. Since then, he has lived through a lot.
5 He has had all sorts of cancers and has been carved from head to toe, but he is still strong, good, and funny!
6 Around eight years ago, while riding a moped in Tahoe, he was hit by a car and raced to the hospital. After worrying about him all morning, he came walking out. He threw his jacket over his shoulder and said, "Let's get the Hell outta here. And can you stop by the liquor store? I gotta buy a six-pack!"
7 He has been in and out of the hospital for the past few years as well. He has some goofy stomach thing that has had several different procedures, so we always have to bring him in.
8 Once, while he was talking to me in the hospital, he accidentally pressed the nurse's button. In flew this really cute nurse who said, "Did you need something, Mr. Harrington?"
9 Dad looked up, gave a puppy-dog look, and said, "Love?"
10 Haha! Apple. Tree.
11 Anyway, when I was a kid, he used to take me to all the Forty Niner games, and each week we'd watch the away games together, along with all the other games. We still watch lots of games together, but it has been years since the two of us actually sat at a game.
12 Yesterday that happened, once again. We can always talk about everything and nothing, so we got out there early, tailgated with some friends, and went inside. My best friend from childhood sat on my right, and my Dad sat on my left, almost the same exact location we all were in when we saw "The Catch" happen. We were all there, Niner fans since birth.
13 The sun was shone, the place was ready to go, and we enjoyed the entire day, even though the Niners went into the tank late in the game. When the game finally got out of reach, my Dad, who had been reading the scores of other games on the scoreboard, said, "I thought the Raiders weren't playing today."
14 Keeping my eyes on the field, I said rather matter-of-factly, "No, they aren't. They have a bye."
15 His reply? "No they don't. They're down on the field!"
16 The Raiders, if you don't know, are absolutely pathetic this year, with all due respect to the Raiders' fans.
17 Great comment.
18 He has had great comments his whole life, subtle, polite and cool.
19 Anyway, what a great day, even if the Niners lost. It was beautifully fun to see my friend Nick as well. He is ALSO pretty funny, and has always been a great guy. He told this joke yesterday:
Nick. Why do women wear makeup and perfume?
Me. I don't know. Why?
Nick. Because they're ugly and they smell.
20 Ya gotta love it.
21 All in all, this will be a memory for me. Well, my sort of memory. I really love simple memories. I don't always have to have Disneyland memories, or going places and having huge fun memories. Those are always fun, of course. I simple memories, like just riding to the ballpark with my Dad in the TOOOOOONDRA, or spending a Sunday with just him and me sitting in comfortable chairs watching football, talking about everything and nothing. Those are always the best to me.
22 With my head all out of sorts the past two weeks, this was an instant antidote.
23 I got home and felt full strength once more, and smiled.
24 Amazingly clear headed and completely back to normal strength, although I didn't get to the gym last night. I fully intend to go later today however, so that I can continue to strengthen.
25 You have to work out both physically and mentally anyway.
26 Seeing my Dad and my best friend from childhood was a great step towards clarity and alertness, both of which have managed to dodge me for the past few weeks. Feels great, and more importantly, normal.
27 I even had the DN written last night at 8:30 p.m., arguably my all-time record!
28 So it's good times, laughs, and I'm guessing I may even be able to fight off insomnia, since when this was being written, I was at around 8:30 last night.
29 And so I'll leave today's DN at that. I was going to go into some of the hilarities of working out each day, but that may have to wait until tomorrow's DN.
30 I'm smiling, so that's a good place to tell everyone out there thanks for the e-mails and nice thoughts; things are WAY righted now, and I want to wish you a great day today, and once again say, "Thanks."
31 Now get out there and fly low; it's Monday!
32 Peace.
~H~
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