Pace on Earth

Who Can It Be Now?

I got a call yesterday from a strange area code so naturally I screened the call. The same number called back immediately so I figured if they wanted me that bad it can't be good news and they would leave a message. Solid logic, I know. After the second call I checked the messages and didn't recognize the voice but figured out who it was when he ended the first sentence with "mate". The next sentence was "It's your uncle Dan".

Dan was coming through town from Australia on his way to Carleton (Potato) County via Montreal and New Jersey. He was pretty worn out from the travelling but wanted to get together for a visit. We met up and caught up and it was great. There was a good portion of my childhood that Dan was my idol. Mostly because he looked kind of like the Fonz, taught me my first swear word, and could always come through with the exclamation point at the end of a "Pull my Finger" joke. But also because he made everyone around him laugh with off-color jokes that my mother couldn't help but laugh at and that his mother would gently scold him for - "Dan!". As I grew up I figured out that he got that directly from his father. We shared a few more laughs and then Dad showed up for a surprise visit:As you can see we had a few more laughs. I hadn't seen Dan in 4 years and Dad hadn't seen him in 10 so there was a lot of catching up to do. He is living well in Australia with his beautiful wife Helen and their son Shannon, whose sports fixation at age 9 sounds exactly the same as mine at the age. Of course the sports are all different, cricket and Aussie Rule Football, but that's good because I'm thinking I might make a trip down there so he can teach me how to kick. I think we kept him up longer then he wanted to be but it was well worth it.
Great to see you Dan!

Si

PS - Dan actually taught me that first swear word in the context of a joke (which seemed to make it ok because everyone laughed at it) and thanks to the glory of the internet here it is:
A rabbit, a lizard, and a turtle decided to go into business. They would manufacture and distribute fertilizer. The rabbit was in charge of production, the turtle in charge of delivery, and the lizard in charge of sales.

Business went well, and in no time they were living in the lap of luxury. However, while the rabbit continued his hard work in the production plant, the lizard and the turtle spent most of their time loafing around their estate.

One day the rabbit was delivering the latest batch of fertilizer to the estate, prior to distribution, and he was met at the gate by a new butler! "I want to see the lizard," said the rabbit. "Mr. li-ZARD is out in the yard," replied the butler. "Then let me see the turtle," said the rabbit. "Mr. tur-TELL is down by the well," said the butler. "Well," said the rabbit, "you tell Mr. li-ZARD, who is out in the yard, and Mr. tur-TELL, who is down by the well, that Mr. rab-BIT is here with the shit."
I've been trying to remember that joke for years...

Labels: Dan the Man, Family Ties

posted by Vitamin S @ 6:51 p.m.