Downright Cold Today...

It's forty degrees outside and I was just over helping my father take down his outside Christmas lights. I absolutely abhor the cold so I really owed my father a favor to do this as much as he does for me. The sun had begun to set behind the house making it feel even more cold.

My father is very peculiar about this process, so you have to be careful even though you have a tendency to rush things because you are cold.

"That goes in that basket," he told me one time snatching some lights out of my hand. "And that goes in the other basket."

I wanted to do a goosestep and say, "SIR! YES SIR!"

The British Ministry of Silly Walks would approve.

He keeps the numerous lights in laundry baskets so they will be ready for next year's revelry.  They then go behind a door in the old coal bin in the basement for storage until next year.

Tha caveat of this endeavor was that dad was making homemade hot chocolate on the stove.   When we finished, we walked inside to go have a mug -- our hands numb and cold.   My mother had roused herself from her slumber and was in the kitchen having a mug herself.   Dad and I both looked at each other and smiled.

"Charlie and I will be over about seven with something to eat," my father told me as I was leaving. "We'll do your medications as well."

I was praying Charlie wasn't going to try and cut my hair tonight.  There was no mention of it from my father and I didn't mention it as well.  Although, I do badly need a haircut.

"What are you getting tonight at Burger King?" my mother asked me as I was leaving -- another mug of hot chocolate in her hand.

"I am going to try the grilled chicken sandwich this week," I told her. "A blog friend recommended it last week."

"I think I will get that, too," she replied. "That sounds good!"

image credit:  http://community.tribesports.com/challenges/ministry-of-silly-walks-pledge-week-lunges