{For The Love of Grandpa}

It’s been brought to my attention that some may mistake my honest humor as cynicism … well, you’ve hit it on the button.

I promise each documented happening has been the honest to goodness truth. When reflecting on my daily grandpa experiences, I get the whole shoulder-angel-and-devil thing. Unfortunately, the little hellion on my left shoulder quashes the adorable cherub’s upbeat encouragement on my right; resulting in a slew of sarcastic internal thoughts {but it’s all thunk in a loving way, of course}.

These notions often end up streaming straight from my head and into my computer. I can’t stop it.  {Jordan would be the first to attest to my incapacity to think before I speak … or publish in this matter. I always ramble awkwardly/ incoherently/ shamelessly; and it’s usually to his detriment}. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of a sentence and I’ll think, “Don’t say that.” And then I say it. Why? I don’t know. Like I said… I can’t stop it.

But to make up for any misunderstandings, I’ve decided to dedicate this post to the reasons why I LOVE my grandpa. {I’ve also been out of town for a good chunk of the week, so I didn’t soak up as much of the awe-inspiring craziness as I normally do.}

The following is my All-The-Things-I-Love-About-My-Grandpa-Plus-A-Few list:

1. I LOVE when grandpa tells me my meals are “just like uptown.” {or “downtown” he likes to substitute the two just to change it up a little bit.} I don’t know how he remembers uptown/downtown, because right now there’s not a ton going for those locations in good ‘ole Idaho Falls – today it’s a little more eastside, but any who, that’s open for debate. No matter the context, I’m sure this is a complement. Who thought frozen cordon bleu and Lipton Rice Sides were comparable to any public food establishment? I’m honored.

2. I LOVE grandpa’s cinematic tastes. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy his choice of television programs most of the time, too. There’s nothing like building a lasting grandfather/granddaughter relationship while watching TruTV. He even gets his Jersey Shore on every once in a while {though I don’t think he totally knows what’s going on.} But it’s the movies that I enjoy the most. Since moving in, I’ve watched a handful of movies with the old man, including: “The Natural”, “The Ides of March” {edited version, of course, which didn’t really make any sense. Apparently all the important stuff happens during the scandalous scenes. But – to use grandpa’s words – it was a good time, nevertheless}, “Eight Seconds”, “A League of Their Own”, “Sleepless In Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail.” You might note that half of the movies we watch are Tom Hanks classics. Grandpa loves him some Tom Hanks. Though he usually thinks “kissing shows” are gross, he thinks Hanks is the  BANANAS!   

3. I LOVE grandpa’s stories. Though I’ve heard most of them 101 times {“The Dumpy Sheephearder”, “The Boxing Record: 55-5-1” or “The Time I Blew-Up The Beaver Dam With A Stick Of Dynamite” – Don’t worry, I’ll devote entire posts to these stories; they’re pretty classic. This is just to tickle your curiosity.} Anyways, though I’ve heard most of these stories a million times, the facts change just a little bit with each telling. Grandpa gets so excited to tell a story, even though he pretends like it’s not a big deal. He always makes them truly entertaining.

4. I LOVE being able to say what grandpa’s thinking before he says it {see All-The-Things-I-Love-About-My-Grandpa-Plus-A-Few #’s 1 and 2}. I always try to beat him to the punch and call our meals “uptown” and our movies “kissing shows” before he does. I think it takes him by surprise, like “That’s exactly what I was just thinking!” I LOVE  it.

Though there are many more reasons why I love my grandfather, my word count is getting a little high… who likes to read more than 600 words in one sitting? Not me. And this is becoming downright novel-ish.

Perhaps this week I’ll spend a little more time with grandpa, just so soak up the good things.

We could wander downtown for a truly uptown meal, then end the night with a good Tom Hanks kissing show.