Dad

Today is Columbus Day. Well actually it’s not Columbus Day but our government, in its infinite wisdom has decided to celebrate Columbus Day today. Normally I don’t let these little government idiosyncrasies bother me, but this one hits a little closer to home. No my family is not descended from the blood line of Christopher Columbus however, 22 years ago on the 12th of October, my father left this life for whatever comes next and in my mind that action forever connected the two.

How am I going to go out and have a memorial beer on the 9th of October? He’s only 21 years 11 months and 28 days gone, not 22 years. It just doesn’t seem right somehow. Actually, in my case it doesn’t make a lot of difference, as I don’t have to work on the twelfth either.

So I’m planning a memorial lunch at someplace dad would like. Someplace a little dark that serves beer and maybe has bowls of peanuts on the tables. With middle-aged waitresses that Pop could have flirted with and some sort of salty burnt meat for lunch. It will be a place where they won’t notice or mind my carrying on a conversation with Ray’s ashes or that his container is sitting on the table. I gotta take Ray, Sam was his father too, and it’s only right that he attends.

It’s settled, Thursday, October 12th, The Sam Cramer Memorial Lunch.

Uncle Dave