Why My Daddy is Cool.

The Olympics draw ever nearer. News coverage, stories, background, and hoopla are starting to trickle in to our existence. Since the games are in Athens, it has created a bit of nostalgia for the origins of the game. The local news team, as home spun as they come in Minnesota, commented how the sports reporters would be flying to Greece in a few short days.

This started a family discussion and round table.

*Side Note: My family likes to report its own news. We're far to impatient to wait for the newscasters to tell us the news, we'd much rather just make up our own and get all extemporaneous. We're experts on everything.

I mentioned the little tid bit I picked up on NPR that I was not privy too before. Marathon was an actual city that some Greek dude ran to...(yeah my listening skills aren't that great--but I got the jist).

This was my mothers chance to offer, "You know they performed the first games in the nude."

Which led to my Cliff Claven comment, "Well yes, because the story goes that some Greek dude (I'm really no good with their crazy vowel heavy names) once tripped over his loin cloth and lost a race. From then on everyone went nude."

We sat there pondering all that sweaty Greek flesh when my father offered his bit of wisdom.

"Do you know how awful it would be to have to watch the hurdle competition!"

My mother and I shoot each other looks, looks as if to say, "We knew he was going to go there, but I can't believe he did, can you?"

We had a little chuckle. The moment could have ended. But no. This is why my Daddy is cool. He never lets anything die alone at that one awkward spot. He always likes to give it a few shoves into the flinching and groaning realm of, PLEASE STOP TALKING!!

It wasn't even so much what he said next, as his timing and gestures...

"Flap Flap, Flap Flap...It'd be all over the place! Flapping and thrashing!"

Did I mention the gestures? There were gestures. A sort of fish movement with his hands in the crotch region, followed by a leaping motion with his upper body.

"I mean really," he said, "it'd be painful to watch if you think about it."

I didn't want to think about it, but now I had to. And I must admit it was hilarious. Not only hilarious because my dad just has a special comic timing, but also because of the situation itself. MY FATHER was pondering the flapping genitals of long dead Greeks.

This is why my house is never dull. This is why my Daddy is cool.