When I was a kid, around the age of 6-7 years old, I remember helping my dad fix the eves on our farm house. I remember the day like it was yesterday. Standing there on the ground, holding the ladder, looking up at my dad smiling down at me as he cracked jokes and taught me wit. He challenged me to see who could say the alphabet the fastest.
Knowing he was the master of one-liners and nifty sayings, I should have expected this right off the bat. But as I was spouting off the letters of the alphabet one after the next, he said six words that made no sense but sounded really cool: “ab-cdef-ghij-klimnop-qrstuv-wxyz.”
By the time I was done with my 26 letters, he had repeated the six words containing all 26 letters at least 4-5 times. Wow, was I ever impressed. More impressed than the embarrassing situation earlier in the day when my dad told the lady at the hardware store that he has “1 and a half dozen kids.” She looked at me like I was a freak with six heads and then looked away.
My dad laughed and we walked out. I was so embarrassed I wanted to cry. I asked him why he had lied, and he said “ I didn’t lie, 1 and half dozen (6) equals 7.” I realized then and there that he couldn’t have cared less that the lady thought he was crazy.
To this day, the wit and sense of humor is sharp as a tack. Check out what he sent me this morning.
July 2011
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years.
This year we’re going to experience four unusual dates.
1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that’s not all…
Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born. Now add the age you will be this year. The results will be 111 for everyone in whole world.
Thanks Dad, I always knew you were the smartest man in the world!
Thanks to you whenever I am in the thick of it, I always seem to be able to remember a joke or some play of words to lighten the mood.
Love you pops.
Jay Kubassek
P.S. And no, by the look of it you were not the first to have your picture taken with the Wall St. Bull’s prairie oysters.
Hi Jay, this is great, sounds like you get it. Not many do, I get it.
It sounds wonderful to have a father that has shown you the joy in everyday life.
It sounds wonderful to have a father that has shown you the joy in everyday life.
It is great that you and your dad have such a great connection. Having a good sense of humor is a blessing. I really enjoy people who has it and hopefully more people appreciate them. 🙂 I wish I will continue to have more laughter and smile and more opportunity to share it with others. Does your dad live close to you? I am Japanese and reside in NY, but all of my family and many of my close friends live in Japan, so I do miss them… 🙁 I wish there were closer. The number game was cool. Everyone comes up with 111 ! 🙂
You so Lucky you have dad Jay.My dad died when I was 5 or 6 years I wasn’t sures.
I so happy for you is a belssing who has mom and dad.I apreciated my dad what had done for my mom,but sorry for my mom she had such hard time to take care 6 children by herself.
Thank you Jay to share the story about your dad is wonderful story I Love its.
Kong Sourivong.
Thanks for sharing this memory, Jay. What a precious gift to have a father you like referring to …
Mona Hasler