Older Than Dirt

You could never tell just by looking at him but today my dad officially became a geezer.   Even though he has been receiving AARP Magazine for at least a decade,  it is on this date,  August 20, 2010,  that John Picetti turns sixty-five.  Holy crap,  65!!!  That’s older than dirt.

This is a guy who used to have an actual photograph on the fridge of Elvis Presley sitting down at a table and my dad would tell anybody who expressed the slightest interest in it that the picture was taken here in our kitchen when The King was over for a visit one evening.

This is the guy who told anyone listening that he believed that cars and trucks should be made of flesh instead of metal and plastic so when they would inevitably be involved in fender benders all the driver would have to do was apply a little Neosporin to the wound and put on a bandage and a few days later,  vehicle all better.

This is the guy who upon being informed that my little league baseball game was fogged out — love ya San Bruno — decided to drive the family VW Bug around the bases of the field while the opposition’s coaching staff chased after us with fire in their eyes and bad words exiting their mouths.

This is a guy who,  along with my mom,  upon learning of my ALS diagnosis did not hesitate to put their own retirement plans on permanent hold by selling the family estate in sunny San Bruno and moving into a shared home with Fehmeen,  Emma and me in order to help take better care of their number one (and only) son.

I guess what I am getting at is that one’s age may just be a number but those rules never for one second applied to my dad.  He has always been the coolest dude I’ve ever known and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

Happy Birthday Dad.

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