Random thoughts about the guy who taught me to read.

I am not finding the new season of Lost very gripping, and am currently watching re-runs of the Sopranos because they are more interesting.

They just showed a scene where Junior Soprano tries to make himself some kind of milkshake, but he forgets to put the cover on the blender, and it sprays everywhere. For the first time ever, I realized how much Junior Soprano reminds me of my grandfather. Except my grandfather's nose is smaller. And he's more funny than cranky. And he's cuter.

Of all the people that I miss, I miss him the most. It's easier to take the other people in my family for granted, seeing as they are younger, if you know what I'm saying. In the back of my mind there is always that concern, and so it makes me miss him a whole lot. My upbringing was a team effort - I lived with my mom and her husband from the age of five on, but for the first five years of my life, my grandparents raised me. And for many years I visited them (and when my grandmother died, I visited him) every weekend that I could. So really, he's like a dad for me, only better. I can only think he's better than a dad, but I don't have a dad to compare him to, so.... but I'm pretty sure he's better than a dad.

Anyway, when I saw Junior Soprano spraying milkshake everywhere, it made me think of my grandfather. I can picture him in the kitchen, trying to fix himself a nice milkshake while his wife is out somewhere (although I think they are rarely apart, they are cute together), and spraying the milkshake everywhere. He would make this noise he makes when things surprise him, kind of a "Ho po po po po" and he would scramble to turn it off. Then he would throw his hands up as he stared down the blender, then he would see the mess, and say "Son of a Bitch" really loud.

When my grandfather and his wife visited us last March, he had a 20 minute conversation with a "homeless person" outside of the restaurant we went to. The man was begging for change, and my grandfather just went over and started chatting. When he was finally ready to go inside, he shook the man's hand and we made our way in. Then he said "That guy was wearing a pair of $180 snowmobiling boots - I'm not giving him a dime." My Papa, he can spot a scammer.

Here is a picture of my Papa taking one of his thirty catnaps per day, but don't tell him that it's here. I think he would be embarassed, even though I'm not sure he's ever seen the internet. I know he knows what it is, but I can't imagine anyone getting him to sit still long enough to actually see it. I will pay anyone out there $25 whole dollars if you can get my Papa on the internet.