A Ball?

Six days before I leave. Wouldn't you know it would have to get so cold the grandkids have no school! And of course, who gets to watch them.

I have preparations to make, bags to pack, fishing equipment to finish getting ready, arrangements to make and who knows what I haven't thought of yet.

Oh well, there is still some food that needs used up before I leave. Wouldn't want to come home in a month to things growing in the refrigerator...

I was planning to leave the last day of this month, but a very pretty young lady asked me of all people to take her to a ball. 

A BALL!

Me who doesn't even own a pair of real dress pants let alone a torture suit. Hasn't looked at his hangman's nooses in years. Had to wipe years of dust from his dress shoes. At least they still looked good under their protective coating of dust.

I promised myself many years ago I would never again don clothes I couldn't feel totally comfortable getting dirty in.

But oh no, a cute little girl had to come along and make me break that promise.

Yet what can a guy do when his grand daughter asks for him to be her date...

So it was off to torment shacks err stores, to look for and buy new clothes. Clothes that I swear will only be worn once!

Hunting through styles that look goofy for five hours until I finally found something acceptable.

Maybe I really did outlive my lifetime...

Why can't I just wear a T shirt and jeans? What's wrong with my comfortable black Nike's? Why in the name of humanity do I have to put on a hangman's noose to choke my Adams apple and make my neck itch?

Grand daughter, that's why.

Somewhere out in the cosmos there is a gang of angels laughing. Holding their stomachs in pain from the laughter. All dancing around singing “We gotcha, we gotcha, ha ha haa ha haa ha.

Yes they knew there was no woman who could convince me I ever had to dress up again. So they blessed me with a wonderful grand daughter. A sweet young thing with a smile that could light the darkest night.

And she even delayed my escape from the bone chilling cold and my fishing trip.

Ugh, wonder if I can still remember how to dance with anyone but myself while out in a field when the mood strikes to nothing but the music in my head!

Oh well, she'll only be young once.

So smile as you imagine an old, broken down fool on a dance floor.

I will be : )

But she'll have this memory and smile forever.