Hey all- been super busy, but I don’t feel like I have been missing anything because everything Cheeto Benito does is awful and insane. At any rate, I am headed on a little trip to visit ABC, and this conversation just happened:
Me: Do I need to bring dress clothes with me?
Her: God, no. Why.
a few seconds pass
Wait. If by dress clothes, you mean something other than overalls, yes.
Sigh.
Omnes Omnibus
She is a saint.
Felonius Monk
Hey, Cole. She wants a Sharp Dressed Man.
Singing Truth to Power
You are lucky to have found each other.
Olivia
Are you gonna drive??!!
amk
Discipline is good.
No, not a sarcasm.
XTPD
“White self-interest is totally different from racism” fap fap fap fap fap fap blort
satby
Have fun John! And pack a pair of regular jeans.
amk
@XTPD: And pay us to read this garbage. white self-interest alright.
NotMax
Today, on a very special episode of “Jethro Beaudine Goes to Town”….
:)
Steeplejack (tablet)
@XTPD:
Link goes to log-in/subscription page. Content not visible.
satby
@Omnes Omnibus: Several women on this blog think Cole is quite the catch, including me.
Of course, we’re all grandmothers, so make of it what you will.
Olivia
@satby: Absolutely!
Steeplejack (tablet)
@satby:
Fixed.
satby
@Steeplejack (tablet): ;)
Mary G
You can’t be taking the whole menagerie, so I am imagining the revenge of the pack for your absence. Rosy and Steve strike me as Home Alone style booby-trappers, but Lily is so sweet she will warn you, fearing injury to her person. Thurston will bark and spin in circles for hours and make sure to wake you up at 4 a.m.
trollhattan
ABC? Anything but coal? Artisan beer coasters? All ’bout chickens?
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
I have returned from laying Papa Cisco to rest. My brother stayed behind to tend to our mother for a few additional days. We had a week of remembrance, but very few tears. The last eighteen months had not been kind; the last two weeks unkinder still. It is a terrible thing to pray for a release that takes a loved one away forever, but if it had been Papa’s call to make, this outcome is the call he would have made.
The truth is, Papa was a comedian of sorts; he enjoyed making helping people and making them happy. He did a LOT of that; his memorial brought the largest turnout in recent memory according to the Minister; a testament, he says, to the type of man Papa was.
There’s a certain expectation among the Cisco clan, even (and especially) in times such as these. I literally have a lifetime of memories and instructions to carry our legacy forward, and as the eldest son it is a matter of personal honor that I do so. Mama is holding up well; having gone through my own loss not so very long ago, it will be my task to help her find her way if need be, as she did for me. However, she is both stronger and better prepared for this than I was; I fully expect that she will be more worried for us than the other way around.
I am sad that Papa is not here, yet grateful that he is with Mrs. Cisco now; they became fast friends over the years, and the thought of them together watching over the rest of us gives me comfort.
madmommy
Cargo shorts and polo shirts, then?
satby
Aww Ben, that’s a beautiful testament to your dad and your family. May your dad and your beloved wife look over you and keep you safe.
Jerzy Russian
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): I am sorry for your losses. That is a lot to take on. It sounds like you have a good crew around you, so you are not alone.
Omnes Omnibus
@satby: Okay. I am sure that the internet would throw up people who would find me to be a catch too.
Omnes Omnibus
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): My condolences. Wonderful tribute.
satby
@Omnes Omnibus: absolutely. And hopefully to your liking as well.
different-church-lady
One word: pants.
aimai
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): I am just so sorry for you Ben, these are the hardest times. Your papa sounds like a wonderful man, I know he will be missed.
efgoldman
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): Tough couple of years, Ben. No words except I’m sorry, and I’m glad you’ve found some small comfort here.
Aleta
So cargo shorts or sweatpants?
rikyrah
OK,
This was my laugh for the day, Cole. Thanks.???
danielx
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
Be strong and of good courage, as the saying goes. May you and yours find peace of mind soon.
rikyrah
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
I am sorry for your loss. But, I understand the feeling of wanting them to be at peace. Been there.???
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
What I love about Cole: Even when I don’t feel like laughing, he makes me do it anyway. Kinda like my dad.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@rikyrah: I have been slow to catch up on the threads, but I understand what you’ve been through, and you have my sincere condolences.
danielx
A discussion that could only have been held with a native West Virginian.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@danielx: Thank you. Rest assured, the house of Cisco endures.
randy khan
I’m surprised about the pause in the conversation.
chopper
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
you’ve had some hard times over the past few years. i can’t change the past but i’m hoping like hell that the rest are smoother for you.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@efgoldman: Thank you. This place is literally a godsend. To have so many like minded people in one place, especially nowadays, is nothing less than astounding.
Aleta
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): After my mother died, her favorite sayings began to come into my mind unexpectedly. I had never thought about how many she had; just took it for granted as the way she talked. Now they come into my mind all the time.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@satby: Thank you, much appreciated.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@Jerzy Russian: THE. BEST. CREW. That includes all of you.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@Omnes Omnibus: Thank you. Coming from you, that means a lot.
Mnemosyne
So who’s the one who lets ABC know that she is now dating a man who once took a cross-country trip and forgot to pack any pants at all?
Though I think he was still drinking at the time, FWIW.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@aimai: Thanks. He had many comedic moments, intentional and otherwise. Those remembrances made the loss easier to take.
Almost as if he planned it.
Mnemosyne
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
I’m so sorry for your loss. G and I saw the musical Fun Home this weekend, and it left me a sobbing mess because of a pivotal scene about that last conversation you have with your father that you don’t realize is your last conversation. I hope for peace and comfort for the whole Cisco family.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@chopper: I am convinced that my wife’s loss was intended to prepare me for this. There are no coincidences. I am stronger for it.
TaMara (HFG)
@Mnemosyne: My very first thought.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@Aleta: As my dad’s have for me.
TaMara (HFG)
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): [[[hugs]]] – words seem inadequate.
Mnemosyne
@trollhattan:
ABC is Cole’s new ladyfriend, except that I think we’re supposed to stop calling her the ladyfriend.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@Mnemosyne: Thank you. I didn’t get home prior to his passing; our last conversation has weighed on my mind. In my more optimistic moments I like to think that I acquitted myself acceptably.
efgoldman
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
Funny, I spent most of my adult life trying NOT to be my dad. He was a decent father and a good husband (except he spent 22 years in the Army and mom hated every second of it), never abusive or anything, but he could be a terrible fussbudget pain in the ass in a lot of ways, even when I was into my 40s and 50s.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@TaMara (HFG): With you lot, words are superfluous, I appreciate them nonetheless.
Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)
@efgoldman: I get that. He and I were polar opposites in many, many ways. Humor was one of the few things (along with the work ethic he instilled and the sense of honor) that we shared. I understand him better now than I ever have.
goblue72
I dunno. Walking around Connecticut in overalls and trucker hat, Cole might be taken for a hipster.
Ruckus
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
That’s a very nice memorial to your dad. Hang in there, it gets easier. Not better, but it does get a bit easier. I have personal experience with the dad thing as well. There is a club. No one wants to be a member, there are no jackets, no desire to see any other new members, but we add them every day. You need a shoulder to lean on, give a yell. Any of the front pagers have my permission to give you my email.
Original Lee
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): I am so sorry to hear about your father. A good funeral can do a lot to help ease the pain, and it sounds as if that’s what your Papa had.
efgoldman
@goblue72:
Or a tweaker
KS in MA
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): Hugs to you, Ben.
SWMBO
@Mnemosyne:
@danielx:
@madmommy: I’m remembering a story about sitting on a bench with shorter shorts than expected. Had something to do with some dangling naughty bits making an appearance. Perhaps overalls might be better (longer)?
SWMBO
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): Peace and comfort to all of you. Light and laughter to get you through. It seems you have most of that already.
eclare
Lovely tribute, my condolences.
Gretchen
Nice tribute to your dad, Ben. Hugs.
SWMBO
@SWMBO: https://balloon-juice.com/2015/08/19/living-the-dream/
ABCConcepts
@Mnemosyne: What now?
ABCConcepts
@SWMBO: This sounds like a story I am better off not hearing. Ever.
There seem to be several of those…
terben
@trollhattan: Obviously NOT ‘anyone but Cole’
J R in WV
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):
Sorry for your loss, again. As you say, it was what he wanted. My dad also turned to hospice after he got sick and tired of fighting just to maintain in the face of his illness. It is the sane and adult way to act at the end.
Enjoy the folks who surround you, and help them as I know you want to.
Take care and be well.
J R in WV
@ABCConcepts:
No, just a packing error. Went to the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina with only the pair of pants he was wearing, which were probably shorts. And of course it is easy to buy a couple of pairs of slacks in North Carolina.
LL Beans sells chinos slacks with expandable waist bands for under $50, in shades of tan and pale brown that would probably be acceptable to Cole. That’s what I use to be dressier than nice clean jeans, a coupe of times a year.
Here in WV a nice clean unstained pair of jeans will get you almost everywhere you need to go. The restaurants who won’t take that aren’t worth eating at, they mostly sell snobbery rather than excellent food. John is a very good person, and wound up living in a space that allowed him to be very casual in dress, which is a good thing. I live there too.
When they instituted a dress code at my government job (applications development team) they disallowed “blue jeans” perhaps deliberately ignoring the fact that denim jeans come in brown, green, tan, and many other colors than blue. Score. Polo shirts with logo and not-blue jeans for 99% of my working days.
satby
@ABCConcepts: all his stories are epic, you lucky lady! Epically funny.
ET
Wow. She really does have your number…….
Betty
@ABCConcepts: Just stay around. There will be more. That’s what makes him so lovable.
Skepticat
On this tiny rock in the Bahamas, we consider dress clothes a T-shirt that’s been washed in the last month, so I can identify. Have fun.
brendancalling
good lord, hang onto that wonderful woman with both hands and do NOT fuck this one up!
manyakitty
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): May his memory be a blessing. Peace and love to all.
Miss Bianca
Totally late to this thread, but just two things:
Out here in the sticks in CO, we refer to “Valley formal”, which means “jeans and a CLEAN T-shirt”.
Second to Ben Cisco: my thoughts are with you. Lost my dad – the sharpest, funniest guy I ever knew – eighteen years ago, and it still seems sometimes like I ought to just be able to wake up and call him on the phone. However long we get, it’s never quite long enough.
No One You Know
@Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant): Oh, Ben, I am sorry for your loss, and your gorgeous post suggests that even in the the loss you found both good and gain. Quite the mixed bag, I reckon.
Thank you for sharing such a personal story. I hope you continue well, and find comfort when you’re low, even add you’ve given more comfort than you realize by being here. I’m glad you’re among us.