A day late and a dollar short

Years ago, I remember begging my dad for something as he was making up his weekly grocery list. He was refusing to budge, and I was whining. 

"But I WANT it," I moaned for the fourth time.

He continued to gather up his coupons and double check his list, seemingly not paying attention to me as he sang loudly to himself.

"I saw her today at the Re-Cep-SHUNNNN," he warbled off tune. "A glass of wine in her HAY-und."

I stared at him, utterly confused as he continued on with a lyric about a footless man. I thought he was ignoring me until he finally made it to the punchline of his musical joke.

"You CAN'T always GET what you WANNNNT," he sang loudly in his best Stones voice. "I said, YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT!"

I remember laughing hysterically, promising to stop begging if he would just end the impromtu kitchen concert. He didn't. I got full verses, and I think a little air guitar. 

"But if you try sometimes, you just might find (You just might find!) ... you get what you need!" he couldn't help himself as he slammed the front door shut. To this day, I don't think I've ever seen him so pleased with himself. 

I remember thinking I had the coolest dad EVER. Other dads yelled (and mine did too, of course) but they never used classic rock in critical teaching moments. Mine did. 

He also begrudgingly took part in Dad-Daughter performances at the year-end dance recital (ask me for pictures of him dressed as Danny from Grease. So priceless.) When I brought home my first boyfriend, he changed shirts after I told him that his cutoff Adidas basketball tee that reads "Ill Wit Da Pill" might be slightly intimidating. When I was in unemployment hell this fall, he knew when to tiptoe around me and when to give me encouragement.

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful dad- a man as likely to read this blog as Jagger himself.