Michele 1 #1 July 23, 2006 A few years ago, we had a bad heat wave...and he, being old (at 78, iirc), wasn't handling the heat too well. So I made him get central A/C-heat throughout his house. He swears he has no idea how he ever made it before...and loves it. So, now that we are having one of the hottest, worst summers we've had in many years, my a/c doesn't work. 'Course, it's about 30 years old, and is a window unit, but still, it doesn't work. I had the landlord bring out a maintenence guy, who fixed what he could, but it only cools about 2 square feet in front of it. Dad decided we were going shopping - he needed some shorts, and he suggested that I figure out what I wanted to get for me, the house, or the cats...no $$ limit. I told him air conditioning. I was just kidding...there's no way to a/c my house, and I'm renting anyway. I've muddled through, but it's rough. Can't move, so I just deal with it. So, Dad and I went shopping; he got everything he needed, and I got a few odds and ends, nothing fancy. And then he decided he needed to look at stuff over at Sears. So we trooped over to Sears, and what he wanted to look at was a/c - a new window unit for the front room, and one for the bedroom. For my place, not his. I told him no - it's far too expensive, and I'd survive without it. He told me yes, you will take them. No, sez me...and then he spotted a sales man. Collared him, told him he wanted two good, quality window units. The sales man smiled, and said "sure. But have you seen the portable A/C units? Right over here..." and Dad was hooked. Knowing Dad, I knew I wasn't going to be able to leave the store without a unit, so I pulled him aside, and told him "no, Dad...one unit I can accept, but not two...and not the most expensive one." Dad looked at me. Told me "fine. You'll take one?" and I said yes. Dad asked the sales man to show him the most expensive portable A/C unit on the floor, so the sales man of course did. Dad said "o.k., we're not getting that one. But we're getting this one" pointing to the second most expensive portable a/c unit. 10,000 soemthing or others, price of $499 with a 5 year warranty. Of course, when I got home, the power had gone out because everyone is using their units...but the power is back on and I am feeling actually as if I will survive this noxious heatwave with some semblance of sanity...and the kitties won't pant. So I'm sitting here, with an outside temperature of 110 and a feels like temp of 115, but inside, it's a balmy 90...and that's after about 30 minutes of the unit running. Am I happy? Oh hell yeah. Are the kitties happy? It took them about 3 minutes to realize that it was cooler in front of the portable A/C then anywhere else, so I've got 4 laying here, bellies to the unit, happier than they've been in a few days. Does my Dad rock? Oh hell yeah. I am without doubt to be blessed with such a generous man as my father - not simply financially, but with his friendship, counsel, and love. He's an amazing man, and this is just a wee bit of the love he shows me regularly. I just had to brag on my Pop.... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marks 0 #2 July 23, 2006 that rocks. i looked at those a/c units. they are cool!!! money means nothing to some people, and that is something you got to accept. it probably made him feel even better than you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Michele 1 #3 July 23, 2006 Quote i looked at those a/c units. they are cool!!! Literally. Very cool...and very nice. I am looking forward to a decent night's sleep for the first time in about 10 days... Edited to add: It's 9:15 pm, and 98 degrees. Outside. Inside, it's about 90 (80 if you're right in front of the fan). Quotemoney means nothing to some people, and that is something you got to accept. it probably made him feel even better than you. It meant a great deal to him, I know. He's very generous. But when I was coming up, we didn't have extra money; we barely made it some times (I know that now looking back; at the time, I had no idea). Now that he does have some extra cash, and is doing well in all regards, he loves to give to his kids and grandkids. It does give him lots of happiness to take care of problems like the a/c, 'cause he knows it makes life a little easier on my brother's family and I. And he likes to be able to do that...likes it a whole lot. My Pops rocks. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Nightingale 0 #4 July 23, 2006 Quote It does give him lots of happiness to take care of problems like the a/c, 'cause he knows it makes life a little easier on my brother's family and I. And he likes to be able to do that...likes it a whole lot. My Pops rocks. So does mine. I was talking with my dad about how school was going and about my summer plans. I'd figured out that since I want to go into criminal law, I'd have to do an internship this summer. Experience is a good thing. The down side: Interns don't get paid. At least, interns that work for the government don't get paid. I was stuck in a situation where I could choose between a criminal law internship that really interested me, or a paid position with an insurance law firm where I'd spend more time doing computer tech support than legal work. I mentioned in passing that if I took the criminal law internship, I could get class credit, and that one of my friends was doing an internship and had taken few evening summer school classes, and was graduating early. My dad asked why I didn't do that. I pointed out that student loans don't cover the summer and that I wasn't eligible for any more federal loans til fall. I'd already gone through all the financial aid stuff with the school, and there was really no practical way that I could finance taking a full load of classes over the summer. I told my dad that I was going to take the job with the insurance firm. My dad informed me that the following day, I was to go to school and find out exactly how much summer school would cost. I supplied him the number right there, (it was on the school website) figuring that would be the end of it, but he told me to come over the next day to pick up a check for tuition! We went around in circles about it for quite a while, because it was so much money! I was insisting that I wouldn't take the money as a gift; it was too much. We finally compromised and he grudgingly agreed that if I really wanted to, I could pay him back out of next year's loan money or after I finished school. So, thanks to my dad, I'm finishing law school a semester early, taking the bar exam in february instead of july, and hopefully passing the bar and getting on with my life a semester earlier than I'd planned. And he's getting his money back in september, so I guess it works out well for everyone, even though it was really hard for me to swallow my pride and let him deal with tuition for me, even for a short time. My dad rocks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Michele 1 #5 July 23, 2006 YAY for Kris' Dad! You GO, Pops!!! And good to know you were able to swallow your pride long enough to say "yes". Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SpeedRacer 1 #6 July 23, 2006 those "something or others" are BTUs. 10,000 BTUs is a pretty ballsy AC. I don't know jack about how ACs are built, but it seems to me that you get smaller ACs with a lot more juice now than you did say 20 years ago. I got this little plastic guy in the window of the office next to my bedroom, & it kicks ass. The settings go up to 8 but I have to keep it at around 5 or it just gets too cold even in the adjoining bedroom. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites micro 0 #7 July 23, 2006 It does my heart good to hear there are good dads out there who care about their kids! I miss Lee. And JP. And Chris. And... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Nightingale 0 #8 July 23, 2006 QuoteIt does my heart good to hear there are good dads out there who care about their kids! I think most of them do... we just hear about all the rotten apples on the news. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SpeedRacer 1 #9 July 23, 2006 Except that Michele's Dad probably got the money from hocking Jerry Seinfeld's watch. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Michele 1 #10 July 23, 2006 Quotethose "something or others" are BTUs. 10,000 BTUs is a pretty ballsy AC. Yep, it sure is a ballsy unit. And thanks for the definition. The other one Dad was "thinking about" was 12,000. Considering it's still 97 degrees, and it's 9:30 pm, I think having a ballsy unit is a good thing. Wind's picking up, so maybe we'll get some of the storms coming through... Micro, it is good to know Dads take care of their children (even when we're old, like me...)...and you're a good dad, and I know you take great care of yours. So there. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Michele 1 #11 July 23, 2006 QuoteExcept that Michele's Dad probably got the money from hocking Jerry Seinfeld's watch. Erm....ah...well...No confirmation or denial. LOL! It wasn't always that way, though, Speedy. Dad has been in the industry for 63 years - and only the last 15 or so has he made enough to be comfortable and able to give things to people like this. He really enjoys it, too. As he puts it, "you've got me in good investments, I've got plenty of credit and cash in the bank to pay the card off...what'm I gonna do with it?" I told him I'd bury it with him, and he, horrified, said "don't you dare. You spend all my money for me later, all right? Just stick a bank statement in there with me." He's a good Dad. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SpeedRacer 1 #12 July 23, 2006 I don't know if you or other people picked up on it, but there is an episode of Seinfeld where Uncle Leo picks up a watch which Jerry Seinfeld threw away. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Michele 1 #13 July 23, 2006 Quote don't know if you or other people picked up on it, but there is an episode of Seinfeld where Uncle Leo picks up a watch which Jerry Seinfeld threw away. LOL, I am aware of the reference. There's not a time when Dad and I go out that he's not asked where the watch is...and a few intrepid souls have actually looked on Dad's wrist and said "that's not the watch...". Even when Dad was in Israel at the Wailing Wall (years ago) he was asked about the watch on the Plaza. So yes, I got your reference very well... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
Michele 1 #3 July 23, 2006 Quote i looked at those a/c units. they are cool!!! Literally. Very cool...and very nice. I am looking forward to a decent night's sleep for the first time in about 10 days... Edited to add: It's 9:15 pm, and 98 degrees. Outside. Inside, it's about 90 (80 if you're right in front of the fan). Quotemoney means nothing to some people, and that is something you got to accept. it probably made him feel even better than you. It meant a great deal to him, I know. He's very generous. But when I was coming up, we didn't have extra money; we barely made it some times (I know that now looking back; at the time, I had no idea). Now that he does have some extra cash, and is doing well in all regards, he loves to give to his kids and grandkids. It does give him lots of happiness to take care of problems like the a/c, 'cause he knows it makes life a little easier on my brother's family and I. And he likes to be able to do that...likes it a whole lot. My Pops rocks. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #4 July 23, 2006 Quote It does give him lots of happiness to take care of problems like the a/c, 'cause he knows it makes life a little easier on my brother's family and I. And he likes to be able to do that...likes it a whole lot. My Pops rocks. So does mine. I was talking with my dad about how school was going and about my summer plans. I'd figured out that since I want to go into criminal law, I'd have to do an internship this summer. Experience is a good thing. The down side: Interns don't get paid. At least, interns that work for the government don't get paid. I was stuck in a situation where I could choose between a criminal law internship that really interested me, or a paid position with an insurance law firm where I'd spend more time doing computer tech support than legal work. I mentioned in passing that if I took the criminal law internship, I could get class credit, and that one of my friends was doing an internship and had taken few evening summer school classes, and was graduating early. My dad asked why I didn't do that. I pointed out that student loans don't cover the summer and that I wasn't eligible for any more federal loans til fall. I'd already gone through all the financial aid stuff with the school, and there was really no practical way that I could finance taking a full load of classes over the summer. I told my dad that I was going to take the job with the insurance firm. My dad informed me that the following day, I was to go to school and find out exactly how much summer school would cost. I supplied him the number right there, (it was on the school website) figuring that would be the end of it, but he told me to come over the next day to pick up a check for tuition! We went around in circles about it for quite a while, because it was so much money! I was insisting that I wouldn't take the money as a gift; it was too much. We finally compromised and he grudgingly agreed that if I really wanted to, I could pay him back out of next year's loan money or after I finished school. So, thanks to my dad, I'm finishing law school a semester early, taking the bar exam in february instead of july, and hopefully passing the bar and getting on with my life a semester earlier than I'd planned. And he's getting his money back in september, so I guess it works out well for everyone, even though it was really hard for me to swallow my pride and let him deal with tuition for me, even for a short time. My dad rocks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #5 July 23, 2006 YAY for Kris' Dad! You GO, Pops!!! And good to know you were able to swallow your pride long enough to say "yes". Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #6 July 23, 2006 those "something or others" are BTUs. 10,000 BTUs is a pretty ballsy AC. I don't know jack about how ACs are built, but it seems to me that you get smaller ACs with a lot more juice now than you did say 20 years ago. I got this little plastic guy in the window of the office next to my bedroom, & it kicks ass. The settings go up to 8 but I have to keep it at around 5 or it just gets too cold even in the adjoining bedroom. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
micro 0 #7 July 23, 2006 It does my heart good to hear there are good dads out there who care about their kids! I miss Lee. And JP. And Chris. And... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #8 July 23, 2006 QuoteIt does my heart good to hear there are good dads out there who care about their kids! I think most of them do... we just hear about all the rotten apples on the news. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #9 July 23, 2006 Except that Michele's Dad probably got the money from hocking Jerry Seinfeld's watch. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #10 July 23, 2006 Quotethose "something or others" are BTUs. 10,000 BTUs is a pretty ballsy AC. Yep, it sure is a ballsy unit. And thanks for the definition. The other one Dad was "thinking about" was 12,000. Considering it's still 97 degrees, and it's 9:30 pm, I think having a ballsy unit is a good thing. Wind's picking up, so maybe we'll get some of the storms coming through... Micro, it is good to know Dads take care of their children (even when we're old, like me...)...and you're a good dad, and I know you take great care of yours. So there. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #11 July 23, 2006 QuoteExcept that Michele's Dad probably got the money from hocking Jerry Seinfeld's watch. Erm....ah...well...No confirmation or denial. LOL! It wasn't always that way, though, Speedy. Dad has been in the industry for 63 years - and only the last 15 or so has he made enough to be comfortable and able to give things to people like this. He really enjoys it, too. As he puts it, "you've got me in good investments, I've got plenty of credit and cash in the bank to pay the card off...what'm I gonna do with it?" I told him I'd bury it with him, and he, horrified, said "don't you dare. You spend all my money for me later, all right? Just stick a bank statement in there with me." He's a good Dad. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #12 July 23, 2006 I don't know if you or other people picked up on it, but there is an episode of Seinfeld where Uncle Leo picks up a watch which Jerry Seinfeld threw away. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #13 July 23, 2006 Quote don't know if you or other people picked up on it, but there is an episode of Seinfeld where Uncle Leo picks up a watch which Jerry Seinfeld threw away. LOL, I am aware of the reference. There's not a time when Dad and I go out that he's not asked where the watch is...and a few intrepid souls have actually looked on Dad's wrist and said "that's not the watch...". Even when Dad was in Israel at the Wailing Wall (years ago) he was asked about the watch on the Plaza. So yes, I got your reference very well... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
