Our daughter Megan is a great mom, devoted wife, and hard worker.
That's one of many reasons my wife Nancy and I love her.
Unfortunately, she also gets what we all call "brain (rhymes with hearts)".
We occasionally...check that....many times...have to remind her (re remind her, or re-re-remind her,) of certain things. Nothing critical, just lapses in memory.
She'd tell you she gets it from me...I can't remember the last time she's said that.
So last night, Nancy and I took Chris (and Zach) to soccer practice for Chris. Afterward, they came to our place until Meg got out of work.
Like most young boys, the clothes start coming off the moment they get inside, fortunately this time, all they took off were cleats and sandals.
So Mom shows up, gets the boys and everything else (including the cleats/sandals, an important fact), and goes home.
A few minutes later, she calls to see if the cleats/sandals are there; she remembered picking them up from the house and bringing them to her car, after that it's a blur.
At this point, I'm in for the evening, and I've changed to usual nightwear; a pair of shorts, my slippers, and a bathrobe.
So, while wearing this outfit, I take the flashlights and look all over the yard and street...nothing.
Meg says MAYBE they were on TOP of her car and they fell off, but she'll keep looking.
I get a bug in me and decide to get in my car and drive around looking for them; in my shorts, slippers, and bathrobe.
I had no intention of getting out of the car since I thought it was a wasted effort, more than likely they're gone; but as a loving dad/grandpa I wanted to do something.
We live in the Rotterdam/Schenectady area, right off of Broadway, a heavily traveled road, even at night (which it now was).
I drive around my street, trying to remember where Meg drove her car on the ride home, and like the good Boy Scout I was I followed the trail.
Nothing on my street, OK, just for giggles, let's try Broadway.
So I'm traveling in the direction of the bottom of Broadway hill when all of a sudden, I spot something that LOOKS like footwear.
I stop the car, get out, and go look; it's a cleat and a sandal (one each) that belongs to the boys!
They landed directly in front of a packed bar; inside I heard a guy yell to everyone "Hey, look at THAT (rhymes with truckin') guy!", obviously refering to me.
Still in my shorts, slippers, and bathrobe.
On a very busy Broadway street.
At my age, I don't care what people say, so back in the car to try to find the matching footwear.
About 50 feet down, I spot what looks to be another set of footwear.
Again, I park the car, and this time I have to walk FARTHER to get them, right in front of a busy gas station on one side of the street, and a hopping house party on the other side.
In my shorts, slippers, and bathroom.
SUCCESS! I found them both.
I drive right to Meg's house to give the boys the cleats and sandals, I park the car, and say hello to the old woman next door.
In my shorts, slippers, and bathrobe.
I hand the stuff to Meg and she says to Chris "You were right, they WERE on top of the car."
I think I freaked her out when I told her where I found them. I didn't give her details as written above, she's reading this fresh just like you are.
Like I said, Megan is a fantastic person, we are both so proud of her, but at times she'd lose her head if it wasn't attached.
So as a precaution, for Christmas, Nancy and I want to have GPS devices put on Chris and Zach.
If Meg can't find them ONSTAR can.
Mike Patrick
