Classic Blogging pt. 2

So this is from almost exactly a year ago when I met Stu's dad for the first time. Stu's dad bought a car from the dealership where Stu is internet sales manager. We drove the car up to Michigan and the flew back. It took a couple of days to get to MI and this is the story of what happened when we finally arrived. Stu's dad is something else, believe me, this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Enjoy!

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OK, so we get to the suburb of Detroit that Stu grew up in and Stu's dad is out with a friend. They went to see the Caine Mutiny at an old theater and Stu and I went to his mom's to see the house he group up in. Beautiful! It's in immaculate condition - and different, Stu says, than when he was growing up. Gorgeous home. I saw all kinds of old pictures of Stu. Now, I think Stu is hot. I love him, he's mine, of course he's beautiful to me. But last night I saw some pictures I've never seen before. Like when he was a teenager. WOW! I'm not kidding, I wanted to make out with him right then and there. Which made me think, wow, am I a pervert b/c I think this photo of him when he was 16 is hot? Don't answer that. But yes - weird sicko. HA HA. Seriously though, WHAT a cutie!!!

Anyway, moving on. So we get to his dad's "condo". It's a condo I guess b/c he owns it but it's really a two bedroom apartment. It's nice. And a nice neighborhood. This "condo" is probably worth $89,000. In Bartlesville, it would be worth 30 or 40 but it's all about location.

The apartment is stark. Not a whole lot in it. Some nice pieces of furniture but the bedrooms are really plain. Seriously, it looks like a guy lives here. His dad also doesn't have any cable TV so we nestled in on the couch and watched the Sarah Silverman DVD I brought. We were exhausted from the trip AND going up a flight of stairs with 50 lbs of luggage isn't as easy as it sounds.

So his dad arrives with his friend. She seems nice. And he hugs me and says that his son looks happy. And then pretty much immediately he starts showing us his art. About a year ago, Stu's dad, Mike, started taking art lessons. So he proceeds to show us everything he's done. And when I say everything, I mean everything. There was no, "Hi son, how was your trip, are you guys okay, do you want a cup of tea?" Nothing. It was, "I've got to show you what I've been working on." And I'm thinking, okay, he hasn't seen him in a while. He's excited.

That was an understatement.

He was manic about showing us everything. We started with sketch. And all the preliminary sketches that led up to the final sketches. Then we went to charcoal. "Look at the shadows" he would say. About each picture. All of them. Then we went into colored pencil. And when I say he showed us all of them, I mean the ones where it was just a sheet of various angles of his hand. And it was interesting! It's just that - wow. I saw a lot of art last night. A lot.

OK, then it was water color, oil paintings and perhaps a few more charcoals. Each of the pictures were carefully dissected to point out every shadow or each new technique he had perfected. I haven't taken a picture of the one of Stu as a child that he did - I will. That will speak for itself. Some of what he does is really great - he's gotten the folds in a piece of cloth down pat. I was mesmerized to the point of habitual yawning at seeing every subtle nuance of EVERY oil painting that existed in his home. He's excited!

OK, so then he leaves to take his friend home and Stu and I settle in for some more Sarah Silverman. When he returns he shows us the towels, the pillows, where we can put our stuff. And then he shows us the bed. Stu had told me before we left that his dad was going to give us the master bedroom and he'd sleep on the couch. No. He prepared for us a lovely bed in the guest room. Sheets, comforter, single bed. Single. Bed. Now, I don't know if you have noticed this or not, but we're not what you would call small people. He didn't offer an explanation as to why we needed the single bed. He seriously looked at me straight faced and said I'll be taking the master bed and you'll have the guest bedroom. So while he's walking back and forth between the kitchen and the living room Stu's looking at me saying - you want to go to mom's? We were not sure what to do. It was midnight, we were tired. Who wants to lug all our shit back down stairs?

Never fear, we had plenty of time to formulate a plan b/c his father then proceeded to talk to us for another 45 minutes.

So while we're sitting helplessly on the couch trying to figure out how we're going to sleep together, his dad regales us with stories about everything from the holocaust museum in Detroit to the origins of the Jews in Palestine to the drinking water in Detroit. I am not kidding. Neither one of us said one thing once. It was a one way conversation. And I was seriously trying to look engaged and give a "uh-huh" or a nod but my eyes were so dry I could have pulled straw out of them. Time now is about 1 am.

All the while, his dad is going back and forth to the kitchen to get his vitamins and drink his night cap of Creme de Menth. So while he's telling the stories his teeth are turning the green of scope mouthwash. And then, when we see a break and he says he's going to bed he tells me. "I take a long time to get ready, from start to finish it's about 2 and a half hours. I get up, take my shower and do all my exercises for my arthritis. I do a lot of stomach work for my back. This creates a lot of movement. (Huh? I'm thinking) So I'm sure you'll be wondering why you keep hearing the toilet flush but all that stomach work really moves your bowels. (no...no he didn't) I'm not kidding, I go about 3 times in the morning."

Did he just tell me that he has three bowel movements in the morning? Yes, yes he did.

Anyway - sorry this has been so long but it had to be said and shared. This is a private blog, just for you few. (not now - it was on MySpace!) He finally went to bed and Stu and I put the single bed next to the couch and it's working out okay. We'll see what today brings. It's hotter than 9 hells in here but Stu's got 2 fans on us and we're pretty comfortable. We giggled all night before we went to sleep. That felt amazing.

Love you guys!!!