Dad's Tools

My favorite spot as a baby.
Dad's hair went grey shortly after this!

In honour of Father's Day last weekend, here's a little recollection about my dad.

One morning I woke up as usual, got ready for school, then went upstairs to get my breakfast and grab my lunch before getting a ride with dad.  He was already up, sitting in his chair, a grumpy expression on his face.  When he saw me, he audibly harrumphed.  While my dad was in no way a morning person, this was a little far on the grumpy scale for the average morning, so I raised an eyebrow and asked something along the lines of "what's wrong with you?"

Dad's face got red and he spit out "how could you?!"

Completely flabbergasted, I raised my hands in surrender and asked him what on earth he was talking about. I'd only been up for fifteen minutes or so, and couldn't imagine what I might have done to get into trouble in that short time.

"How could you leave all of my tools outside in the rain like that?!"

"Uh, dad I haven't touched your tools..."

"You lined them up along the side of the house and left them there to rust overnight in the rain!"

"No, I didn't.  I swear!"

Fuming now, he said "YES YOU DID!"

"Dad, why would I do that?  I swear I haven't gone near your tools!  I certainly didn't leave them outside! What are you talking about?  Where are they?"

"Alongside the house! In the rain!"

"You've been outside already?  You've seen them?"

"Well, I... Harrumph!"

"Dad, I swear I didn't touch your tools, and I'm sure mom didn't either.  If you don't believe me, go look!"

So he did.  He came back a few minutes later, rather flustered and confused, having found that all of his tools were safely where they belonged in the tool room, not outside laid out against the house to rust in the rain.  Turns out he'd had a rather convincing dream and when he woke up, thought his dream was real. That was the first and last time I got in trouble for doing something in someone else's dream!