Monday, June 30, 2008

How's the Weather?

Last Wednesday was my Step Father's birthday. I usually don't buy him anything, he's so hard to buy for and he doesn't need anything and because its tradition that on Father's Day I always give him a Walmart Gift Card, and on his birthday I usually just find him the silliest card I can find for him. I have supper with them, my mother has him a cake and a gift from her and that's how we celebrate his birthday and he is happy.

My Mother struggles every year to come up with something for a gift for him and this year, a few days before his birthday she tells me, "I know exactly what "we" can get John for his birthday". Ok. She brings out some sort of catalog and shows me this weather station thing that tells the temp inside and out, the wind speed, the windchill factor, the pressures of all kinds, the phase of the moon, and lots more stuff. He had told her he'd like to have that one day. It costs $99.99. Ah, so ok, that's what "we" would get him.

The only problem was that it had to be ordered and there was no way we'd get it before his birthday so we decided to cut the picture out and wrap it up to give to him on Wednesday. She went a step further and wrapped it in a small box and put that one in a bigger box and then a bigger box, well you get the picture. SO, it was funny to watch him open about seven or eight wrapped presents, only to get a picture. We told him this is what we would have gotten him if we could have afforded it. It was hilarious. We of course told him it was on the way and he was happy.

While they were gone over the weekend, it arrived and he called me at work yesterday to ask me to bring home batteries for it. When I got home he was disappointed because he had found out through the directions that he had to have the altitude for here and he'd have to call the library which wasn't open or the airport (our airport is tiny) and nobody was answering the phone there. They tend to forget that by owning a computer they have this sort of information at their fingertips, so we found the altitude and I thought home I 'd get to go but oh no! I had to help him set it up. He had to put part of it outside, which he'd already installed but setting the manual setting of the main unit was too confusing to him. So, we got that done.

And then I had to stay and eat, and finally I got home around eight o'clock. But he was so funny to me. He watched it closely an when the wind would speed up, he'd point it out and get real excited. And I'm not sure what it is about the weather that gets men so excited. I remember my mother in law telling me that when my boy's Daddy was a little boy he'd get up on the couch with a stick and pretend like he was the weather man, pointing out on the back of the couch where it was sunny and where it was raining.
"The only difference in men and boys is the size of their shoes and the price of their toys".

8 comments:

Marge said...

I wonder that also, Robbin. What is it about weather, and weather gadgets that men get so ecited about? Well, it keeps them occupied! Two of our sons watch the weather channel for hours at a time, over and over seeing the map of clouds and rain and severe weather and sunshine etc.

It sounds like your step-father loved his gift. And I'm guessing that even more he loved your spending time with him. It was kind of you to help him set things up. Somehow the older generation doesn't quite understand the technical aspects of their favorite gadgets.

I'm off shortly to visit mom. She might be having PT right now so I may miss her but I have a bunch of other errands to accomplish in town.

Hope your day is blessed with all things good.

Marge

Marcie said...

Robbin, You know, I talk about the weather and other "small matters of the day" all the time, so I completely understand your stepdad's interest in this fun gadget. We had a chance to tour the local tv station one year when we were homeschooling and the kids got to stand in front of the green screen and pretend to be the weather man for a moment (not on the air though.) We also toured a facility that made wind measuring devices and similar instruments that same day. I think an interest in weather and climate spans the ages, don't you? By the way, it is breezy, low 70s, with a blue sky today. I'm not complaining. How is it there? Hope you are well today!

hugs,
Aisling

Tammy Brierly said...

LOL Dave has one and loves his weather. Now he wants a Wii in August for his birthday...argh!

I liked that "we" assumption. ;)

Hope you get a day off soon. Get your list in your purse for Tuesday, I always forget mine. ;)

Thinking of you!

Robbin said...

Hi Marge, beat me, men love the weather stuff for sure.
I hope you are doing ok and had a good day. Give your mom a hug for me when you see her and thanks so much for stopping by.

Robbin said...

Hi Aisling, sounds like you have a lovely day going there. It was hot here today but partly cloudy, and we're hoping for RAIN. We got some yesterday but not enough. This time of the year, normal is to have thunderstorms every afternoon. It makes a lot of noise but doesn't make much rain.
Hope your week is a good one.

Robbin said...

Tammy, going to put that list in my purse right now, thanks for reminding me. And you'll be glad to know that I have tomorrow off as well as Wednesday and Thursday. Work keeps me occupied so I'd rather not have that many days off but it's a holiday week and I get three days off, I worked on Sunday so it has to be three week days. And then I'm working on July 4th but just from 9 to 4.
I'm nervous about tomorrow but I'm determined I'm going to understand what the heck is going on when I get done.

Anonymous said...

That's so true at 94 my Dad is still wanting to have the biggest and best motorized scooter in the nursing home, the razor that has the nose hair gadget, the CD player that has speakers so he can annoy others ... nothing changes ... LOL! Your blog is beautiful.

Robbin said...

Hi, Redness thank you for visiting me. That's too funny about your father and just proves it, men never grow up. Please come again.