My father, the full-fledged Norwegian, lacks something critical in his joke factory. I'm lucky enough to have a bit of German/Danish dilution in my blood. It has often been remarked that my father has the same 5 jokes that he says at every social gathering. He laughs alone.



Last night he came up with another "winner". Miles and I were assuring Mom that her hair was indeed growing back, that we've noticed a difference even in the short time we've been Wisconsin residents. Dad, sitting across the room and nodding enthusiastically at our words, added, "Is your hair sticking up, or are you just happy to see me?" We looked at him, all three of us looked at him, while he executed a belly laugh.

Yeah.

—and we'll be hearing it for the next decade, no doubt. Don't you wish you were me? I bet so.