Time waits for snowmen.

My Dad came down to visit Tuesday. My Dad is 71 years old, has mild emphysema, and has spent some time in the hospital for random old people trouble. So it is no shock to me that my father is getting old. While he was here, occasionally it seemed something was different about the way Dad was sitting. We were chatting as he sat on the piano bench, facing away from the keyboard and it finally occurred to me. He was sitting on his hands like a little kid. Then, at one point he left his hand in his lap and I saw his hand shake with that palsy that is old age. He's no Michael J. Fox, or anything, he's just 71. But it was still kind of a shock. As I said, Dad has his illnesses and all, but he's still a strong man and no one ever would believe he is as old as he is. Parents get old, I know that. The other day, I actually had an overwhelming urge to be 20 years older and be marrying off my kids and living the old mans life. But this all seems very strange. My Mom still hasn't even retired (she could have, she's just a sucker). When did all this happen?
On the other side of this coin, Dad and I took the kids fishing yesterday. I had been meaning to get out and do this with some of my free time, but Dad being here made me do it. Fishing was really the only constant with Dad when I was a kid. He would take me fishing a few times every summer and would only buy lime mineral water for me to drink. So yesterday we grabbed the rods and went down to the boat landing on the Minnesota River that is a couple miles from my house. Dad didn't catch anything. I didn't even get a nibble. Nick had a few fish playing with his bait, but he's 4 so it was hard for him to set the hook on anything. Here's where it gets weird. Charlie caught a 4 or 5 lb catfish. Seriously. The rod I gave him from my childhood could barely handle the fight. It was too heavy to really land with that rod and no net, so we let it go. I figured that would be enough action for our short trip, but no. Hannah, who casts like a pro by the way, reels in a small mouth bass that must have gone close to 2 lbs. He swallowed the hook, so we brought him home and made some fish chowder out of him for dinner. Seriously. I've never caught any bass in my life. And catfish? I don't even know how to cook them. What a strange, wonderful little trip. It could have lasted forever if I hadn't forgotten the mineral water. We got a little thirsty.