Dad's Ringtone

Need to head to work, but I'm procastinating.   Woke up around 7:45 with Buddy licking me.  Cell phone rings, it's my dad, I know by the ringtone... 

"Did you call me this morning?"  he asks.  

"No."  

"My damn cell phone, I don't know what it says," 

"You can't see it, Dad. I will look at it when you get out here."  

"Did you see the Met's game last night."

"Howie and I turned it on in the ninth while K-Rod was walking in the tying run. That's his second loss."

"They were up 4-2 in the eight and they blew it.  K-Rod is not Jesus Christ. I am going to the doctor today, I have this acid reflux, 24 hours of a sour taste, coughing up sour phlegm, I can't believe I am able to sleep. I don't know what it is.  I have so many things going wrong, bothering me.  My brother Eddie used to say, I don't know Stan, it's just not good anymore."

"Dad, which doctor are you going to?" 

"Ear, nose and throat guy. I'm taking this medicine he gave me for a week already.  I thought it would work."

"Where is he?"

"It's a half mile walk.  I walk there."

"You might need your gastro doctor on this."

"Well getting to him is a pain in the ass.  He's in Rockville Center."

"So to him you would have to take a cab and pay the piper.  Call me later - let me know what happens."

"O.K. Markie, I will call you later."

I get out of bed, do my morning routine, walk the dogs, have a bowl of cereal. Check my e-mail - there is an e-mail from Jackie - they are having an amazing time.  Walked through the Kibera district, the boys are playing soccer with the team.  Tears are welling up in my eyes.  Jackie writes that she only has a little time and wants to update her blog - but I checked and there's no updates.  I need to send my brothers an e-mail and it's time to go to work as I'm only going to be working like 2 hours and then heading up to Kalispell with Micah.