It's a day to honor Dad with a gift of socks or a wallet or a tool. Maybe let him sleep while watching sports (like every weekend) or have his favorite meat for dinner.
But it's also the day of another tradition: The annual "Ask Dad" column in the Daily Republic. Like "Dear Abby," "Miss Manners" and "Dear Prudence," this column provides commonsense answers to "readers" who submit "questions."
Pay no attention to the quotation marks. I'm sure they mean nothing.
Let's get to today's letters.
Dear Dad:
My daughter will soon turn 8 and most of her friends have big birthday events – parties at the trampoline center or a trip to Disneyland or a concert by the grandsons of the New Kids on the Block. My husband thinks doing that is a waste of time and money, but I don't want my daughter to feel left out. What's the best approach?
– Confused in Cordelia
Dear Confused:
She's turning 8? That's the year I started playing baseball in a real league. It wasn't Little League yet – you had to be 9 – but there was a kid in our league who I swear was 12 or 13. He was probably 6 feet tall and had the start of a mustache. Anyway, our pitcher was Mike Dellabalma, a friend of mine. Mike could throw pretty hard for an 8-year-old and he drilled this kid in the ribs. The kid started crying and nobody knew what to do. The next day, Mike strutted around the playground like a king. Good luck on the birthday party.
Dear Dad:
When my wife and I go on a trip, I do most of the driving. However, she constantly criticizes me. She thinks I drive too fast, even though I stay within 10 mph of the speed limit. That's what everyone says is the real limit, that cops won't pull you over if you're within 10 mph of the limit. My wife says that's crazy. Who is right?
– Speedy in Suisun City
Dear Speedy:
Remember when the highways all had 55 mph limits? That was crazy. It reminds me of "I Can't Drive 55," by Sammy Hagar. That had an awesome video. Did you know he's from the Bay Area? Or at least he lived here. Still, I think the David Lee Roth version of Van Halen was better than the Hagar version. Not by a lot, but "Panama" was peak Van Halen. I hope you have a good trip next time you drive.
Dear Dad:
Our adult daughter comes over for dinner every Sunday and recently she began bringing her latest beau. The only problem is that he has terrible table manners. I'm not snooty, but "Ron" eats with his mouth open, belches and sometimes complains about the food. Our daughter should notice, but she seems to ignore it. Should I say something or just let it go (and try to ignore his rudeness)?
– Waiting in Vacaville
Dear Waiting:
When I was in college, I would go to Denny's with my friends at any time. We would get breakfasts (the Grand Slam!) because they were cheap, but we didn't have much money. One time, we talked it over and after dinner, a couple of us got up to go to the bathroom. Then another person said they had to make a phone call and left. Then two other guys said they had to go to the bathroom. Long story short, we all met at the car and left, leaving the last guy – Tony – to pay the entire bill. He was mad when we finally picked him up an hour later, but we gave him enough money to cover it. What a great prank. Maybe I'll get a Grand Slam soon. Enjoy your dinner.
Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.
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