Stupid stuff you learn from your parents

When I was a kid my dad said all kinds of goofball stuff that I, as an adult, now say.  And yes, people look at me in exactly the same way we kids used to look at my dad when he said them.  You know that look.  The one that says, “I wonder which planet you’re from?”

Here are a few examples:

·         Woolsey Boat Paint

·         Good Gravy, Grandma!

·         Battle Boat/Battle Dog/Battle Baby

Bear with me, explanations to come.

Woolsey Boat Paint (yes, it's really a thing) meant “We’ll see,” in Dad-Speak.

“Good Gravy, Grandma!” was not a way to praise to his grandmother about her gravy-making par-excellence; it meant, essentially, “Good Grief, Charlie Brown!”

Battle Boat/Battle Dog/Battle Baby – well, that takes quite a bit more explaining, however the short version is that my dad went through a He-Man, Masters of the Universe phase about the same time my brother and I did, so because one of the characters on the show was Battle Cat, everything became a Battle-something.  (I’m dating myself, here.  There are going to be many of my dear readers who remember this awesome, animated, good vs. evil television show.  Those who don't remember, please feel free to Google it for a full description.  Suffice it to say, my brother and I adored the show and had all the accoutrement required to enjoy hours of self-entertaining play.) So, the 12-foot aluminum row boat became Battle Boat (yes, officially).  Our Shetland Sheepdog, Trevor, became Battle Dog.  And my little sister became Battle Baby.

No – I am not joking.

(My father also had a fondness for antique oil lamps, which I confess, I also share.  File that under Little-Known Jen Fact.)

So, when I say something off-the-wall, please know that I come by my strangeness honestly.  And, since I’m being honest, I like my Weird.  I embrace it.  Please deal with it as you are able.

That is all.

TTFN
JMS