UPDATE: I'm 36 and I just found out who my dad is

Can we get an update on your weekend? I really hope it went well!

 

Well, I am finally back from my whirlwind trip to meet my new-found family. Instead of flying home to Houston from Winnipeg last Thursday, I flew to Columbus where Mrs. Reboot and our son met me and we spent the night at my cousin's house. The next morning we drove to northwest Ohio to meet the folks.

It was great! Right off, my father and I hugged and we got acquainted the rest of the morning. We looked at pictures, exchanged stories, etc. His wife is the salt of the earth. That afternoon, I met my half brother and half sister. Everyone was shorter than I expected. At 5'10", I hovered over these people. The feeling I got right away, though, was a definite culture clash. These folks are VERY country. None of them have ever been on an airplane before and probably never been to an airport before. None of them really knew anything about Texas or even where Houston is. I blew their mind when I mentioned that Houston is extremely humid. THey looked at me like I was cross-eyed when I said Houston was near the coast. "Texas has a coast? I always pictured Texas as dry and dusty like a desert." That was kind of disappointing.

They bent over backwards to make us feel comfortable. My father was a little over-zealous about it though, almost to the point of making me uncomfortable, but I understand his efforts and I certainly appreciated them. The one thing I didn't care for was him walking around in his briefs each morning. I know it's his home, but come on. I may be "family," but I really didn't need him sitting next to me on the couch in his tidy whities. Mrs. Reboot and I had a good laugh about that, though.

I was inundated with phone calls from family that were curious about me, which was cool. I really like everyone and I am excited about all this. One problem I encountered was the inevitable fact that we don't really have a lot in common, other than a few tastes and DNA.

I did make some chili on my last night there and everyone was asking where the beans were.

On Tuesday morning, I drove for 2 1/2 hours in a Chrysler Sebring through one-lane, back-country roads in the dark, through blizzard conditions, in about a foot of snow to get back to Columbus. That sucked all kinds of ***, but not nearly as much as being woken up by my father at 6 am standing next to my bed in his briefs telling me if I was to get to Columbus, I had better leave now before they close the roads. God I wish I hadn't seen that. Oh well, he didn't mean anything by it and he is one of the nicest people I have ever met. They all were.

I got to Columbus, but not before seeing semi trucks jacknifed and cars all spun out all over the roads. It was a mess. I spent the entire day in the airport and every single flight to Houston got canceled throughout the day. That sucked. The airport Internet connection went down - that REALLY sucked. Verizon has zero to one bar of reception at the Columbus airport, so I couldn't use my aircard or my cell phone. That sucked too. I ended up getting a room at an Embassy Suites late that night and had to take a cab which managed to almost kill me thrice on the drive to the hotel. I finally got home Wednesday evening about 11:00. I don't think I have ever been so tired in my lifetime, but it was worth it.

 

awesome, thank you for sharing all of this.

 

That's great.

Who knew the "boxers or briefs" question would be answered so quickly?

 

the walking around in his underwear is both disturbing and hilarious at the same time

 

Glad it went well.

Next year, you might send him a bathrobe for Christmas.

 

Good deal. I'm glad this turned out the way it has.

 

He's your dad. He's supposed to walk around in his underwear.

 

Texas has a coast?

 

Awesome story....bonus points for the use of "thrice".

 

Now you have something to post on the "Most embarassing thing your parents did" thread.

 

OK, so the stripper-gram idea would not have worked out too well then.

 

kinda crazy to think that with it being 2007 people still think Texas is a vast desert.

 

thanks for the update

 

This has been an amazing thread. Is there a rating beyond "classics worthy" that I can use? There should be.

 

Could this whole thing have worked out any better/funnier?

Good for you CAD! Thanks for sharing!

 

If it's me and my newly-introduced father rolls out in the tight whites, I say, "you wear underwear? Wow, we really ARE different."

Great ongoing story, Reboot.