Dad and I had a Grand Day Out today. We packed up, said goodbye to the Tiny Mom, and hit the open road. We talked nearly the whole time, about:

- distant relatives in Norway

- how much he loves my mom, it's "the best thing that ever happened to me" he says

- how glad he is that she remarried him after being divorced for almost two years back in the late 1980s. It's "the second best thing that ever happened to me" he says

- him wanting to see the American Southwest, since it's the only part of the country he hasn't seen

- taking us kids hiking. Taking the Canadian relatives hiking. Taking everyone hiking.

First stop: B'ham, to sign some financial papers. The parental units' investment guy moved from close by to 40 miles away, but they still traipse up there from time to time to sign stuff and generally annoy the guy. Naw, he's a good chap and treats my parents with respect and humor.

Stop #2: Subway. Dad loves the Subway Club with lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickle, and black olives. Of course, also loves the mayo/mustard. We got a footlong to split.

Third stop: Fairhaven Park. Not the most accessible picnic table, I have to say, nor the most convenient toilets, but we got the eating and the peeing done with no mishaps.

Interlude: Drove down Chuckanut Drive and cut over to I-5 through Arroyo Park on Old Samish Road. He loved it.

Fourth stop: An old friend's house in Sedro-Woolley. No kidding, he remembered the general directions she had given him three or four years ago, and got within about a half mile before we caved and called 411. The friend wasn't home, but he called her later in the day. She was happy to hear from him.

Interlude: Eastbound drive on Highway 20. Saw elk in a field. One of the bucks, clearly the leader, had a rack of antlers twice or three times as long as my arm. Impressive. People were pulled over to take pictures and gawk.

Interlude: Turned west-ish on Hwy 530 to head back home through Darrington. Lots of pocket rainforest, river, and mountain views. Whitehorse Mountain was hidden beneath a layer of thick storm clouds, however, and we were a little sad not to see it. It's quite grand, indeed.

Home: We got home about five-and-a-half hours after setting out. Another excellent day in babysitting.

Tomorrow we'll take that pic together, with me wearing a t-shirt I found in a thrift store: "Bank of Dad. A lending institution for as long as I can remember."

He got a kick out of that shirt.