For Those Who Keep Score: That's One for Mom...

Don't get me wrong. We all love Dad and his..uh...idiosyncracies. But when any one of use can dish it back to him, give him a taste of his own medicine, it's pretty darned sweet. Mom had her day the other day.

My mother is noted more for the characteristics she doesn't have than the ones she has. Like standing up to my Dad about practically anything. I can count on one hand the number of times I remember my mother ever having a difference of opinion with Dad. Mom is a quiet, well-organized, college-educated woman of 89. She knows stuff. I'm sure she has an opinion or two. But, let's face it, disagreeing with my father was not the territory any of us wanted to enter, and that included my mother.

Remember the blog "Ah-So"? If you haven't read it, you might want to look it up in the archives here. In a nutshell it tackles the scenario in which my very-hard-of-hearing father does this thing when he: 1. Can't hear what you just said; 2. Doesn't care about what you just said. He looks at you blankly for a few seconds, then simply says, "Ah-so" then turns around and walks away, ignoring you completely. Of course, the "ah-so" is his way of dealing with the frustration of not being able to hear practically anything, with a little Japanese flair thrown in for good measure.

When Dad and Mom have their little "conversations"......correction......when Dad and Mom try to have a conversation.......the "ah-so" gets used a lot. Mom will say something, which usually comes out pretty garbled and mumbled. Dad barks back at her with a "WHAT?!" and then she tries to repeat what she just said (if she can remember.....which is rare), and then Dad will repeat what HE thinks she just said (which is usually wayyyyy different), and then Mom will say something else, and then Dad just gives up and says, "Ah-so" and goes back to reading his newspaper. Yeah. That's the typical scenario.

Except...........the other day.

Dad got a bee in his bonnet about something he read in the newspaper. He started rattling off something to Mom. And just he kept going. It was probably something political, or something having to do with dogs who need to be adopted. In any case, he just kept going, loudly, straight at Mom, who seemed to be listening. My brother and I were in the next room, eavesdropping. Dad finally brought his little tirade to a close with "Don't you agree with that Patreesha?" (Mom's name is Patricia but Dad frequently pronounces it Patreesha.)

Mom didn't answer him. Not sure why not. She was probably still processing.

Dad barked at her this time, "Patreesha! Don't you agree with that?"

A pause. Then........

"Ah-SO!" Mom blurted it out as loud and a clear as a bell. As if to say, "I didn't here what you said and I don't care!"

My brother and I immediately looked at each other, eyes wide with surprise, and proceeded to simultaneously lick our respective index fingers and make an invisible tally in the air.

That's one for Mom.