Who Needs Trivial Pursuit?!

Ode To Pappy On Your Birthday...

The Wild and Crazy Celebration

I think it's official. Ryan and I are going to retire our Trivial Pursuit - Pop Culture game. It was a purchase in our first year of marriage, and we had some good times with it. The Sams/Jenkins' family hang outs used to be filled with hours of this game. And we only attempted it once with Jim and Choyer. It turned out to be no fun with them. They knew ALL the answers! Well, it's been getting pretty dusty in our closet over the last few years, and another family can enjoy a decade old game of thousands of questions about Pop Culture from Goodwill soon. Here are three reasons why. ONE - Pop Culture is always changing, so what was in over 7 years ago is no longer Pop Culture now. SECOND - Somewhere along the way Ryan decided he despised the game (Maybe when we realized we weren't good at it). THIRD - WHO NEEDS IT WHEN YOU HAVE PAPPY?!!

Yes, you read me...Pappy. My dad is a walking, mostly sleeping bundle of Pop Culture. Hard to believe, huh?!! All these years I thought my parents were relying on me to know what was cool and trendy. Boy, have I received a wake up call! The New Kids On The Block and Vanilla Ice concerts...were those my ideas? I'm beginning to question.

If you know my dad, then you know his favorite movie is The Sound of Music and he gets no greater thrill in life than to find a church having a pipe organ concert. There are plenty of times that you can get in their car, and when the engine starts, The Hallelujah Chorus pipe organ style is blasting through the speakers. But yes, this 71 year old (as of yesterday - Happy Birthday, Dad!!) man radiates Pop Culture with his Crocs, Facebook addiction, and Bieber Fever.

I'll admit over the years I've lost that feel for Pop Culture and all that is cool. I can't tell you what music is hip, what trends are in, or what TV shows are hot. Admitting that ages me more than how I feel when my birthday comes around. As a parent I automatically think of River. With me being so out of the loop, how will River adjust in the world of Pop Culture? I don't think other people think Hanson and the Smurfs are cool anymore. But it hit me this week, I HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. We Have Pappy!!!


When I come in from being away from River, I usually walk into my house with Pappy and River at the computer listening to Keith Urban or checking Pappy's Facebook page. General Larry Platt has become a common name in our house with Pappy around, and his song, Pants On The Ground, is a song sung and a dance danced at our house everyday. My dad lets me know of Pop Concerts in Nashville. I mean, I had no clue that Justin Bieber was in concert or Adam Lambert was at the Ryman. He loves Jimmy Fallon's Thank You Notes on Late Night. When my dad recently had a stay at Vanderbilt Medical Center, one of the things the doctors were concerned about was his low heart rate. My dad suggested that posters of Lady Gaga, Hillary Clinton, or Nancy Pelosi would be able to cure that quickly. And to top it all off, they just bought a Wii.

So, as I sit here in my Pink Panther nightshirt I am in awe of my dad oozing with Pop Culture. I never would have guessed that this day would come. But I embrace it. I embrace that my crown of "coolness" has rusted, and Pappy is sitting on the throne as the King of Pop Culture in our family.

Happy Birthday, Pappy! We love you, and River is so lucky to have you around to teach him how to be cool.

So long Trivial Pursuit!

Pappy is awesome! He has a cool machine he sleeps with that makes him look like he's from outer space.

River bought Pappy a Lady Gaga poster for his birthday!

Pappy's sisters come to the party...all the way from Georgia.

Aunt Martha attempts to hold the candles on the melted Ice Cream Cake.
She's very brave!!

Grammy and Pappy....and they're still so in love.