You Have To Wake Up Pretty Early

Today is April Fool’s Day.  I thought about playing some crazy prank… taking down the blog or announcing I was running for mayor, but instead I decided to share a funny story about my dad.  Many of you know, my dad passed away suddenly several years ago while he was in the break room at work. I miss him every single day. One of our “things” was to play pranks on each other – especially on April Fool’s Day.

Every year, I would try to come up with something bigger and better than the year before to prank dad.  Every year, he would figure it out before I had a chance to prank him.  Granted, I was young and was probably so obvious about my plans that it didn’t take much to figure it out. As I got older, the pranks got better – especially when I realized the simpler ones were the best ones.

One year, when I was around 8 or 9, I was learning about pulleys and levers in science class.  Dad had helped me build a science project with gears and levers that would ring a bell.  I took the project apart and designed this contraption to prank him that I just KNEW was going to work. For weeks I planned the ultimate prank.

I rigged up the levers and pulleys and gears in my room, and then ran a kite string (you know, no one will ever see that!) out into the hall, up the side of the door jamb, down the bathroom door jamb and into the bathroom.  I tied the end around dad’s toothbrush.  The intention was that when he went to grab his toothbrush, I was going to yank it out of his hand.

Sounds like its going to work, right? This was the year I was going to get him.

I set my alarm and got up earlier than my dad.  He was in the bathroom taking his shower and getting ready.  I knew the last thing he did was brush his teeth and comb his hair.

Silence.

I’m ready with my contraption.

I wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Pretty soon, I feel a tug on the kite string attached to my gears and pulleys.

Then laughter.

Dad walked into my room and said, “You have to get up pretty early in the morning to get your old man” and then walked out.

Crap.

Epic fail.

Again.

Just for the record, I was NEVER able to prank him.  He always found out.  Even when I was an adult.

His response was always, “You have to get up pretty early in the morning to get your old man.”  Every time.

I must have never got up early enough.