Buggy Buggy Birthday

[tinhuviel]

Today is the Father Unit's birthday. He would have turned 70 today, so I made this video for one of his many silly songs, just to give him props and share some of the Crazy - the good, funny kind - with the world.

There's no doubt he had his issues, from his own childhood on until the day he died. But his heart was in the right place most of the time and, when it wasn't, he'd do whatever he could to try to make amends.

He was a multi-talented mad genius.  He was a member of Mensa, he worked in theatre for a while, wrote for Thomson, Georgia's newspaper, had a stint as a professional photographer, and even appeared in adverts and taught English in Japan.  He was also one hell of a great artist, mainly drawing funny cartoon panels, but he also painted.  As we entered the computer age, he took to Photoshop like a duck to water, and created all sorts of digital art and photo manipulations.  He could play both the six and twelve-string guitar, wrote his own songs, and had a wonderful singing voice.  Don't let this song fool you regarding his singing abilities.  I always found it funny that his nickname was Jack (or Jackie to close family), since he was a Jack-of-All-Trades.

In 2006, I spoke with Daddy on the phone briefly, to wish him a happy birthday.  I told him that Aunt Tudi would definitely be calling him the next day, but she was having a bad health day, and had been asleep for the majority of it.  I told him I loved him and that I'd probably talk to him the next day, too, after Aunt Tudi and he had a nice chat.  Unfortunately, the Father Unit succumbed to a massive heart attack.  When she came home from work, the Stepmother Unit found him slumped at the kitchen table.  According to the medical team, it looked as though he had been gone for hours before Mary found him.

He could be a complete prat, and he often was just that, but I still loved him, and I seem to miss him now more than I did when he died.  I'm just glad I have the ability to share some of the groovy stuff for which he was responsible with others who might enjoy and/or appreciate it.  'Buggy Buggy Boogie' is one such example.  Whoever listens, I hope it brings a smile.  The Father Unit's work will have been done!