Major Party Time!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

One of the things on the to-do list of our day at Celtic Fling was to let dad pick something to be his birthday present. It could be a decently large item, because mom would go halves with me on it. Dad decided he wanted a puppet. I have one of a similar style; it's a dragon that sits on your shoulder, and you can operate a cable that controls the movement of the head. They're extremely cute and as lifelike as a dragon puppet can be.

The dragon that dad picked out was a little on the pricey side, and dad got very depressed to learn this. So was I. I let him down. The thing he picked out was out of my range.

There were three puppet makers in this shop, and occasionally one of them asked if we needed help. I would explain that I was a little upset because what my dad wanted was out of my range, and we were waiting to see if he could pick something a little less expensive. The thing about these puppets, though, is that they really choose you. Substituting is not always easy or possible.

Now, I know we're getting all depressed over a toy, but birthdays are about what makes you happy. Toys make me happy, toys make my father happy. We're very similar people!

One of the puppet makers asked if I needed some help, and I said what I had been saying; hoping dad would find something more affordable. He asked which dragon dad was looking at and I showed him, while explaining it was to be a birthday present, but I just couldn't swing the price of the one he wanted. The puppet maker then offered to take 20% off the price, because it was to be a gift, and he could tell that dad was rather down about it. Even 20% was a little too high, but I agreed to it because he didn't have to do that, and dad got so happy at the prospect.

I didn't break the bank (but it came close), and dad (big kid that he is) got something he had been wanting that really made him happy. Happy birthday, dad!