For whatever reason, the smell made me start to think about one of the last times I saw my dad. Back story: We were at my mom's and it was a beautiful sunny day sometime this past May. It wasn't the last time I saw him, but probably the time before that. Bobby and I went to the house to go swimming and my Aunt Karen and cousin Nova came to swim with us. We all swam and played in the pool and had lunch. We had brought some snacky things and a salad that I made for work the day before (for Memorial Day). Dad grilled some burgers and hot dogs and then he made some baked beans.
Well...that's what the fireplace smell reminded me of. The baked beans. The stupid, stupid, stupid baked beans. They were the WORST baked beans EVER!
Dad cooked a whole pound of ground beef then added a can of Bush's Maple and Bacon baked beans. If he had left them just like that, they would have been great. But no, Dad always had to "doctor things up." So, he tasted it and thought it needed something else, so he added some chocolate syrup (gross, I know). He still didn't like the way it was tasting so he added more things like ketchup and mustard, and finally he added MORE Maple Syrup. OhhhhhMG they were TERRIBLE! Normally, I don't eat baked beans...but because he worked so hard to make them, I had to try them. I did add some of the chopped onions that were meant for the hot dogs and more mustard..but nothing worked. They were just too sweet. Dad couldn't finish eating his and neither did anyone else...and yes, we all tried them. He took the bowl up to the fire pit and dumped them in an empty box from the cans of Miller Lite we were all drinking while we all laughed. He never burnt the box...he never had a chance.....so yes...the stupid baked beans made me cry today.
A month and a half later, Mom, Ben and I were burning things in the fire pit and there was the stupid box filled with the baked beans. Some of them were eaten, but not many...apparently the animals were pretty disgusted, too! Of course, I cried that day too.
Isn't it weird how certain smells can make you think of crazy things like that?? They trigger memories that get buried in our minds. As soon as the memory of the baked beans came to mind, the song Free Fallin' by Tom Petty came on the radio and that just made it worst. I cried the whole way home.
So today, this Daddy's girl is really missing her daddy.
2 comments:
awe, this just made me tear up :(
It really is strange how the smallest, most random things can trigger such memories! Moments like that I never know how to feel. It makes me happy in a way because I get a chance to reminisce on happy moments, but then it makes me sad because I realize I'll never get to have moments like that again with those people....it's even harder when you loose them so unexpected, you never have time to prepare, or cherish even more of the simple moments. I lost my grandpa on my birthday last april unexpectedly from cancer that he never told any one about, it was really hard, he was really suppose to live forever, a guy like that, was supposed to be invincible....guess not.
but thanks for sharing your special memory, it made me happy :)
I agree with the above comment! Sometimes the smallest things trigger the strongest memories. (Thinking about LOST made my miss my dad yesterday!) I'm glad you have sweet memories of your daddy to look back on.
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