Who's Your Daddy?

Today is dedicated to DAD. Calvin (Vinny) Nicholas Arthur Mann. The voice of reason can generally be attributed to the father figure. However, in times of stress, at least in my family, the dad is the first to jump to conclusions. Vinny on the other hand is our father figure in our family of friends because of what he does in his maneurisms and anectdotes. Vinny is never short on information. We can all be sitting around talking about work or something...then Vinny chimes in with statistics from CNN or something he read in the NY Times. It is frequently mind boggling. Vinny has a specific stanse that includes a coffee mug as well. There's just something about his actions that make him "dad-like". I would venture to say that many of the girls in the family also would agree that Vinny is extremely protective. He's a guy that defends his friends, and in this case, family to the furthest extent. He is amazingly committed to his friends/family. You'll have a hard time finding a guy that is more loyal than Vinny. Our friend Cara called Vinny to have her come pick her up when her car broke down. Vinny is that type of dad. The one that bails you out. He's the dad that is on your side...and you know it. He's not the Danny Tanner dad that just lectures you with "dad talks", nor is he Tim Taylor who just doesn't get it. He's more like Tony Danza from "Who's the Boss" or the dad's from "My Two Dads". He's the good friend, dad-type. He's always got your back. Unfortunately, Vinny will soon be in Scotland. Hopefully we won't need bailed out from jail, or break down on the side of the road...farewell Vinny. Can't wait to see dad in a kilt.