My Father is a Monkey...

My father is many things - A good husband, a provider of sorts, and a great listener.

What he is not - is mechanically inclined.

Weeks ago, I found him banging away on a copy machine like those monkeys in "2001: A Space Odyssey" when they encounter the Monolith. That's my father's old school solution to machines that aren't working. I think he still believes he can invoke the powers of "The Fonz" from time to time - a nudge here, a perfectly timed rapt, and voila! Machine woes solved!

But on that day, he was banging on the copy machine like it was a game of SIMON. I could either let him beat the crap out out of the machine and enjoy some low-cost entertainment, or I could be a good son and see what was the problem.

While checking out what was wrong, I saw that the giant GREEN BUTTON that you push to start the copier was stuck. Busting out my "Macgyver" trade craft, I took a paperclip and shimmied the button free.

PLICK! The button pops back up, and all is back to normal in Copier Land!

As I walk away, I notice my father studying the button like a Level 7 Soduko puzzle. But in this case, I think the button... was studying him.