Yesterday was April Fool's Day and once again, my esteemed father was up to no good. April 1st, would appear to be my dad's favourite day. It is the day when my rather aged father reverts back to his inner child; a silly, immature adolescent of a being who gets his jollies from playing practical jokes on the unsuspecting.

Let us go back a year to April 1st, 2006.

Joke #1:
I was calling home to chat.... My dad answers the phone and sounds stressed. He immediately says, "K, I'll have to call you back. We were just out taking your brother to Tae Kwon Do and Geoff and Harry went for a walk and left the house unlocked (for the record, this is totally plausible)... it appears someone broke into the house."

I immediately broke into a rant of, "that stupid idiot, how typical, what was taken, etc, etc...." My dad gives me a brief description of what is missing and I let him go.

I get off the phone and tell Neil, who immediately asks me to recall the day. When I finally see the light, I call home and when he picks up, all I can hear is peels of laughter.

Joke #2:
He woke my youngest brother Joey (it was a Saturday) and screamed at him that he was late for school. My brother in a sleepy daze, got up, got dressed, slug his bag over his shoulder and started off for school. He was starting down the block when my dad's laughter alerted him that he had been had!

There are more... but the worst joke he pulled last year was this one...
Joke #3:
He called my Aunt Syl at work and announced that I was pregnant. She was so excited and happy for Neil and I that she told everyone she worked with, she was telling customers... for all I know she told other family members. My dad let her believe for the entire day that Neil and I were expecting. When he finally did tell her, I was told that half of Regina probably thought N and I were having a baby.

So you can see, he's definitely a wise guy....

Enter this year:
Neil and I just knew that he call with some stupid and outlandish story. We just knew. So it was no surprise when the phone rang at 10AM and lo and behold it was my dad. He started off with a, "Sooooooo, have you talked to your brother lately??" I replied, "Dad, I am fully aware of what day it is.... I will not believe a word you say." He replied, "What are you talking about, I was just asking if you've talked to Tim lately...." I just went along with it, I said sarcastically, "No, can't say that I have, what's new with Tim...." My dad just started laughing and said I was no fun. He then proceeds to tell me how he duped my two brothers that morning by yelling at them while they were both still alseep that Tim's car had been broken into.... naturally, they're not as bright as moi --- they fell for it! Both of them raced out to the driveway (though granted, they were still half asleep).

Disappointed with not getting me a second time, he decides to "get" my aunt and uncle that live here in Ontario -- the ones who don't call Regina more than once every month of two. He tells them that my Aunt Syl's garage was broken into (totally believable, she lives downtown) and that she's pretty shaken up. Of course my aunt immediately calls to talk to her sister.

All I can say is this. Now that he's messed with enough of us, I think it is time for a little payback. Neil and I have the GREATEST idea for next year. It is so good, I'm even giving him a head's up right now! You've been warned!! We WILL get you!!