Our Doc Who Did House Calls

Our Doc who did house calls.

If you’re new here, welcome and if not, welcome back!

Thanks for stopping by today and thank you for your comments on my last post about how writing a book is little bit like being pregnant. 

Yes, my book is soon to be published. What’s it about? A certain store in Vancouver run by Francine, my type-A mother. Broke, single and in need of a summer job, I joined the woman after she’d soared alone for seven years. It was a rough and rocky start. I knew nothing about the inventory and cared for it even less, however as I dropped the attitude and sought some tips from the boss, my summer job turned into a decade-long stint.

But what about my dad? Was he ever in the shop picture?

The Perfect Prescription

This is classic Dad. Note the stiff poses. Taken on the streets of Bangkok, it was our response to yet another request for a photo by Francine.

So, did Dad come on all our overseas buying trips? No. Just this one.

It’s important to stress the store was Francine’s thing. She secured the loan, bought the inventory and ran the business. However, she needed help with deliveries. As luck would have it, her husband, a workaholic and humble pediatrician, drove a late 70’s red Datsun 720 pickup. A great listener, he was also quite shy. He went by several names. Dr. Robinson to his patients, Geoff to his friends and Godfrey to his family. Happiest when the spotlight was on his wife, as Francine’s employee he chose to fly under the radar as Fred.

Yes, Fred.

Francine emblazoned the name on a pair of overalls which Godfrey would gleefully don, and then load up his truck and deliver the goods to the unsuspecting purchasers. Readers of my impending book will likely enjoy the chapter about the time Fred delivered an excessively large carpet to a medical colleague on one of the hottest days of the year.  Can you say, “the house call from hell?” I can’t wait to share the hilarious antics with you.

Gus Who?

However, another side of Dad emerged when it came to meeting my boyfriends.  Remember Toula’s father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding? How he reacted to meeting “Ee-Yahn” Miller for the first time? Uh huh. That. Should the lad slip up, Godfrey instantly morphed into judgemental Gus.

So – imagine the scenario of getting him to meet a certain son of one of our customers. I liked this guy. A lot. I needed Dad to like him, too. We needed the introduction to be as smooth as butter on a stack of hot pancakes. A reality the new boyfriend didn’t quite understand.

“No worries, Kel. I get along well with parents. It’ll be a breeze.”

Once apprised of this being on a WHOLE different level, he agreed we needed a careful plan.

What was it and did it work?

Well, you’ll have to wait and see …

You don’t have much longer to wait. The book is coming out sooner than soon. Follow along here and I promise you’ll be the first to know.

In the meantime, I’d love it if you’d subscribe here and also follow along on Instagram. Your support truly helps. Thank you.