it's 4:30 in the morning

and I can't sleep.  Probably because my body is completely out of whack.  7:30 is going to come REALLY fast.

Just wanted to say that I'm really lucky.  I love the time that I get to spend with my dad every day, mostly because he cracks me up.  Tonight (last night?) we went to the Distribution Center, which is most certainly the first time I ever went shopping for undergarments with my father, then a dinner date, followed by some intermittent chats.  Two things discovered: he doesn't want me to settle for any less than someone who loves my ambition or someone who pushes me when I need it, and he wants to die peacefully at 95 years old seeing how fast his car can go.

I seriously love my papa.

He didn't say this tonight - rather he said it quite a few years ago when I guess I was in the process of maybe possibly marrying someone, but he told me that under no circumstances should my hopeful-husband-to-be ask him for permission to marry me.  As Papa Gulbrandsen says, "how demeaning to act as though my daughter is my property and can't choose for herself."  And then tonight he did say that when I finally (enough finally's for you?) do get married, it will be the saddest day and the happiest day of his life.

He raised me to be strong and independent and loving and nurturing and the right sort of needy.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm just a lot like he is.

Boy oh boy, what a Daddy's Girl am I.