THE FISH CAUGHT PAPA!

BEFORE I BEGIN TODAY, I WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I WON THE LOVELY CHINA SET ON EBAY THAT I WANTED SO BADLY. IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO RECEIVE IT. IT WILL LOOK PERFECT IN MY CHINA HUTCH.
NOW, I HAVE A STORY FOR YOU. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, PAPA LOVES TO FISH. HE GOES AT ANY OPPORTUNITY. I NEVER COMPLAIN, AS HE WORKS ALL THE TIME AND HAS FINALLY FINISHED THE HOUSE AFTER THE HURRICANE. I AM GLAD TO SEE THE SPARKLE IN HIS EYE WHEN HE IS HEADING OUT THE DOOR TO GO FISHING. I BELIEVE THAT IF FISH COULD LIVE IN THE TOILET, WE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO GET IN THE BATHROOM! PAPA IS A BRAVE FISHERMAN. HE CATCHES AND RELEASES SHARKS AND OTHER DANGEROUS FISH, HANDLES SPIKEY LIVE SHRIMP, (I ALWAYS GET POKED BY THEM) TAKES THE FISH OFF THE HOOKS FOR EVERYONE AND HANDLES THE STINGRAYS WHEN WE CATCH THEM. THEIR TAILS CAN DELIVER A TERRIBLE STING IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL, AND PAPA ALWAYS TELLS US TO STEP BACK AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM.
TODAY, PAPA GOT UP VERY EARLY, PICKED UP JAYBIRD AND HIS DAD OWEN AND HEADED OUT TO THE BAY IN THE BOAT. I NEVER WORRY ABOUT PAPA OR ANYONE WITH HIM WHEN HE IS FISHING, HE ALWAYS ADHERES TO THE RULES OF SAFETY RELIGIOUSLY. SO, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS GETTING TO BE AFTERNOON, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT THE FISHERMEN STAYING OUT. THEN THE PHONE RANG. I WAS AT SAM'S CLUB AND WAS GLAD THAT PAPA WAS CALLING-I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT TO MAKE FOR SUPPER. HE DIDN'T SAY HELLO, JUST,"CALL THE DOCTOR AND GET ME IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." THAT REALLY SCARED ME, AND I BEGAN TO QUESTION HIM AS TO WHY HE NEEDED TO GO TO THE DOCTOR. WELL, IT SEEMS THAT HE HAD CAUGHT A HUGE CATFISH FROM THE BAY. WE DON'T KEEP BAY CATFISH, THEY EAT TRASH AND DON'T TASTE GOOD. PAPA ALWAYS THROWS THEM BACK, BUT TO GET A CATFISH OFF THE HOOK IS A TRICKY THING. FOR ONE THING, THEY HAVE A HUGE SPIKEY FIN ON THE TOP OF THEIR BACKS, AND IF THEY CAN, THEY WILL STAB YOU WITH IT. PAPA KNOWS HOW TO AVOID THE FIN, BUT AS HE WAS TRYING TO UNHOOK THE CATFISH, IT FLIPPED ITSELF, THE HOOK CAME OUT AND IT SLIPPED OUT OF PAPA'S HANDS. WHEN THE FISH FLIPPED AND PAPA DROPPED IT, IT LANDED UPSIDE DOWN ON THE TOP OF PAPA'S FOOT, AND THE LARGE FIN WENT RIGHT THROUGH PAPA'S SHOE AND CLEAR THROUGH HIS FOOT. THE FISH WAS TRAPPED AND WAS FLIPPING AND FLOPPING, PAPA WAS SHOUTING AND SWEARING, JARED WAS STARING AT THE SQUIRTING BLOOD AND OWEN SAID THAT HE TOOK THE DAY OFF TO FISH, NOT TO WORK! (OWEN IS AN EMT). PAPA REACHED DOWN, TOOK THE FISH BY IT'S BACK AND TOLD OWEN AND JAYBIRD THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PULL IT OUT. SO, WITH A MIGHTY TWIST AND A YANK, HE PULLED THAT SQUIRMING SLIMEY HORROR OUT OF HIS FOOT AND WHILE CURSING A BLUE STREAK THREW IT AS FAR AS HE COULD BACK INTO THE BAY. BY NOW, THE BLOOD WAS REALLY GOING, AND EACH TIME HE MOVED HIS FOOT, IT WOULD GUSH MORE. NOW, DO YOU THINK THAT PAPA WOULD COME ON HOME AND GO TO THE HOSPITAL? OF COURSE NOT, AFTER ALL THE FISH WERE BITING, SO HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE HOLE, PROPPED HIS FOOT UP ON THE ICE COOLER AND WENT BACK TO FISHING. HIS FOOT KEPT BLEEDING, IT WAS GETTING ALL OVER THE BOAT, AND BOY HE GOT A MOUTHFUL FROM ME, I CAN TELL YOU. BUT, HE WAS SAFELY OUT OF MY REACH, AND SAID HE WOULD BE IN PRETTY SOON. FINALLY, OWEN DROVE HIM TO AN EMERGENCY CENTER WHERE THEY TOOK X-RAYS OF HIS FOOT AND CHECKED HIM OUT. POOR PAPA, CANNOT USE HIS FOOT FOR THE NEXT FIVE DAYS, IS ON CRUTCHES, GOT TWO SHOTS AND TWO ANTIBIOTICS AND WORSE OF ALL, CANNOT GO FISHING TOMORROW! I BET THAT CAT FISH HAS GOT A STORY OF HIS OWN TO TELL, HOW HE FOUGHT AND BEAT A HUMAN! I WILL HAVE TO WAIT ON PAPA FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, HE IS SO SAD. I MEAN, HE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO MISS A FEW DAYS OF FISHING! SO, TOMORROW I WILL BAKE SOME COOKIES FOR PAPA, WATCH A FEW HOURS OF HOME REPAIR TV, THEN SOME WESTERNS AND DO MY BEST TO BE "CHEERFUL NURSE". PAPA IS PERFECT TO ME, BUT HE IS A ROTTEN PATIENT. I LOVE HIM ANYWAY, LOVE, NANASEE