At home, I went with Cole into the house and Ashley was sitting up playing and I remembered that I needed to get her a gift. I was pissed at myself for being so thoughtless and now I had to go back to the damn mall. I chatted with Megan and as soon as I politely could, excused myself I started for the mall. Then I remembered Toys R' Us and went there. I laughed at the empty shelves but I found a mat which had crossing arches that attached to the corners with various things hanging off the arches for her to play with, it was perfect. I drove back to my place and put the contraption together. Then I called the airport and asked that the twin engine be ready on Thursday for wheels up at 7:30. That was not a problem and I spent about 40 minutes doing a flight plan. I had one more thing to do and that was to firm up plans for golf on Thursday. While Cole would really enjoy the course the real purpose of the trip was a meeting that David Fay, USGA Executive Director, had requested with me. I had no idea what he wanted or needed but he thought Cole would enjoy the course and he was spending the holidays at the resort with his family. I knew Cole had been practicing but I hadn't touched a club since football started. I simply called David and we chatted for a while and he asked if we would be there for lunch and I laughed and said well, I'll be there but I bet Cole will be at the range. He said that's perfect as you and I can talk. With that we exchanged holiday greetings and hung up.
I was committed to another family dinner but there was still an hour so I started on an email to my team at work and it was to simply to thank them for all they do and to wish them Happy Holidays. I started with a group email and once it was finished I hit delete and started on individual messages. That was a real pain in the ass but anything else would be uncaring. I was halfway through when my phone rang and it was dad telling me dinner was ready. In the house the place smelled wonderful and Colleen war flying around the kitchen. I went right back to my place and wrote Colleen a Christmas note and then wrote a check for $200 put it in a envelope. Back in the kitchen I gave Colleen a big hug and slipped the envelop in her apron and joined everyone in the family room. Megan said that Colleen was cooking dinner and that she was off until the Monday after New Years. I made my self a drink and was chatting with Cole, dad and Megan when Colleen appeared in the door with her hands on her hips and said Mike lad, a word please. Cole laughed and said, well that's never good. I set my drink on the end table and followed Colleen into the kitchen. Once we were alone I got a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then she said lad, I don't know how you got the envelope in my apron pocket, I just hope you don't remove things as easily. I laughed and said well Colleen, I take a lot of things from people's pockets but I work honestly and hard to accomplish that and they are aware of the entire process and are just helpless to stop it. Lad, the money was nice and will make for a happier holiday season but that note blew me away. It was so well written and showed how much you cared for me and what I do for you. I will always remember what you said and will save the note for when you are famous. Colleen, I meant every word of it and you work too hard around here. Then I rejoined the others in the family room.
Colleen appeared and said that dinner was ready and Megan asked if would please join us. Colleen told Megan that she wanted to get home as her oldest lad would be home and asked if we could tidy up the kitchen. Megan hugged her and said, have a great holiday and we will see you on the 5th. Colleen said thanks and she was off. Dinner was a small turkey with sausage stuffing and the best potato casserole that I have ever tasted. The bad side was that I gained 5 pounds just looking at it and I had multiple helpings. Dinner was fun and relaxing and then Megan outlined the events of tomorrow the 24th. I didn't like that fact that we were going to church and the fact that it was a 9:00 event at the Cathedral was almost more than I could stand. Then I was told that it would be a jacket and dress shirt. Before she said and a tie I said Megan, there will be no tie and I'm serious. She shrugged and said fine and Cole mumbled, THANK YOU JESUS. I simply laughed at that and Megan looked at Cole and said well, that will be enough out of you. Cole and I volunteered to clean up in the kitchen before Megan added more shit to the day tomorrow. Cole and I were amazed at how little there was to do as Colleen had cleaned as she cooked. The most complicated thing was putting the leftovers away. When we finished I poured myself a scotch and went back to the game room.
Not seeing dad I asked where he was hiding and Megan pointed to the office, I went in the office closed the door and sat down. Dad immediately tossed me the pack of cigarettes and I looked at them and tossed them back. Dad, looked at me and said, so your bored and want to talk business. Well dad, this is more down time than I am used to but I am enjoying the family time and there hasn't been a cross word yet. Mike, you have been very cooperative especially about church and I'm guessing that you are aware that Donald our Bishop will be the celebrant. Dad, the place will be packed and I'll avoid him as best I can. Dad laughed and said, we will see how that goes, just be polite. I laughed and dad added, well more polite than you usually are. Ok dad, I get it and for Megan's sake I'll do it.
I was reconsidering the cigarette and said dad, there is a lot going on at work and I need to get a group of people together and make some decisions. How much notice do they need? Mike, that depends on who you want to get together and where. Dad, it would be Kyle, you, Dillon, Liam, the Major, Tim and me. Mike, why not Riley? Well dad, it will be after the holidays and she will either be on a leave or no longer with the company and she is one of the topics of conversation. The other issue is Amy as she has submitted a resume to HR and hasn't heard anything and I'm thinking Maggie doesn't like her for the job. Amy talked with me and while she didn't say it, I believe she will be gone if she doesn't get it. We had a nice chat and I made no promises. Mike, can you shoot me her resume? I said sure and dad said Mike, you know Maggie is a pain in the ass. I just shrugged and changed the subject to the buildings. As soon as the topic changed dad stopped me and asked, why are you slow walking this and if you tell me it's to piss off the Mayor, I'm kicking you in the ass. Dad, it's because I don't know what I want them to look like. Mike, make it look like the others. Dad, that's a possibility but I would like something looking ahead and be dramatic with new materials, something not done before. Mike, there isn't an architectural firm in the area that has that much imagination. Mike, what about those guys you met from Ohio. You know the ones interested in the old Homestead Works. I almost fell out of the chair laughing and said, well that would fuck things up with Winnie and I'm tired working my way through the senior class. Dad, shook his head and lit another cigarette and this time I lit one as well. Dad, I also need to find a place to put Liam. I want him as my assistant but he is starting to get a reputation for reporting everything back to me. Dad, smiled and asked, well isn't that what you want and need? Besides if you move him into the company it would impact the deal with Cole and right now Cole needs him and so do Megan and I.
So Mike, how is your prep for the hearing in Harrisburg on high school athletics. Dad, I know what I want to say in the opening statement but now some members of the committee want to see a copy of it in advance of the hearing. I have politely said no, as that just happened, I need to talk with Tim about it. Also, I want to make sure Senator Costa is aware and I'm thinking Tim should deal with that. Mike, what if they refuse to let you testify unless you cooperate? Dad, I'll simply release the statement to the local news media and watch the storm from the comfort of my office. Dad, the money they have and the salaries that they get and the cars is unlike anything in the corporate world. Dad, please don't get me started but they need to share the wealth, and get input from a lot more groups of people. Dad, this will be a very matter of fact statement with a lot of facts to back those statements up. It will not be an emotional rant. Just then the door opened and Megan said, ok you need to get out here with us, enough business. I smiled and said sure mom. I played with Ashley until she fell asleep and then Megan put on a movie. She said it was a classic and Cole groaned as he said, please not again. The movie was "It's a Wonderful Life" and damn even I had seen it. I thought well Megan deserve to watch what she wants. It was a classic and very G rated. When it was over, I said good night and went to my place. Once there I called Winnie and we talked about our days and thankfully her Uncle Bill was never mentioned. Then there was a quick call to JJ and then I took a shower and jumped into bed.
It was Christmas Eve and Cole and I went for a run and it was a relatively warm day and the forecast indicated it would not be a white Christmas. The run was good and Cole asked all kinds of questions about why Pinehurst and I told him Mr. Fey wanted to talk and that golf would be the Pro and the three of us. Cole laughed and said so my Christmas gift is actually a business meeting for you? I laughed and said, well you don't have to go. He laughed and said well it beats a damn shirt and we both laughed. I asked if he wanted to go for breakfast and we agreed to meet in 45 minutes. I showered and made coffee. I dressed very casually in jeans and a hoodie and went to the house. I was reading the paper and saw that the Fabulous 22 football players would be in the paper on Christmas Day. I thought that was strange but it mattered to some underclassmen. It didn't mean anything to me as I was set for next year and I wasn't expecting much as I had managed my game a good bit this year, unlike the previous year. When Cole was ready we went to Eat N Park and had the buffet. I was hungry but ate carefully and Cole ate so much I was sure he would be sick. I was at the point of hoping that it wouldn't be a big dinner. I needed to stop eating like this. I was sure that I wasn't having lunch. Cole went to the house and I went to my place.
I was thinking about work and when to have the meeting with the team when my phone buzzed and I was surprised to see that it was Ray. I laughed and said hi stranger how are things? Mike, they are good and I finally got into the Air Force Academy. It was tough and the people here lined some congress people and with my record here it worked. Now all I have to do is work my ass off. Well Ray, we all have to do that, will you play football there? Mike, I have to make the ream but I'm going to try. Then he said Mike, I just got off the phone with your dad to thank him for all the help and for paying my tuition here. Ray, I have know about that since the start and I'm glad dad could do that. Mike, we are on different paths and I just wanted to tell you that how much I appreciate how you let me find my way and I promise I'll always be there for you. Then he said, Merry Christmas and he hung up. I was stunned and did not know what to think and would talk with dad about Ray.
Sitting there I decided that the team would get an email January 3rd which was a Friday and that on the following Friday we would have a meeting off campus and they should plan on it taking the entire day. They would be advised as to the location. I wrote the email and put in in my "draft" folder. With that done I decided to look at the survey of the new property. That didn't help at all and I need to know how big the industrial building needed to be. In thinking about the big building I though we could simply add on. That would ruin my office for a year or so and make the building too big. I simply dismissed that idea. I was back to having no idea. As soon as the holidays were over I was looking for an architect with vision and I no longer cared if it was local. Then I thought about a compilation to design something that Dillon, Liam and I would like. I would talk with the Major about that idea. Just then dad called and told me to stop working and get my ass to the house for lunch. I laughed and said I'll be right there but I'm not eating. Dad simply hung up. At the house Ashley was fussy and I decided to reassemble her gift which took about 5 minutes. It was a flat mat and two arches that I hung toys from and picked her up and laid her on the mat. It was an immediate hit and she played for an hour. While I was watching Ashley, Megan handed me a plate with the potato leftovers. I smiled and said thanks and they were still awesome. I went looking for Megan and told her that I wanted no part of dinner and she laughed and said well it's nothing special, just left overs. We will have snacks after church while we open gifts. Megan, please make a salad. Megan agreed and I went to my place.
At my place I gathered clothes for church which were grey slacks and a light blue shirt and a navy blazer. I added cordovan loafers, which needed polished, and a matching belt. Then I rooted around my closet and found a top coat, which actually fit. I considered a tie and decided I had already won that one, so no tie. I decided to shower and shave after dinner as there would be a lot of time. I went back to the house wondering what there was to do. Turned out that dad and Cole were talking in the game room and Megan was feeding Ashley. I was content to sit and chat. Dad and Cole were into a heavy conversation about his potential golf schedule. It was dad listening as Cole explained his schedule. He wanted to play the first tournament in Hawaii, then Pebble Beach, then Doral and then the Masters. The only Major he would not play was the PGA as he was not a Pro. Dad finally asked if Mr. Palmer was aware of this adventurous schedule and Cole replied yes and he took a couple out and put some in. Then Cole said dad, I'm aware of the need to have good grades. Cole, you will take a commercial flight to Hawaii. For the other you can negotiate with your brother. Cole laughed at that. Then I weighed in and said dude, I'm not flying to the British Open. What amazed me was that there wasn't a harsh word during the entire discussion. Cole laughed at that saying I'm not in that, YET and I'm not going over to qualify there is enough on my plate. Dad laughed and said son, there is so much on your plate your golf game will explode, the question is in which way.
Dinner was ready and Megan had cooked Salmon and as promised there was a salad. Naturally I has Salmon along with the salad. Dinner ran long as we were all relaxed and having a good time and it was 7:00 before we finished cleaning up. Megan said that she wanted to leave no later than 8:10 as she wanted a seat. Cole and said we were good standing in the back and Megan didn't say anything but I knew by the look that was not an option. I went right to my place and showered and shaved and for the first time in years blew my hair dry as it was quickly becoming a curly mass on my head. I shaved and that made me look younger. Then I got on the scale knew I wouldn't see 224 but damn it was 228. These holidays needed to come to an end and they were just starting. I was back at the house at 7:50 and dad, Megan and Ashley was waiting on Cole. There was obviously some tension and when Cole appeared all dressed up like a big boy I knew he was pissed. We went outside and Cole said MJ, I'm driving and you are with me. Dad went over to Cole but his arm over his shoulder and said something I couldn't hear. Then dad opened the rear door and Cole stood there and dad quietly said Cole, that means now. The back seat with Ashley's car seat and Cole and I was a bit cramped.
Driving from our place in the south hills to the Cathedral, located in Oakland and surrounded by the Pitt campus, can be very easy or very difficult. The hills and the three rivers make things complicated then you add in 3 major tunnels. Oakland is especially complicated with the University and at least 4 major hospitals all run my the University under their UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) arm. Then add the football stadium and it takes over an hour at times to get there if you can find a place to park. Then the Pitt campus ends and the CMU campus starts just a few plucks away. At 8:00 on Christmas Eve, there were no issues and naturally Megan had a special parking place. Cole mumbled that fucking figures and I laughed when dad said Cole, that's strike 2 so keep pushing. I thought damn and looked at Cole and he nodded and said, very quietly, MJ, I get it. Inside the Cathedral it was a beautiful scene and nicely decorated but not overstated. We sat towards the front and Megan talked with a lot of people on the way in and I smiled as I realized even federal judges, with lifetime appointments, played politics or needed to. I wondered what she was aiming for next and made a mental note to ask. So this wasn't all about religion, she was working and I was impressed by that.
As soon as we were seated the organ started and a fantastic choir opened with "Oh Holy Night". I was hoping it would stay like that with really old classics and the older versions. I almost jumped up and clapped when the next one was "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" and this version was the best old and sung every year at Cambridge. The next one was "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by Mendelssohn. I was in my glory all this classical stuff. I was pretty much zoned out as the music continued like this and then it was "O Come All Ye Faithful" and everyone stood up. When I saw the procession and the deacon and the Master of Ceremony and the Bishop, all dressed up with his crosier and miter. I knew this would be as "High Church" as Catholics get since Vatican II. High Church it was and they even sang the "Gloria" in Latin. I was enjoying the show and it was very well done. Cole was hanging on but barely and he just shook his head through the entire event. Donald, our Bishop, talked too long but it didn't matter as what he said was, in my opinion, not worth listening to. At communion, I was handed Ashley and dad and Megan received communion and Cole and I, the two heathens, just sat there. The final song was "Ode to Joy" again I was pleased to here it so well performed. I didn't notice that we we almost last in line to leave and then I realized that the Bishop was in the back and chatting briefly with anyone who wanted to wish him a Merry Christmas.
Cole was more than ready to leave and Megan finally stood up, handed Ashley to dad and we started out the main entrance. When we got to the bishop he had a longish chat with Megan and when I could I said Merry Christmas and started by and he said Michael, you are on my list of people to reach out to early next year, I want to firm up you talk with our graduates. I smiled and said Your Excellency, with all due respect I distinctly remember telling you that I wasn't interested in doing that. He smiled and said, we can revisit that in a few weeks as it's important to me. I smiled rack and said well, that makes one of us, enjoy you evening and I headed for the car. Dad caught up to me and said thanks for being polite but if I would bet, it would be that you are talking to that class.
We drove home and Cole's mood improved as we got closer to home. We e we got home I grabbed Cole and asked, what was that all about? MJ, it's that religion bull shit and mom made us do it and she doesn't care about it either, she was working. I put my arm around him and said well thanks for cooperating as I appreciate the drama free evening. Cole smiled and said, Merry Christmas. I made a quick trip to my place and retrieved my gifts for dad and Megan and an envelope for Cole. Back at the house, I was immediately handed a drink and I set a box in front of Megan that I had actually carefully wrapped it and it contained 6 bottles of wine and 3 bottles of ice wine. I handed dad 2 bottles of scotch and he laughed and said thanks for not making me unwrap these. Then I handed Cole the envelop and when he opened it he laughed as it was a voucher for two round trip tickets to Hawaii. MJ, where is Liam's ticket. Dude, you are working not on vacation with Jessica. Well, can't I do both and dad and Megan at the same time said NO. Cole pretended to pout and said, FINE. Then Megan handed me a small box about 3" x 2" and I opened it and it was a car key. I looked more closely and it had a BMW logo. Dad handed me a picture of a jet black BMW convertible and said, I thought you needed an image change and Megan agreed. I just started laughing and said, I can just imaging me pulling up to camp at VT in that. Cole said MJ, what would it matter you are traveling there with a jet and will have some airplane on call. All they care about is can actually play the damn game. Then dad said oh, you can keep the "stang" if you want. Dad, I might use that at VT but this new one is awesome. Then I was told it is ready for you on Friday as you are golfing on Thursday. I had two more drinks and as it was after midnight I said good night and went to my place. I was buzzed with the scotch and was quickly asleep.
NOTE: I realize that it has been a long time since a post but I needed a break and I was on vacation. I managed to get one chapter out while away. I promise that I will conclude the story and know where this is going and the last chapter is written, it just takes some thought to get us there.
Thanks for reading and for the comments.
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