Men in Tights

I was on the phone with my dad this morning for a while. We don't have long phone conversations like we used to and I wish we did. But we did this morning and it was really nice.
We spoke for a while kind of recounting tales through the years, in disbelief about how quickly time passes. Even when it seems to drag at the time, you look back and whhhhoooosh! 30 years just went by. So this Halloween marks his 20th anniversary at his job, which is a pretty big milestone. And for some reason, I never knew he started his job on Halloween and I commented on how funny that was. The following year, he reminded me, he dressed up at work, as "Medicaid Man". He has a state job. He went to the office wearing a red shirt that said Medicaid Man, and white tights. It was a riot. When Evan and I were talking about what we were going to be for Halloween this year, he said "I'll do anything, but I'm not wearing tights." So we're going as Harry Potter and Hermione. He's the conservative guy who doesn't normally dress up for things, so he looks even more hysterical wearing that black wig and dork glasses. Anyway, my dad and I are laughing about all of this when my he reminds me that that wasn't the first time he wore tights. I remember it in my 3 year old little girl mind. I was staying with my aunt for the night when my parents dressed up for a Halloween party as pumpkins. They used chicken wire then put paper machier all over it, and painted them orange with big black faces. The costumes were like giant orange bulbs that went from their necks to their knees. They were huge! Underneath, they wore black turtlenecks and black tights. My dad doesn't look like a "tights" type of guy, not that I really know what that means. Anyway, they ended up going to the wrong party. Then, I'm not sure of the order, but at some point, they got a flat tire because he smashed into a parked car, and since my dad couldn't wear the pumpkin driving because it was so big, he had to take it off and was changing the tire in only a turtleneck and tights. And it was 30 degrees and there was a crowd. He must've looked like Dieter from Sprockets. Then they went to the right party and it turned out to be an Amway thing! I'm proud that they still had it in them to leave and go to a party downtown. Anyway, I love that. It's hard to believe he was only 25 or so when that happened. I can't believe how fast time goes by. I love that my dad's been known to wear tights. Tights!