24 hours with scott.

my dad came for the mighty taco party on saturday.

i guess i'm immune to the oddity of it all... doesn't everyone have carne asada parties? doesn't everyone's dad drive through three states to grill tacos for anyone and everyone? the bennion's do. we always have.

i mean, i recognize we do it the authentic way... it's not your run-of-the-mill taco tuesday party with seasoned ground beef, taco shells, and shredded lettuce. and just this once, i'll admit - not even oprah could enhance this taco party. as if a real live taco stand bibbity bobbity boo'd itself in my kitchen.

but when my taco-virgin guests walked in the door with bright eyes, with a hint of insecurity on their face and asked "so, i don't get it. what's the point of all this? what do i do?" it dawned on me - not all dad's trek 750 miles in one direction to cook tacos for their kids.

it took a little time for the gringo-est of all utahns to acclimate to the steady stream of street tacos my dad placed on their plate. by the end of the night, though, the tacos were flowing freely and everyone gained a little more "federale-hood" as my uncle larry would say.

and another "not all dads" revelation? not all dads wander through the grocery store {or, in this case, the costco pizza line} in their turkish hats - with the utmost confidence - as if it were just another accessory in the wardrobe closet. but my dad does.

it took all of three minutes in the car before my dad started spouting wisdom... going so far as to use the phrase "cross pollination of humanity" in reference to my fear of the giant flocks of starlings that hang out in the trees and powe lines along redwood road. i laughed in my head.... and then immediately logged that one in the "bloggable offenses" note in my phone.

my dad.....

there's no such thing as a recipe when it comes to mexican food. no one measures... no one checks the labels. there's a little bit of this, a helluva lot of that, and when in doubt, add more spice.

we ended up with a mixture of the best boiled/simmered meat... that started as the most toxic combination of peppers and powders and onions and more peppers.

and it was THEBIGGEST hit.

and in the end... after our friends, family, co-workers, neighbords, church friends, and people i've never met before came and went... all i had to show for it was 3 sink full of dishes and a countertop of sugar-can coke bottlecaps.

not a single picture of people. that's almost criminal for scott bennion.

he was gone by 8 a.m. 12 hours up, 22 hours in salt lake, 12 hours back. 200 tacos consumed.

don't tell, but it was all a front to survey the reality of my social network. i hope he wasn't disappointed when more 40-year old co-workers and their families showed up than eligible bachelors. someone missed out on the $50 bounty prize.