Okay, this may be one of those "I guess you had to be there" stories. It's about my Dad, who is -- uh -- memory-challenged.

So, we visit the neurologist, who gives him another one of those memory tests. I don't know why we go through this, we all know he can't pass the tests any more. But it's a thing.

Anyway, she asks him to remember several things, such as who is president ("oh, it's that guy we don't like," he says), the time of year ("Sunday," he says), etc. He doesn't do too well. Then she asks him to repeat a phrase:

"Today the weather is sunny, but tomorrow it will be stormy."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," says Dad.

The doctor is patient. "Can you repeat this sentence, Mr. Frantz? 'Today the weather is sunny, but tomorrow it will be stormy.'"

"Today is, oh, okay. And then..." He makes a dramatic gesture. "Look out! Cats and dogs!"

I'm starting to smile. The doctor is stoic. "Today the weather is sunny, but tomorrow it will be stormy."

My dad: "Today, weather." Then in his most ominous tones: "But tomorrow will be cats and rain!"

That does it. I can't take it anymore, I start giggling hysterically. "I'm sorry," I gasp, "but that was just so funny!" I look up, and the doctor is struggling mightily to keep a straight face. This strikes me as even funnier, and now Dad is also giggling. The doc turns her back, and her shoulders start to shake.

"It's okay," I tell her, "he's knows it's funny."

Moral: Sometimes doctors are only human.

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