Good Vodka NOT Ham!

I may have mentioned that my dad is the parent who really makes me crazy. My mom has some dementia and I've gotten used to her forgetting things, as well as not wearing her hearing aid and misinterpreting just about everything anyone says to her. But, she'll also be 92 in December and is doing amazingly well. She still has a good sense of humor and always seems to be happy. Dad also has a good sense of humor and is usually happy, but I often feel like it's at my expense! Since there is so much to remember (and I have it all in a journal), I guess I'll start with something recent. Dad loves to party. It doesn't matter if it's family or friends or both. If you show up anytime after noon, there's a good chance he'll offer you a drink. My husband and I try to have my parents over for dinner about once a month (we get together with them once or twice a week) and it's expected that we'll have "cocktails." What I've noticed about Dad as he's grown older is his choice in alcohol has definitely headed towards the cheaper end of the scale, especially if it's the stuff he's not drinking. I happen to like vodka and it doesn't have to be top shelf, but if you drink vodka, you know there is a difference in flavor between brands. Dad apparently goes by price because he found Fleishman's on sale one time (it's already inexpensive) and for whatever reason cannot remember that I don't like it. I've asked him to bring Gordon's over and over again. It's only a dollar or two more, but I prefer it and I don't like the taste of Fleishman's at all. At first I tried being nice about it. I started by not saying anything and saving it to serve to him (suddenly he was drinking brandy instead of vodka). Then when he asked what kind of alcohol he could bring for a couple of holiday dinners I specifically asked him to bring Gordon's vodka. Of course, I got Fleishman's. I reached a point where I finally just told him that I didn't like that brand and that he continued to bring it anyway. At one point he dropped off the Fleishman's and then arrived later for dinner with a small bottle of Gordon's! The last time my parents came for dinner Dad did not bring any vodka. Nope, that time we got a ham steak! WTF?! Apparently they were on sale and he kept apologizing because he hadn't been able to get the thicker cut (thank God). Ham is okay, but why on earth would anyone bring a slab of it to a dinner at someone else's place? Also, this ham turned out to be horrible. We never buy ham and the only time we have ever served it was when Dad brought over this ham he gets from a former customer's boys at Christmas time. That's another story. So we thanked Dad for the ham steak and put it in the refrigerator. Fortunately, I had vodka and there were still several bottles of unopened Fleishman's. My husband decided we should have the ham for breakfast later that week and so I cut off a couple of pieces and heated it in a pan. The first bite was horrible! Not only was it really salty, but it had also been cured in brown sugar and it was swimming in it. In fact when I tried to wipe out the pan before washing it, the paper towel got stuck! My parents' anniversary is coming up in October and then my dad's birthday. We'll have them over for dinner and I can't wait to see what we get. He might trick me and actually bring Gordon's, but we are just as likely to get the "thick" cut of brown sugar cured ham!