Back in the day: Jake decides to get a desk job to make more money for his family. But he still plots the course for his own company: Big Three Homes. But… Jake and Rebecca are starting to realize Randall is academically razor sharp, REALLY sharp, after his teacher calls them in for a meeting and suggests he attend a school for gifted kids.
Present day
After William sings and plays the piano for his granddaughters, they want either him or uncle Kevin to speak at their school’s career day. They have the cool jobs. Actor. Musician. Not their dad. They don’t even know what he does for a living. Randall’s youngest daughter only knows he has an awesome chair to swivel in when they visit him at work.
Randall trades commodities based on weather pattern predictions. Weather derivatives. How funl;;aodjljcnaop;dmlcjh;idcixnkaodjclnk.aejocl….
Oops, sorry about that. Just fell asleep at the keyboard. Not saying weather derivates aren’t fun to SOMEONE. I get it. Every career, every area of interest has its charm. For someone. Wifey Beth can’t even explain what the man does for a living.
But learning William plays the piano got Randall wondering if he has an untapped creative side.
First thing outta that mouth when looked up from that phone and saw Kate? “Oh, so you hired the fat one this time.”
Back in L.A., Kate takes a new job. Her boss has a teen daughter who is a little fluffy. Her wack qualities? Her head’s always in her phone and she’s rude. First thing outta that mouth when looked up from that phone and saw Kate? “Oh, so you hired the fat one this time.”
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What the what? As my dad would jokingly say every now and again when we were kids: “Imma snatch a bow knot outta you!” At least that’s how it sounded. My sissy and I could never figure out what a bow knot was. I’m not sure if it was verbally transmogrified from “I’mma snatch a bone outta you,” or “I say, I shall snatcheth a femur out of thine thigh.” Who knows. S’all I needed to know, even if dad was kidding.
However my sister and I knew if, perchance, someone meant it for real, someone was ‘bout to beat that @$$. Hopefully not with the victim’s own bone.
That would have been a perfect time to snatch a bow know or bone out of that rude child.
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Anyway, Kate’s boss (Jamie Gertz) slipped in the possibility she’d have to accomplish some personal tasks, such as driving Rude Teen Girl around town.
Past day
Kate is starting to realize she wears a larger clothing size than her mom and that her dad can pick up her mom and twirl her around…
Back to Present day
Kate rocks at planning and fundraising, but not so much with driving a snarky kid around. That child got too mouthy in the car one day and had the nerve to refuse to give Kate the address to her friend’s house. So how was Kate supposed to know where to go? So Kate gave her the boot. From the car. Onto the sidewalk. And she left her out there in those streets.
No worries, the kid made it back home safely.
Kate’s boss wasn’t too worried or upset, but Kate reworked the terms of her job arrangement. No more personal tasks.
She also made a connection with Rude Teen Girl:
Kevin is having a hard time connecting to the grief he needs to express in the stage role he’s landed. So his co-star/ leading lady takes him to a party… that turns out to be a memorial… for a stranger.
That taps into something in his soul… He talks about his dad with the deceased man’s widow, and cries his heart out over that long-ago loss.
He also hooks up with his leading lady… but at their next rehearsal she whispers to him that their boot-knocking rendezvous won’t happen EVER again.
“How does hat make you feel?” She asks him.
He looks floored.
“Sad,” he responds.
“Use that,” she whispers. Dang. Channel that sadness into your role, bud.
Oh Randall…
How can a loving dad embarrass you? Let me count the ways.
So Randall decides to tap into his creative side by writing a song about weather derivatives to play at his daughter’s career day program. With his no-piano-playing self.
And he sings (or at least tries to) sing it in front of all those kids and parents. It is AWFUL. Oh my Lord, it was terrible.
How terrible was it?
It was SO terrible, I had to hide beneath my blankets to stave off the waves embarrassment emanating from ALL these fictional characters.
There’s a real life component, too.
Watching Randall stumble through that song about trading weather futures was painful. Almost (almost) as painful as it was when I heard my dad started shouting at the emcee at a talent show during my older sister’s freshman year in high school. Yup. ’Nother story for another day… That I may never tell. Maybe.
Here’s what I do know. Dads will embarrass you at least once during your childhood. I think it’s a requirement. But for most dads I know, so is their love and dedication to their children. And no matter how old we are. We’re still their babies.
Past day
Miguel gets a promotion and invitees Jack to work with him. But Jack told him about Big Three Homes. Miguel told him to think about it and get back to him by the end of the week.
After learning about Randall’s gift with numbers, Jack decides to forego starting his own company to make sure Randall can receive a more rigorous education.
Present day
Randall decides to take piano lessons from a lady down the street.
Let the church say… AMEN. A numbers genius does not a piano genius make.