And that's why I will never have my own cooking show

All of my wildest dreams were about to come true.

I was all set to host several women in my home for a few hours today while I instructed them in the fine art of cookery. I felt sure that they would find my skills to be of such a caliber and my jokes to be so well timed and I would exhibit just the right amount of sincerity that they would insist on using their student loans to fund my own weekend show on local access cable.

But then Robert's dad had to go and get the Big C. (That's what we insiders call Cancer.)

Then his dumb old spleen had to rupture. Stupid spleen.

And he pretty much almost died, but a few angels decided to guide his surgeon's hands and miracle of miracles he made it out of a surgery that nobody thought he would survive.

He is, however, now short one spleen.

The long and short of it is that we took an emergency trip out west, I had to cancel my cooking demonstration, and I hate cancer. Cancer sucks.

But family rocks. Especially mine.

And when they eat the food I cook for them (with a little help from my mom and my sister), they make me feel like a rockstar.

All kidding aside, his story is pretty miraculous and I feel so blessed to count myself a member of his family. They are inspiring men and women. If you are interested in following the progress of Robert's Dad's treatments, visit his blog.