My dad recently had knee replacement surgery. For most people this is a typical surgery for someone who is 59 years of age and battling arthritis. My dad is not a typical person. He has an infectious restlessness which I have always admired. A zealousness for freedom - freedom to do what he wants, to throw off restriction and follow his own voice however unreasonable the rest of the world considers his position. What you need to know is that my dad’s knee replacement surgery is akin to a large animal veterinarian capturing and sedating the roaming bison for surgery.  My father is bison like - strong with a big head, almost gentle but dangerous at the same time. The surgeon suggested that my dad go to Lake Taylor for rehab. I naively thought this was a good idea but after an early Wednesday morning visit last week I realized that bison need the open plain to roam and rut. Dad is an early riser. Not a normal early riser but a 4:30 am early riser. I felt bad that the bison was not getting his early coffee so I dragged myself out of bed at 5:05am and dressed to make a Starbucks run for him. I arrived at the facility around 6:00am searching for the wounded beast. Amidst the quiet sleep of the infirmed, I heard rustling. The sort of rustling you hear from an animal attempting to get out of a trap sprung on it in the bushes. I enter the room to see two beds. An elderly gentleman around 70 trying to sleep while my dad is dragging his wounded hind leg around attempting to position his paper and small styrofoam cup to avoid getting up again. His cage was a mess. Covers thrown off, pillows on the floor, papers strewn everywhere obviously the beast was roaming this morning. After a cheerful hello, the bison settled in his den. Sitting next to him sipping on my vanilla latte, he turned to me with that big head and proceeds with the following conversation:”Hey, I want to tell you about my plan.” he says. I respond “this will be good let me have it.” I have decided that I am going to get out of here early. So what I am going to do is stay here until Saturday morning the leave and get a decent lunch and then go to the movies and then go to the girls’ basketball game.”Now remember that he had been fighting a serious cellulitus infection and a swollen leg three times normal but he was planning his escape plan like the bird man from alcatraz.My dad always assumes my legal skills have magical powers which he can call up like Merlin and his wand if needed continued, ” I may need you to make some calls and get involved if I can’t get out of here.” I affirm my devotion to springing the beast from the cage. His roommate, “Wally” was awakened with my father’s request to detail for me the pathetic therapy schedule and a final statement from my dad that , “I am not staying here one more minute than I have to!” I told him to try and be compliant and that I would see him later. While I left the nursing corps looked at me like the assistants Steve Irwin used to carry along with him while he jumped on top of a crocodile - trepidatiously anxious.  Laughing to myself, I made a bet with myself that he would not make it through the day. Not less than four hours later my cell phone rang, I answered and a low bison voice declares, “I am out. Do you want to meet your mother and me for lunch?” I respond, “Sorry dad I can’t get away from the office.”  He says, “I could not take it. I will be at home if you want to see me.” I laugh - the bison busted out and was stumbling across the open plain seeking a place to eat a peaceful lunch.  Roam Bison Roam!!!AH