....And for a sec, y’all thought basic influencer nation hacked my account with the food pics. Come on now... this strawberry cream cheese bagel is for my Dad. When my parents moved me to NYC 17 years ago, my dad talked in depth about a few things on the way up....1)All of the garbage from the city is dumped in New Jersey, 2) Dairy farms in PA give TN a run for their money 3) “I did not miss the exit...oh yeah my bad, Annie. We’re taking a detour. Welcome to the Bronx.”, 4) NY bagels will change your life forever. He was correct on most accounts, but he was met with shocking surprise when he realized that strawberry cream cheese was not a bagel staple in NY. He had deli conversations on every trip for years about spread flavor variety and how adding strawberry to the menu would be great for business. He was very serious, and I was very mortified. (Please picture me in my 20s trying not to crawl into a hole). He would inevitably hold up the line with his philosophies while other annoyed patrons sent looks my way as they waited... trying to decipher (through his thick drawl) what this man was going on about. Barry Bass didn’t care though. He had a point to make. So, when he was in NY for the last time we showed him that his campaign had paid off. The city of NY got the memo, Dad. And today we are having your favorite. No one can really tell you how to lose a parent. There’s no prep work for facing the harsh reality that the person who gave you life no longer lives. My dad was larger than life. He had his moments. No parent is perfect, but my dad was one of the most hilariously ridiculous human beings I have ever encountered in my life. An unmistakable presence that left a mark on the hearts of many. From my childhood to almost 40 he was the first there and the last to leave. He taught me unconditional love which in all honesty is one of the best gifts a parent can give considering humans can be difficult, and I am no exception. He was so generous, kind, at times annoying...see above 😀👆🏼, immensely talented, & brilliantly weird as hell all wrapped up into one imperfectly amazing human. Thank you for everything, Daddy. I know you are forever with me.❤