2003-03-18 - 6:53 p.m.
It's been an intense couple weeks. The one-year anniversary of my dad's death was March 9, and we put his house up for sale on March 10. These two things spun me into a really reflective mood....but not a reflective writing mood. I've never experienced this kind of anniversary before, and I have to say, it was quite bizarre. I'm not a big one for dates so I was really surprised at the affect it had on me. It was mainly a bunch of why-wasn't-I-a-better-daughter stuff intermixed with worries that I was going to forget everything about him.
So, I'm feeling much better now, and the house sold (yay!), but it made me want to write some stuff down.
Some stuff about my dad...
Whenever he thought my brother and I were using a word we couldn't spell, he would interrupt and make us spell it.
He was a regular at a diner and had a burger named after him there. It was a bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg on top. (Gluh.)
He ran several small and unsuccessful businesses.....the products ranged from pistachios to talking-rooster alarm clocks to mechanical toys...the stranger the better.
The secret ingredient in his peanut butter toast was extra butter.
He didn't give a damn what anyone thought of him. For real.
He was a retired engineer and wore a lab coat around....usually with a dirty baseball cap and white loafers. Once Sonny asked him why he liked the lab coat so much and he said because the pockets were handy.
He'd give money to anyone who asked.
He loved sports.
He once broke up a fight between two neighbors (one a 19-year-old kid and one a burly construction worker) by shouting "no touchy."
He loved his dog and took her everywhere he went.
He had severe asthma and smoked like a chimney.
He was eccentric, compassionate, stubborn, frustrating, funny, charitable and loyal. And, he was one of the people that I loved most in the world. I really hope he knew that.
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