When I look at my daughter, I think about all the things that her Grandpa J would have taught her if he was still here. So, the last several days I have been making a mental list of all of these things. Tonight, I share them here.
On Life in General
You're a sissy if you cry!
T-sips are generally up to no good...
If you can't find it at Big Lots, Wal Mart or Sam's - you don't need it.
You can't go wrong with Zydeco music.
How to drive a standard.
How to decorate a Christmas Tree.
To show someone how much you like/appreciate/love them - tease them mercilessly.
Give everyone a nickname - and be as descriptive as possible.
Give everyone a nickname - and be as descriptive as possible.
When Kevin and I first started dating, Dad called him "Kevin from Heaven" because he was just too perfect and teased him for that! The name has stayed with Kevin even 14 years later. And Dad teased Kevin even when he was ill -- Dad was in the hospital just a few days after our 5 year wedding anniversary, which is when Kevin bought me an anniversary band as a present. When I showed my Dad, he called him a "Suck-up." :)
On Organizing a Garage
Always put things in their place so that you can find them the next time you need them.
Anything that you can accumulate, sort, and categorize, do. Such as: nuts, bolts, wood, cardboard boxes, pens, golf balls, nails.
Dad's garage was his domain. He would spend weekends just cleaning and organizing all his treasures. He had bins for everything - all labeled and all appropriately categorized. One of his favorite things to do was to walk at Tom Bass and pick up golf balls. He would bring them home, clean them and then sort them - he left behind buckets of cleaned, sorted, gently used golf balls.
On How to Play Softball
Always end a pitching session on a good pitch.
When batting - be ready for the first pitch - most likely a good one.
Ants in the water cooler are ok, they don't drink much.
Some of my earliest memories of my Dad have to do with softball. It was such a great time for us and we spent a lot of time together, since he was one of our coaches. We would practice pitching in the back yard when he got home from work and I would be ready to quit, but he would never let me end on a bad pitch. Same goes for shooting baskets - always end on a good one. Pretty much a good motto for anything in your life!
On How to Mow the Yard
It's best to wear a matching hat and matching coaches' shorts when mowing the yard
Mow in straight lines and never, ever run over a hose with the mower
A perfect Saturday for Dad was to wake up early, watch the news and drink coffee, and mow the yard. He always wore a ball cap and coordinated the color of that with his shorts. He was very particular about the yard and would never let anyone else mow the front - he had a system and did it the best.
On How to Pour a Beer/Mix a Drink
(only when she's MUCH older)
For winter months, drink dark liquor; summer months, drink clear
What it means for a drink to be 'two fingers'
When pouring draft beer, tilt the glass to minimize the foam
Just like my Dad was particular about matching his clothes, there was an etiquette to drinking liquor (I equate it to wearing white only after Easter, but not after Labor Day) -- Kevin and I still joke about whether Dad would approve of Kevin's choice to drink Crown Royal in the summer months.
On How to Deal with Houston Traffic
Take the back roads when at all possible - even if it makes your trip twice as long.
Avoid traffic at all costs.
For the first five years of my career, my client was located very close to Dad's office. And since we lived so close to each other, we would sometimes carpool. I usually loved these mornings because I could relax on the way to work, Dad would buy breakfast, and we could visit. Sometimes, it would be a little stressful because Dad often liked to take back roads to avoid traffic, which would lead to reminiscing. He would point out places he used to live, where he liked to hang out, where he played softball when he was younger, what used to be where, where someone's mother's second cousin's uncle lived... you get the picture. This would often add to our commute, and sometimes I would end up pretty late to the office. And a little stressed. Looking back, I cherish these times - this was how he shared his life before us with me.
On How to Spend a Weekend
Golfing with your best friends!
One of Dad's great loves was the game of golf. He and my Mom, along with the Vidals, played most Sundays for many years. They would plan their vacations around where they would play golf and Dad loved to try new courses. When I imagine him in Heaven, I know that he is playing golf everyday. And LOVING it!
I have a feeling that I will update this post every once in awhile - when something else comes to mind. It's funny how when you try real hard to remember certain things, they escape your memory. But then later, you'll be sitting in traffic and you hear a certain song or see a black Chevy truck... and poof! Another memory comes back! It's nice.
Love you and Love you Dad!
4 comments:
Thank you for making my morning. I truly loved your dad ~ he was one of a kind. He liked to call me stupid and I called him asshole. I will forever miss him. Love you all, Perry.
That was such a sweet post Jess... and that pic of him with the cigar, thats how I will always remember him.
Camryn has the biggest guardian angel watching over her, what a lucky little girl. :)
Jess, that was so fun to read. What a sweet idea. Make sure you save it for Camryn!
Sweetie this blog made me CRY!!! Your Dad was the best....such a sensitive teddy bear under that tough guy exterior. I too miss him. Thanks for sharing such precious moments of yours with us, I feel that I know him (and you) better after reading them.
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