September 1st - Intro to my Dad

In my typical fashion, I haven't written a damn thing, even though I planned to dedicate a whole month's worth of posts to stories about my pops. It's all up here. I got it and will do my best to stay on track.

So, as previously mentioned last week, my dad is something special. I suppose I decided to do this for a few reasons. I must share these stories. I've shared many of them with lots of friends before and I just feel like they have to be written down. They're just too good. Too good.

Not completely unlike my chihuahua tattoos, which were done prior to Totti passing, both dogs were alive and healthy, this is just something I want to do while my dad's around. And not completely unlike my chihuahuas, he won't realize what I've done. Ha. I'm serious.

My dad is middle age, but on the younger side. He's an auto mechanic and has been his entire life. He owns Bert's Auto Service. Bert was my grandpa. He passed away in 2000. My dad is a practicing Catholic. He likes Mizzou basketball. He fishes a lot. The seldom occasion that I talk to him on the phone he asks me about the weather and sometimes he'll ask me when the last time I went to church was. More recently he asks me when I'm going to baptize my son. The only time my dad has ever called me, all on his own, after asking my sister for my phone number of course, was on November 29th, 2001 when George Harrison died. My dad is not social and rather quiet. Some could say he's hard to talk to but I guess that just depends on how much you need the other person in the conversation engaged because most times there's nothing you can do or say to elicit any response from him. But it's nothing personal, that's just him.

The first time my Dad met Owen, December 26th, 2009. He was forced to hold him for this photo.

There are a lot of stories I have to share involving a cornucopia, Technotronic's 'Move This', cockroaches, Dairy Queen and Pee Wee's Big Adventure and many more random things. There are lots of things I'd love to write about, but it's not the right time or place and I'm not sure that there ever will be a proper time or place.

My dad has never been mean or abusive. He's never been a negligent parent, I wouldn't say. He may not be the best at being a dad, but he's the only one I got and I appreciate him in many ways that a lot of people would think crazy of me for.

On the agenda for tomorrow, cars. Specifically 60s Pontiacs. And a Caddy.