My Dad

I wanted to share a few antidotes about my dad.

I didn't learn to cuss like a sailor at school, I learned it from my dad! He couldn't assemble anything without swearing. Tools were also thrown at some point, lol.

He may look frail now, but he could whip his belt off his waist like nobody's business. I was whipped so much I thought my rear end was a whipping post. 


My dad always took us to search for the perfect Christmas tree at tree farms every December, like everyone in the state of Michigan. 


He always took us fishing. He'd stop at every fishing hole on the way to and from Tawas, MI. We went to Augres, MI, where you basically had to sit on rocks to fish. It was fun, at least I didn't have to worry about slipping through the cracks like at the dock in Tawas. I'm not sure how I'd slip through a crack, but when you're a kid you always believe at any moment something bad will happen to you.


My dad redefined child labor, we spent the every weekend in the woods. He cut the trees down and we were always on hand to carry it anywhere he wanted. He made a handy wood shoot so we could get in into the basement. I think us kids worked out our aggressions on each other for the most part.


When my dad took us to McDonald's, he'd order enough hamburgers so that we each had three, my mom always got a filet-o-fish.


My dad once gave us (I have two brothers), all a spanking because we argued on a holiday.


He worked second shift at a GM plant in Saginaw, MI.


My dad once took us to Sea World (back then it was in Ohio), and Cedar Point on the same vacation.


We went to visit my brother in Louisiana on vacation, and at the age of eighteen, I visited New Orleans.


My dad insisted on planting a huge garden, green beans were his favorite. Us kids had to pick the dang things the whole summer. They never quit growing! We literally filled five gallon buckets with them and had to take of the ends off. We hated this, and one time my dad got my younger brother Jimmy up at midnight because he didn't pick over his share.


My dad loved to whistle at other women when we were all in the car. Can you say awkward moment?


He insisted we drink milk at every meal. I now know why I don't drink any.


I never left the table until I ate everything on my plate or at least until I could get my brothers to eat it or learn a creative way to hide it in my napkin. I pretty much sat for hours.


My dad would make popcorn from the pan and fill half a brown grocery bag to take to the movies.


We went to the drive-in movies a lot. Monster movies were all the rage back in those days.


On our birthday, we always were treated to a restaurant and a movie. My dad was that awesome.


My dad took us to Tawas and we went camping at the park, we slept in a tent. We woke up at five a.m. to fish, apparently the fish wake up kinda early. One time there was a thunderstorm and the tent blew down on us. Good memories.


My dad knew all the best places to eat, buffets were another of his go to places. Yes, that includes Pizza Hut.


My dad loved to tickle me and always had me scratch his back.


No way was we going near the remote control, we watched whatever shows my dad wanted to watch.


Overall I have the best dad in the world. We never see eye-to-eye on many subjects, but I love him and I'm glad to have so many good memories.