February 7, 2012

my dad: random thoughts and images








I've been wanting to blog about my dad for some time now.  Especially since most of my friends and my husband never got a chance to meet him.

I started making a list of things I wanted to say about my dad while I waited in the doctor's office today.  The list was off the top of my head & in no real order.

I wanted to talk at length about the items on this list, but instead, I'm just posting the list "as is".

Here's a link to a poem I wrote about one of my earliest memories.


Born in KY, dad died when he was 5
His stepdad was a mean, abusive creep
Two 1/2 brothers born (and spoiled)
Moved to cleveland
Dropped out in 8th grade
Triple heart bypass in late 30's
Then marathon running at my age
Husband never met him
"Gone" to me after high school
Memories:
      Riding on motorcycle
      Driving through the hills of KY listening to Jim Croce songs
      Fishing at Harpersfield
He built a van/RV hybrid and won some award
I used to stick his socks between his toes when he napped on the couch and he'd pretend to wake up and flip out (this always made me laugh!)
Jack and the beanstock falling arm (a bedtime ritual when I was like 3 years old.)
Before he married my mom he worked for a circus & was a volunteer firefighter
He was a race car driver & won tons of trophies in the late 60's/ early 70's
Wood worker
Nice to my friends, helped them buy cars, learn to ride motorcycles
Tried to save stray dogs and baby birds that fell out of their nests


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