I have been thinking about writing a blog for a while now, but everytime I sit down at the computer and start to type the words just don't look right and I think no one will be interested. Today is different....Today is Father's Day and because I am lucky enough to have a wonderful father, today I have something to write about.
I grew up in LaGrangeville, NY. I am the second of two daughters born to a middle class couple. I will be 50 years old in less than a month, so I have 50 years of memories to share with whoever cares to read my blog.
My Dad has been writing a blog for over a year now. Sometimes he will get on a roll and write 3 or 4 blogs in a week and then other times he will not write for one or two weeks. I like when he writes because I enjoy reading his blogs and I find out things I never knew and probably never would have if he didn't write. From reading his blogs I now know everything I need to know about the NY Yankees and baseball in general! To say the least, my Dad is a big sports fan and the NY Yankees biggest fan.
When I was growing up my Dad was a busy guy. He would get up between 4:30 and 5 AM to go to work and sometimes he would not get home until 4 or 5 in the evening. Dad drove a truck for Drake Bakeries and although it sounds like an easy job, it really wasn't. The days were long and at the end of the day he was tired. He would come home and ask my Mom when dinner would be. If she said 10 minutes he would say "Ok, wake me up in 10 minutes". He would go and lay down and sure enough he was asleep when we went to wake him 10 minutes later! That 10 minute nap was enough to keep him going because he was also a volunteer fireman and he was on the rescue squad. He also bowled one night a week, played in a band and played softball during baseball season.
I always wanted to tag along where ever my Dad went. As I look back now I feel bad that he never seemed to get a break from me! Every Friday I would get ready to go to the bowling alley and after dinner I would wait to see if he asked me. There were times when he didn't and I was devasated, but for the most part I got to go. He would give me a few dollars so I could go to the vending machine and get a soda or a candy bar, and I remember times when I would go to the food court and get ice cream or french fries. Between bowling Dad would come over to the counter where I was eating and ask me if I was enjoying it. I loved going bowling with him and have some wonderful memories of those years.
One night Dad and I were on our way and as we rounded a turn down the road from our house a balloon full of water hit the windshield of his truck. It frightened me and I said.. "Dad what was that". He stopped the truck and got out, but fortunately didn't catch the ones who threw it. I think he was more upset that it happend when I was with him then he would have been had I not been with him.
On Saturday's Dad and I would go to the firehouse and clean. It was hard work and most times I had to clean the bathrooms, but I didn't mind it. Some of the firemen would stop when we were cleaning and Dad would stop to talk to them. I would try to get a lot done while he was talking so he would be proud of me. One time the fire alarm went off and Dad had to leave with one of the trucks. While he was gone I got the entire place cleaned and when he got back he couldn't believe it. That was a great day... I remember him telling my Mom that I had cleaned the whole firehouse and I beamed from ear to ear!
As I mentioned before, my Dad played in a band and they would practice one or two nights a week in the basement of our neighbors house. I would go and sit outside the window of the basement and listen to them and sing along. I think that is where my love of country music came from. I am a huge country music fan and have been since I was small.
That brings me to my next story. There were times when Dad was not my hero.... Dad was (as I said before) a huge sports fan and Monday night was his night for watching football. One night the country music awards were on and I would sit in front of the TV with my tape recorder and record the show. Back then we didn't have a VHS or DVD recorder. I would record the show and then listen to it over and over again for weeks. In the middle of the show Dad came home and when he walked in he changed the channel... I was devastated... "Dad, what are you doing, my country music awards are on". His standard answer was "it is Monday and Monday is football night". The NY Giants were playing and there was no way I was winning that one. I had to take my recorder and go into my Mom and Dad's room and watch on a 13" TV... That night he was not my hero.
My Mom taught me to drive, but there were a few times when I went out with my Dad. When it came time to get my license my Mom took me for testing and I passed the first time. It was the first time in my life I had done something better than my sister. She was always a perfect student and never gave them a bit of trouble. I was a little mischievous, but never got in too much trouble. The day I got my license in the mail I begged my Mom to let me go to the grocery store to get what she needed. She finally said ok and out I went. As I got to the bottom of the stairs Dad was coming in from work. He asked me where I was going and I told him.. "I got my license, I am off to the grocery store". Dad spent all day in grocery stores so I know there was nothing he needed, but he said.. "Oh good, I was going to go myself so I will ride along with you". He always worried about my sister and me and while it seemed like he was a bit much back then, I look back now and appreciate that he cared that much about us.
My Dad got me my first job... it was at a department store named Caldor. I started out working as a cashier and then worked behind the snack bar and then moved to the courtesy desk. Everyone knew that he was my Dad so I made sure to do a good job and he always got good reports from the people he knew. One night while I was working there was a terrible snow storm. The manager decided to close the store early and I was dreading the drive home. I had a 1968 Ford Falcon and the heat did not work properly so defrosting the windows was nearly impossible. As I punched out I was nervous about driving for the first time in snow, and this was a bad storm to try it in. I walked out the door and there was my Dad's truck. He rolled down the window and said "come on honey I will drive you home tonight". I was so relieved and so happy he came to pick me up! The next day my Mom drove me to work to pick up my car.
I guess you know by now how I feel about my Dad. I have many more stories to tell and will write more about my Dad in the blogs to come. On Father's Day I want him to know that he is still the man I admire most and that I love him very much.
Someday I will write about my Mom. My Mom is an incredible lady. For as far back as I can remember she has been taking care of people. She and my sister were always very close and 10 years ago I would have told you that she loved her best, but today I know she loves us both the same and would do anything for either of us.
Well it took me a while to write this blog and I hope to write more in the future but for now I say .... Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there and I hope we have many more years of them!
