Dad Stories and What-Not

This was my Dad's yard work uniform. Hard hat,
eye protection, and yup, even chaps.

Today it's been two years since my Dad died. Over the past few years I've shared some stories about my Dad and all his craziness. Like last year, I shared our last conversation. Today I'm back with some more stories. Some amusing stuff my sister has come up with and some stories and things that I've remembered over the last few days.

• My Dad's nickname for my husband was "Sasquatch". My Dad wasn't short but Husband is much taller. The first time we took a trip up to visit we decided to order pizza so Nate could taste some of my favorite pizza. Dad ordered something else (lasagna or veal parmesan probably). Nate peaked over my Dad's shoulder when he opened and asked what he got. Dad said "It's mine! I feel like there's a damn Sasquatch trying to steal my food!"
• On another trip to visit my family we decided to take a day trip to Alexandria Bay. My Dad insisted on taking one of the boat tours. One of the long ones, because they served drinks. There were a lot of asian people on that tour all of them carrying several cameras. As we were all getting off the boat after the tour (that stopped off at Boldt Castle) my Dad turns to Nate and says - mind you, he's been drinking so there is no more inside voice - "Jesus Christ! Nobody told us we were boarding the Orient Express!"
• My Dad was a super emotional guy. I've posted this one before but it's still one of my favorites: A few years ago when Mom and I were on the phone - around Christmas - she told me that she and Dad had watched a Christmas special. Well, Dad was watching it and he called Mom into the room. "Hey! Come watch this. I think it's that guy Tara likes." I think my Mom was a little surprised (as was I) that he even knew who he was let alone that I liked his music. Mom said "Oh yeah, Andrea Bocelli". So they listened to his song and at a break in his singing my mom noticed my Dad crying silently. She said "Ugh, what's wrong?" Thinking he would say he missed me or something like that she waited for him to calm down a little and he said:
  "Look at him. He's praying." And then he started crying all over again.I can still picture what my Mom's face must have looked like when she said to him "Oh my God. He's blind, you ass!" 
• This one is from my sister: Back when my Dad was in the hospital but not yet moved to Rochester for the transplant program, my sister was visiting him. When they were alone, he pointed to a bag and asked my sister to take it home with her and get rid of it. He actually said "Hey, you see that bag in the corner? Can you take that with you and 69 it for me?" My sister said "Excuse me?" He said "Yeah, take it home and throw it out. I shit my pants and I don't want the nurse to find it". My sister said "Let me get this straight: you want me to drive home with your shitty underpants when you could just throw them out here?" (She refused and threw them out at the hospital and YES my Dad did think he was telling her to 86 his underwear.)
• Adding to that and remember my last conversation with him when he told me that he had an accident the day of our last conversation, apparently the nurse gave him a hard time about it. Telling him that my Dad should give them more warning. He told her "Honey, you had as much warning as I did."
• One Christmas after all our presents had been opened there was one little box left. It was for my mom. She opened it and it was a little gold band with little diamonds in it. My Dad was, of course, crying and told her that they'd been together 20 years and had never given my mom a diamond. He thought it was so special (and, ok, it was). My mom said "I don't know why you did that! I never wanted one."

Random things about my Dad:

• I'm pretty sure he never watched the end of a movie. He always fell asleep.
• He had the most impressive goatee of anyone I've ever met.
• He loved Christmas, especially Christmas lights.
• He took any and every opportunity to dress up. The dressier the better.
• He could have a conversation with anyone, anywhere, any situation.
• He was extremely emotional! Over everything.
• He was allergic to caterpillars.
• He loved yard work and was really good at it.

I know that's not a whole lot of "special" stuff. But it is to us. My Dad was not without his faults, but he did leave us with a lot of good memories to keep us laughing :)