Ode to Joe

This morning as I was driving to work, Bad to the bone came on the radio. The first chords - Na na na na nah of the guitar makes me think of my dad. I know, I know that is completely random.

One of my favorite memories of my Dad, was at my wedding.. it was Joe's birthday. My sister Suzie gave a birthday shout out to him and dedicated this song to Dad. Still random, and I don't know why she picked it. But Dad got out on the dance floor and cut a major rug with Suzie giving Jon Travolta a run for his money. When Joe is goofing off a bit, he usually twists his mouth up in the corner as if a great big laugh is going to spill out. It never does, just a twinkle in the eye and a contorted mouth is all you will find.

The song on the radio made me think of my Dad. It's hard to summarize a person in a few sentances. Mostly skewed from my point of you..here are some of my thoughts about Joe.

My Dad is a pretty quiet guy on most days. But if you get him in a group of people, he becomes chatty cathy. The family is mostly in awe of this, especially my Mom who can't get two words out of the guy. So to sum it up, he is pretty quiet around his family but a chatterbox around all others. I would say a trait I sometimes take after. I wonder if it is because he is living in his head like me.

Joe is really smart. I used to HATE as a teenager when he got involved in an arguement. He wouldn't say much, when he did, he was probably right. It is something I have always admired and often seek out his opinion on things. Mostly because I like the way he arrives at things. I think I have taken after some of his common sense way of thinking and decisiveness while at work. I am proud of that.

He loves my Mom fiercely. I doubt he ever tells her that. Frankly he probably barks at her most of the time. But no one could say a bad word about her in his presence. He is always trying to protect her. He takes no credit for the way we came out as adults, he leaves all the glory up to her. He is proud of her for it. He shows his love in his loyalty, making sure she has a drink and not complaining too much at the Talbots bill.

He appreciates his kids and all their differences. He is proud of us. You can tell by the way he talks about Suzie, Kevin and myself. Not to us you see, but to other people. He proudly rotates the college sweatshirts so that not any is particularly favored. I know he is proud of how smart Suzie is, a fact she often forgets. How well she did in school. He shares her wit and thinks she is a great Mom. He is proud of Kevin and all of his accomplishments. He thinks that Kevin is a great father too. Me, he got a kick out of when I did well in golf growing up, as it is a hobby he shared. I guess he is proud of my artistic ability. Dad was often roped into a project I had. Often shaking his head in bewilderment at my latest creation, but admitedly appreciated the idea behind it.

Dad really really likes our spouses. He talks with Brad most weekends about groceries, sports or wine. He sent Karen envelopes with stamps so he could get pictures of the grandkids and big packs of post-its. A gift that was perfect for Karen and probably meant alot to her. Dad likes to school Pete on things, it's what he does.

Dad is a sucker for his grandchildren.

My Dad has a good sense of humor. A little sarcastic at times, but he loves a good laugh. He can be goofy too. When I was a kid, he wrote me a card that went with valentines chocolates I had got from him. It was on loose leaf paper folded in fours and it said, "Roses are red, violets are purple.... your as sweet as maple surple." I still have that card...

One year for christmas, my dad had someone in his office take a picture of him (prior to digital cameras). It looked like a photo for an idea badge. He was barely smiling. He picked out a small frame, cut out a double mat for it made out of card stock. The mat had angled corners and was very precise. He put that picture of himself in it and gave it to my Mom for christmas. It was too cute.

He may complain and grumble, but if any of his kids ask for help with a project- he does it with such love and precision if it is a doll armoire to a deck. Dad is always there to help with a painting project, usually spouting off advice that is never forgotton even when you didn't want to hear it at the time.

On the day I moved into my house, he showed up with a bucket, a flashlight, duct tape, string and wire. Dad said anything I needed done, could be solved with any of the above. And..you never know when you'll need some string.

They have been more generous with me that i can never show my appreciation enough. If I won the lottery, I would build them a beautiful ranch home on a lake-with a killer woodworking shop on the back.

Memories of my Dad from my childhood were vague. His car smelled of aftershave and tic-tacs. He was usually up on the roof patching something, shoveling snow or fixing the yard after I had mowed it. I remember the year he had a battle with a chipmunk who often mocked him through the family room window. He would get my brother's bb gun, but always missed. If we had a crab feast, he would spend a long time after the family left picking out the meat of the remaining crab so we could have crabcakes the next day.

Dad likes golf, magic tricks, miller lite, a good wine and a good crossword puzzle. His yard is meticulous and he grows some killer tomatos. Dad goes to the grocery store almost every day in his retirement. At the beach, he will build a sandcar for the kids every year without fail. Dad is practical. He's dabbled in some painting from time to time- Bob Ross is a personal hero of his. Dad likes John Wayne and patsy cline, but a good toe tapping tune will get him going. He is a pretty smooth dancer. I love to dance to Frank Sinatra-old style with my Dad. I will miss it when he can't do that anymore.

Mostly I think of my Dad as a generous, loyal, kind, cantancerous at times, smart and funny guy. I love him and I am proud to call him Dad.