Tuesday’s With Jen – My Memoirs

In honor of Father’s Day, I should mention a few fond memories about my Dad:

• He used to let us ride in the truck (tanker) with him at night to help keep him awake while he was hauling oil for the road company.
• He always took a thermos full of coffee to work.
• He was a soldier in the US Army.  Served in Vietnam.  Was a Radar tech.  Now a veteran.
• He used to ride a motorcycle, a Kowasaki.  He hurt his knee because of that bike. 
• He used to cut wood on Saturdays and we children were in charge of gathering kindling in 5-gallon buckets.  We would toss the wood down the basement steps where he’d catch it and stack it.
• He used to give each of us kids a quarter at church to put in the offering plate.  If you were lucky enough to sit by him in church, sometimes he let you put the check in the plate too.
• He spent many weekend afternoons watching tv and cuddling with us kids on the couch.
• When I was in the hospital, he came home from his Army Reserve assignment and brought me a Strawberry Shortcake nightgown. 
• When he first met Keith, I found them on the front porch smoking cigarettes and talking about war.  They say you marry your Dad… right?
• He’s a baby-hog! 
• When the starter on my truck went caput, he helped me get it fixed and reinstalled it for me.
• He has his own unique sign-language.  When he’s at the dinner table and wants the butter, he points at it with his knife.  The funny thing is that we all understand exactly what he wants. 
• He walked me down the isle and looked like a million bucks that day!
• I remember the look on his face when he saw my new husband dancing to “I touch myself” at my wedding.
• He worked very hard all his life.

He’s my Dad.  I’m proud of him and I love him very much!