Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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I feel awesome for the guy who had the courage and persistence to go get what he really wanted. All's fair in love and war FTW

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Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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I feel sad for Bill.

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why? i am sure the marriage would have been great considering he wasn't even her first choice.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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My dad is awesome in many ways. But the coolest and most memorable story I ever heard was about my granddad. My g-mom always reminisces about him (he's been dead for 20 years) and told me about the first time he asked her on a date. They went to dinner and a movie, he walked her home, dropped her off and said "I'm going to marry you, you know." She thought he was crazy. What a pimp.

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Thank you for reminding me of a great Dad story.

My parents were best friends in high school. They sat together on the bus, talking about their romances, etc. Dad went away to school and they kept in touch writing.

At some point while he was gone he decided that she was the one. He came home for a visit. She was engaged.

He tells her, "I'm going to come calling on you on Saturday."

"You better not." she replies. "Bill, (the fiance), is going to be there."

"I don't care. I'm telling you now that I will be there to call on you."

Sure enough, he shows up. The three of them sit uncomfortably in the living room together for a while.

Finally she gets up and calls Bill into the kitchen. She gives him the ring back. The rest is history.

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This is not a Dad story; it's about my Dad's parents, though.

My grandfather was in the Navy, and was stationed in San Diego. He was in uniform, walking past some tennis courts, when my grandmother saw him for the first time. She turned to the girl she was with and pointed him out, saying, "That's the man I'm going to marry."

They were married three weeks later in Tijuana. They had to get married there because the base Chaplain refused to marry them because they hadn't known each other long enough. Their "marriage certificate" was basically a transcript of the ceremony in Spanish, since the priest who performed the ceremony didn't really understand why my grandparents needed such a thing or what it was.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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To get this thread back on track,

My parents got divorced when I was in high school. My mom kept the house and my dad got a really [censored] apartment about 20 minutes away.

My dad drove to my house every morning to take me to school. And the drive from my house to the school was only about 5 minutes.

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I really like this one.

-J

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

When my father and mother started dating, my dad was 40 and my mom was 20. This made my dad like three years younger than my mother's parents, and needless to say, they were not very happy that their little girl was now dating a 40 year old. Then add in the fact that my father was a hippie with hair halfway down his back and the only thing consistent about his job background was the inconsistency of it.

He was a writer and a poet and an actor she told them, but they thought he was a full of crap hippie. He was from California and he was telling stories of how he wrote plays and songs and knew movie stars, etc. Again, they thought this was all BS, a story that they couldn't refute but that their daughter, my mom, was eating up with a spoon.

Then, the first time my dad met them, they finish an extremely tense and awkward dinner and sit down to watch some television to ease the tension a bit, and the first thing that pops up on the TV is a rerun of the Merv Griffin Show. It's not on for ten seconds when my dad pops up on the television as a guest on the show.

My dad just sits there coolly and says "Oh hey, I never saw this one. Forgot that I was in it." My mother's parents just sat there speechless.


It's now been 27 years and I think they've finally warmed to him a little, but picturing my grandfather just grinding his teeth at the luck of my dad coming on the tv like that is hilarious to me.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

Noah, I want to hang out with your dad.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

Great story.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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all the other stuff i've seen is all in good fun i guess but i'm just saying i'd be very pissed if someone put a bumper sticker on my car especially if i had a nice car.

didn't mean to rain on everyone's dad parade but if i came in here and was like,

"my dad was awesome because of that one time when we killed that hobo together and didn't tell anyone."

i'm sure someone would say something

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Do you really not see the difference between the two?

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ok how about me and my dad keyed some guy's car? or put shaving cream on it so it ate away at some of the paint?

the difference just vanished.

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I'm gonna drive by your house today and smash your mailbox.

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bring it nath and you can kiss those three teeth goodbye

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Moderator has already been notified of this post.

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really? cool!

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

so noah why was he on the show?

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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My dad is awesome in many ways. But the coolest and most memorable story I ever heard was about my granddad. My g-mom always reminisces about him (he's been dead for 20 years) and told me about the first time he asked her on a date. They went to dinner and a movie, he walked her home, dropped her off and said "I'm going to marry you, you know." She thought he was crazy. What a pimp.

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My dad's "pimp" story (although I'm not sure it's true):

My dad was in college, mom was in high school. Her prom was at the Fox in downtown St. Louis, and as this was the '70's, my dad had a coat with tails and a top hat. While they are walking to the Fox, a little kid runs up and asks my dad if he's a magician. Without skipping a beat, he responds, "I'm magic when I'm with her."

Smoooooooooth.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

Gayest thread everrrrr

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

Noah - your dad is a [censored] huge luckbox. And pretty awesome by the sound of it.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

<3 opportunities to brag about my dad.

I guess I kinda win this one. Those that know my old posts and trip reports know about my dad getting sworn in by the Governator, me meeting him, and taking pictures with the Conan sword. And I've met him a bunch of times since then. I'm also fairly sure that my dad writing the budget for the state of california, although geeky, is sweet. Who wants a raissseeeeeeeeeeeeee?!??!?!?

Watching him benchpress 300 pounds as his 50th Bday present to himself was pretty sweet too.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

- My dad has worked 60 hours a week for my whole life. Me and my sister had all the stuff the other kids has because my dad worked like a mule.

- My dad taught himself to speak English. He works in a factory where all of the employees speak Italian who refuse to learn to speak English. My dad said [censored] it, if I'm gonna live here I'm gonna learn to communicate. He started by watching Sesame Street with us, and now he is perfectly fluent (with a thick accent).

- My dad gave me a passion for reading. We didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid, so we would go to the library. It was our time together every Saturday. I still cherish those trips.

- I remember what he told me when I was seven: "Just because you come from a long line of peasants and farmers, it doesn't mean that's where your destiny lies." Most of my friends' parents were the opposite. They would encourage their kids to skip school to pick up some hours at a [censored] part time job. My dad truly wanted better for me, which is something all parents say, but very few actually act on.

- My dad is the only person in my family that thought it was a good idea for me to quit my good paying job to go back to school. His attitude has always been that an education is never a waste of time.

- Robert DeNiro did his best impression of my dad in "A Bronx Tale."

- Nothing brings my dad down. His life has been pretty [censored] (I wouldn't be able to do things he has), but he still smiles all the time. He's happy with what he has, and doesn't begrudge anyone for what they have.

I am 33 years old now, and I just recently started getting close to my dad. For years I tried so hard to be like him, but I realized that I never could, and more importantly, he doesn't want me to. He is proud of the man I've become, and the part he had to play in it.

My dad has never done anything extraordinary, he has never been in the paper, or made a lot of money. What he has done is be a good man, a good husband, and a good father.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

I never saw my dad eat.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

GR,

Lots of respect for the man you describe, especially::

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- My dad taught himself to speak English. He works in a factory where all of the employees speak Italian who refuse to learn to speak English. My dad said [censored] it, if I'm gonna live here I'm gonna learn to communicate. He started by watching Sesame Street with us, and now he is perfectly fluent (with a thick accent).

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- Nothing brings my dad down. His life has been pretty [censored] (I wouldn't be able to do things he has), but he still smiles all the time. He's happy with what he has, and doesn't begrudge anyone for what they have.

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What he has done is be a good man, a good husband, and a good father.

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Sounds like an awesome guy.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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all the other stuff i've seen is all in good fun i guess but i'm just saying i'd be very pissed if someone put a bumper sticker on my car especially if i had a nice car.

didn't mean to rain on everyone's dad parade but if i came in here and was like,

"my dad was awesome because of that one time when we killed that hobo together and didn't tell anyone."

i'm sure someone would say something

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Do you really not see the difference between the two?

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ok how about me and my dad keyed some guy's car? or put shaving cream on it so it ate away at some of the paint?

the difference just vanished.

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I'm gonna drive by your house today and smash your mailbox.

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bring it nath and you can kiss those three teeth goodbye

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Moderator has already been notified of this post.

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lol at a schoolyard scrap breaking out in "why my dad is awesome" thread.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

Well these submissions are destined to be unique:

- Snuck me out of the house after my mother went to bed when I was ~8-10 to take me to nearby bars and play sit-down Pac-Man with him. He was really hooked on that game. I memorized the patterns up until the ninth key though so I was at least as good as he was.

- used to force me to play UNO, Backgammon, Master Mind, and other games with him when I was in the 10-12 age range. He often made me stay up until 2-3AM playing these games with him for his entertainment. Actually, I didn't consider that awesome at the time, but it's kinda funny after the fact. Also, whenever I beat him in UNO, which was often (yeah, Skip-UNO-out bitch!) he would declare a "Giant Game" and we had to play longer OR he would declare it was "an exhibition" and therefore didn't count.

- used to watch the Playboy Channel with me while we played said games. When a money shot was about to happen he would stop play and announce "hold on, cum scene".

- let me smoke cigars on the golf course with him when I was >5 years old. One specific time we played through a group and someone was overheard saying "that's a pretty good golfer for a midget".

- referred to the remote control for the TV as "the utensil". Usually in an authoritative manner, as in "give me the utensil".

- smoked pipe tobacco, mostly Borkum Riff. Very fragrant. He used an actual full-size flowerpot next to where he sat on the couch to empty it out. On more than one occasion he called the nearby grocery store and told them he was sending his son with a note to buy pipe tobacco. They sold it to me every time.

- once blew up a toilet at a hotel with an M-80. While trying to put it back together, he cut himself. Thinking fast, he called the lobby and told them the toilet broke and he got cut in the process...they hooked him up with the Presidential Suite for the rest of the trip.

- once leased a car and drove it around the country. Went way over on miles. Ended up jacking it up in reverse in our garage and backed about 80% of the miles off of it before turning it in. It took him weeks.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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- once leased a car and drove it around the country. Went way over on miles. Ended up jacking it up in reverse in our garage and backed about 80% of the miles off of it before turning it in. It took him weeks.

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I thought this didn't work. That Ferris Bueller is full of [censored] man.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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- used to watch the Playboy Channel with me while we played said games. When a money shot was about to happen he would stop play and announce "hold on, cum scene".

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lol.


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- once leased a car and drove it around the country. Went way over on miles. Ended up jacking it up in reverse in our garage and backed about 80% of the miles off of it before turning it in. It took him weeks.

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ferris bueller told me this doesn't work. why should i believe you?

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- used to watch the Playboy Channel with me while we played said games. When a money shot was about to happen he would stop play and announce "hold on, cum scene".


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Uh what? Actual cum shots on PB? IIRC even spice didn't have that. Are you saying your dad just liked to watch the bad closeup on the guys face as he groans? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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- once leased a car and drove it around the country. Went way over on miles. Ended up jacking it up in reverse in our garage and backed about 80% of the miles off of it before turning it in. It took him weeks


[/ QUOTE ] I dunno man this didn't work in FBDO...

Not ripping on your Dads awesomeness, below is incredibly strong and is a tough one to top

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once blew up a toilet at a hotel with an M-80. While trying to put it back together, he cut himself. Thinking fast, he called the lobby and told them the toilet broke and he got cut in the process...they hooked him up with the Presidential Suite for the rest of the trip.


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edit: arg just read Noah's post (and Rhino's now) -- guess I should read to the end before replying

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

He makes $450/hour

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

Since three respondents brought it up (I thought it was the throwaway comment in my response):

I remember the Ferris Bueller's Day Off bit well (and I feel that movie is overrated, but that's for a different thread), and don't care what he said. The miles came off the car and he ran it basically all day at reverse idle speed and got it back to roughly the allotment. He saved himself a ton of money doing so.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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Since three respondents brought it up:

I remember the Ferris Bueller's Day Off (and I feel that movie is overrated, but that's for a different thread), and don't care what he said. The miles came off the car and he ran it basically all day at reverse idle speed and got it back to roughly the allotment. He saved himself a ton of money doing so.

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FWIW I chose to disbelieve the movie.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

When I was a kid my family used to go on these marathon 1-2 week road trips. He did most of the driving. When he did he was often smoking pot from his pipe while driving with his knees going 100+(km/h) on the highways. Zero fatalities.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

My dad is awesome.

Very smart guy, not an outrageous IQ or anything, but high. He can talk accurately about just about anything (science might be the exception, but even then he's accurate, if not precise). So he's totally geeky (like me) but at the same time a total jock (my uncle told me he had the talent to play pro baseball when he was younger, but decided it wasn't what he wanted to do with his life, apparently). He's got really strong genes, then, because he has 6 kids, from 3 wives, all of whom look like him, and have the same sense of humor. Also we're all geeky/jocky. My older brother lettered in Basketball, Football and Baseball, and was offered scholarships to college for all three. Genes, heh. He's also very Republican, seriously like a real life Denny Crane. Sometimes even I can't tell if he's as right-wing as he says or if he's just making fun of people who think he's that right-wing. I remember asking him why he joined the army during Vietnam (he went to college to become a teacher, and his dad and brother were both farmers, so he coulda stayed out, I think) and he said something like, 'I was the best guy for the job - wasn't gonna let some other poor [censored] get shot up for something I could do.' (how and why he felt that way I haven't quite figured out yet, but he still had the balls to serve when he definitely had other options, and this is something I still don't think I have the balls to do.)

He's been working for the government now since he finished college, not making much money doing it, but truly loving what he does. I remember once, when living in the Philippines and working with the embassy there, there was a guy who kept driving by our house, 2 times or so a day, almost everyday for about a week. The security guard at the house told my dad about it, and my dad told him to let him know if he drove by again (if my dad was home) and got surveillance on the house from the embassy. So, the van is parked outside the house that night, and the marines at the embassy are put on alert. Sure enough, the next day as my dad is leaving for work, the security guard yells out 'Sir, thats him!' pointing to a car that drove past. My dad screeches out of the driveway, coffee cup still on the roof of the car and chases the guy down. The surveillance team follow, and my dad does one of those cool, right out of a movie, overtake and stop infront of the car so the dude couldn't get away-things. He pulls his gun, orders the guy out of the car, does the Groucho march up to him, cuffs him. The marine-security detail turn up a little while later and my dad is sitting on the trunk next to the guy (in cuffs) and says 'Never send a marine detail, when an army man will do'. Turns out the poor bastard's wife was having an affair with a white guy who lived on our street. Lived two houses down from us, and he thought my dad was the guy. He was also friends with the former president of the Philippines and then Vice-president, Joseph Estrada (who was recently pardoned for the crimes he was impeached for - my dad has maintained his innocence the whole way), who came to all his birthday parties and social gatherings, and was always ready to enjoy a good steak, some whisky and a cigar with my pop. It was a strange relationship from the Filipino press' point of view, as 'Uncle Erap', as we called him, as always very anti-American in his politics, but was best friends with a man who was pretty high up in terms of Americans stationed in the country and is a very proud American. Erap always wanted to be godfather to us, but, as my mom was buddhist (and married to a man with conservative blood running through his veins!? no wonder it didn't work) we were never baptized. Anyway, my dad's a badass, I have other stories but think they'll have to wait till he retires.

He's been married 4 times now, and women, you might say, are his one glaring flaw. He never cheated on my mom, I don't think (believe me, if she even suspected it, she would have made SURE me and my siblings knew it), and has great relationships with all of his kids, even though we're all-over the world and don't see him all that often. He's always there to talk to on the phone, or chat with on MSN, sends out weekly emails with things he's found funny during the week. His latest wife is a very good looking woman (objectively speaking, no oedipus complex here, I swear) 15 years his junior and is absolutely and totally in love with him. They just had a little girl who just turned one! (pimp!)

He's always been honest, very loving, and well spoken. He's instilled in all his kids (I think) great moral and ethical values. He's always been a great father, if he wasn't always a great husband. I'm definitely proud to call him 'Dad' and he's showed me what it means to be a man.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

My dad used to get pissed at my bro and I in HS for getting [censored]-faced with groups of friends in our basement. Instead of doing it calmly, he's just walk down wearing nothing but whitey-tighties to declare, in Old Man Ramble, "Ya'll Gotta Git." Ask 'T0ne about it.

Oh, and once he went dove hunting in S GA with work partners, and shot the hunting dog between the eyes. He hasn't lived it down since.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

One of the earliest memories is putting up with my little 5 year old self wanting to heelp him build stuff when I was clearly inept. But man did I have fun and it was probably worth it for both of us.

When I was like 7 he told me he got me a Mike Richter plaque and said it might be even signed. Well he couldnt get is signed but knew I wanted it so bad he did it himself, me being none the wiser for like 7 years until I noticed his first name signature and the one on the plaque were pretty much the same.

He would take me and my cousin on vacations every year and would make sure I was always happy during them, even if it was it his expense. I guess thats something parents normally do but I never realized it until I looked back on it.

He helped move me into school the first year and got me all settled etc. When it was time to depart I had never really seen him that upset, I guess it was the first time in a long time like a felt like he really loved me. I mean I know he did but hes like me and probably has a hard time showing it.

He now supports me while im in college and has taken an interest in poker. He has an account here but only like 10 posts of which I think 5 are me posting on his account. He did make a final table before me, but I dont really play donkaments.

I guess as im older Ive just begun to realize and appreciate that he always looks out for my happiness and well being, which is all one can really ask for in a father.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

He doesn't pay child support.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

My reasons a little different.

My dad isn't my biological Father and he doesn't know that I know, up until I found out I never suspected either, simply because he always has treated me like a Son.

I honestly think it would break his heart if he knew that I knew.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

Friday night was "no-rod-night"

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

These are all awesome. I still think FFK wins, they were all awesome, but the bumper sticker one was classic.

I don't really have any awesome stories. I'm very proud of my father, though I don't think he knows it. He started living on a farm in Greece, and now owns three >million dollar homes on Long Island, two apartments in Athens, and one in Philly, and is a highly respected hypertension specialist in NY; the guy wrote, if not the book, a few chapters on it. So, no great stories, but I am very proud of him and what he's accomplished

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

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My reasons a little different.

My dad isn't my biological Father and he doesn't know that I know, up until I found out I never suspected either, simply because he always has treated me like a Son.

I honestly think it would break his heart if he knew that I knew.

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I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW. NOT LIKE THIS.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

When I was young my mother had brain cancer, and my dad did a great job of taking care of her.. tho musta been horrific cause she never really recovered and slowly wasted away. Right before she died tho, my father (age 49) had a MASSIVE stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to speak the rest of his life, tons of brain damage, just horrific.. He had to spend the next 20 years in assisted living and nursing homes.

But through it all, he loved life, and every day would go around the homes greeting the other residents with a smile and a friendly "dee dee ma ma" (the only words he could ever speak again). At his funeral last year I gave the eulogy. So many people were inspired by how friendly and uplifting he was, in spite of the tragedies and hardships he faced.

So much more.. He was an amazing man. I miss him so...

BB

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

[ QUOTE ]
When I was young my mother had brain cancer, and my dad did a great job of taking care of her.. tho musta been horrific cause she never really recovered and slowly wasted away. Right before she died tho, my father (age 49) had a MASSIVE stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to speak the rest of his life, tons of brain damage, just horrific.. He had to spend the next 20 years in assisted living and nursing homes.

But through it all, he loved life, and every day would go around the homes greeting the other residents with a smile and a friendly "dee dee ma ma" (the only words he could ever speak again). At his funeral last year I gave the eulogy. So many people were inspired by how friendly and uplifting he was, in spite of the tragedies and hardships he faced.

So much more.. He was an amazing man. I miss him so...

BB

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This strikes me as humorous after your post in that thread where the dude hates his parents.

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My reasons a little different.

My dad isn't my biological Father and he doesn't know that I know, up until I found out I never suspected either, simply because he always has treated me like a Son.

I honestly think it would break his heart if he knew that I knew.

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I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW. NOT LIKE THIS.

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A+

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Since three respondents brought it up (I thought it was the throwaway comment in my response):

I remember the Ferris Bueller's Day Off bit well (and I feel that movie is overrated, but that's for a different thread), and don't care what he said. The miles came off the car and he ran it basically all day at reverse idle speed and got it back to roughly the allotment. He saved himself a ton of money doing so.

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Sawdust?

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

OH MY GOD, tuq, now I totally, completely, understand. Everything.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

After a year of university, I was pretty sure I was going to temporarily drop out, and wasn't too sure how I was going to tell my parents. I told my dad first since hes less uptight than my mom, and he told me he had spent the whole year I was gone convincing my mom to let me drop out.

My dad seems to know something about everything, and whenever I'd ask him how he knew obscure things like the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow, he'd reply "Well, you have to know these things when you're a dad you know"

Hes always treated me like an adult, and never really told me what to do, hes always given me advice and guidance, but allowed me to make all my own decisions.

When my mom was laid off from a job she didn't like, he responded with "congratulations"

He is better at looking at things from other peoples perspectives than virtually anyone.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

I was 8 years old and in my first real fight. I was defending my little brother, but I don't remember the details of why I was defending him. The kid I was scrapping with was a year older than me, and he was fat. Probably had 30lbs on me. The fight was going down on the porch of the apartment building across the street from our duplex. All the neighborhood kids were railing the fight and cheering it on. At one point, I was pretty freaked out because I felt the air being squished outta me. I think he was basically laying on my, compressing my chest. With my young life flashing before my eyes, I knew I had to make something happen here. I don't know how I got him off of me, but I did, and I ended up locking him up in a pretty awesome scissor-choke with my legs. I'm pretty sure he was about to tap - when my dad crossed the street, stopped the fight, and got me and my brother. As we crossed the street, I felt like I was walking the Green Mile. I was pretty sure I was in for some serious punishment.

To my surprise, my dad looked down at me, smiled, and gave me a high-five. I'll never forget the surprise, pride and relief that I felt at that moment.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

My dad worked 90 hours weeks for most of his life as an owner of a corner grocery store/deli, and then later lowered it to "only" 70 hours a week. When he retired, but my mom continued working as an owner of a cleaners/alterations, my dad was with my mom all the time. I never heard him complain about hours. Never about how life was unfair, even when he got held up 3 times and shot at once. Never when his liver started going bad, and never during his last days when all I can think was he worked all his life, and could only enjoy a year and a half in retirement.

Work hard, play hard was his motto. I try to live by it everyday.

Re: Examples of why your dad is/was awesome
 

When my dad was in high school he used to ditch school to go to the library.

When he was in the Army in Germany in 1967 he volunteered to got to Vietnam to prove to himself that he could do it. He was awarded a Bronze Star for preventing a friendly fire attack, almost certainly saved someone(s) life.

He worked as a coal miner, which was a great job in southern Illinois, back in the late 70s and early 80s until the mines started to get shut down and he got laid off. I remember him taking care of me and my 2 brothers while mom went to work as a music teacher. He passed the exams to get his insurance and series 7 (I believe) license so that he could apply for a position in my hometown as a stock broker. I can still clearly remember when he came home with a brand new 1984 Oldsmobile 98. At one point he was working 60-80 hours a week to build his book of customers.

He taught me how to work on cars, operate machinery, cool stuff like that.

It's funny when I think about it that when I tell him a big pot I won or a big loss at poker (microstakes) he says he wouldn't have the stomach to take those kinds of risks.

If I had half of his ambition and willingness to take risks I'd probably be 10x more successful than I am now.