Five on Friday: Dad Edition

Today marks 4 years since my dad passed away. Last year I talked about what that horrible day was like. This year, and hopefully for all the years to come, I want to remember the good things about my dad. The happy times. He was a fun guy who made everyone around him laugh, even if you didn't want too. He was a straight shooter too. So, my 5 things today are going to be about my dad. Stories, things he did, whatever. All happy stuff!

1. The man LOVED Pizza King. Every Sunday, and when I say every I mean no less than 3/4 of the Sundays in a year, he ordered Pizza King. It didn't matter if the rest of the family wanted it, he ordered it. If we didn't want it, that was okay. He would order a pizza for himself. We ordered it so often for a couple years that they knew my mom's voice, my dad's voice, our phone number and where we lived. They didn't ask for the address anymore. It gets better though. They sent us a CHRISTMAS CARD which included a free pizza. The Alexandria Pizza King was his favorite. There are some all over Indiana, owned by different people. No one can make a pizza quite like ours though.

2. He also loved Thirsty Thursday. From the time I was a little girl all the way up to right before he passed away, I always knew Thursday was his night. His night to relax, hang out with his friends and have a few drinks. When I was really little he bowled. After he hurt his shoulder, him and a few guys just started hanging out at his office and I think they played Craps. The all even had special John Deere cups (one guy worked for a John Deere dealer) with their names and their "Titles" on them. After the office moved and we built the barn, Thirsty Thursday moved out there. I loved it. When I was home on breaks or during the summer, I joined. I LOVED hanging out with my dad and his friends. I don't know why, but I just did. It was only fitting that his funeral was on a Thursday. You better believe we all gathered at the barn after and had a few drinks.

3. One of the funniest things my dad ever did happened on the way to a baseball game. We were in the middle of some little Podunk town that we had never been too trying to find the ball diamonds. We were at a stoplight and the 4 of us were just minding our own business. Then all of a sudden my dad rolls down my mom's window and starts talking to this old lady. She asked where the farmer's market was. My dad, without missing a beat and as serious as could be, told her to turn right at the next light and then it would be a few blocks down. It happened so fast we didn't know what to do. I'm pretty sure my mom's jaw, along with mine and my brother's, was resting on the floor of the car. And I shit you not, I think my mom and I got lost of the way to a dr appointment a couple weeks later.

4. He wore 2 types of shirts, and 2 types only. T-shirts and Tommy Hilfiger polos. He wore striped Tommy polos for a while, then when the guy that worked for him started wearing stripes, my mom and I were ordered to only buy solid ones from then on. He had probably 25 polos hanging in his closet. My mom and I tried to get him to branch out and I bought him a button down Tommy shirt for Christmas one year that we thought he would look great in. I gave it too him since I thought being a "daddy's girl" might help me win the battle a little bit. He opened it, and without even holding it up or taking it out of the box, gave me a side eye and said something like "you're not serious." I admitted that I knew it was a long shot and that I would take it back. He said "Sorry but you know better" And he was right. In the fall he would wear a pullover. One of those windbreaker, golf looking things. Those were his favorite.

5. He did things BIG and on a whim. I will never forget a softball tournament I had in July one year. It was hot. as. balls.  As most tournaments were. This one was apparently too much for the guy to handle. We got in the car during a break and he said "We're going to Watsons" (it was a place to buy fun shit... pools, playsets, pool tables, game room stuff) 2 hours later, there was a date and time scheduled for a pool to be delivered and installed at our house. One year for Christmas when my brother and I went shopping with him for my mom, he was planning on buying her a pair of earrings. He went to Kay while Drew and I went to find her an outfit and some other things. We met back up outside Kay and he held up the bag and said "I bought 2 pair" He bought a big set and then a set with a smaller diamond. I looked at him so confused and told him she didn't have her ears pierced twice. He basically told me tough shit, she's going to get them done. He couldn't wait the 7 days we had until Christmas and gave them too her that night. He was SOOOO proud of himself.
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