Dad's Birthday
It's only fitting that Dad's 77th birthday would fall on Superbowl Sunday.
I happened to be in New Orleans and spent some time at the cemetary talking to Dad and Mom. It doesn't seem possible that he has been gone for 4 years.
What do I remember about Dad.
I can remember that he would wake up very early in the morning. Sometimes 3am and would walk down the stairs. He would be in his polyester dress slacks and tank top undershirt. He would sit in the kitchen on a stool and he would smoke a cigarette. He was rarely without his cigarette and a cup of coffee, with cream and sugar. He would sit there and think. He would come up with business ideas or simply read the paper. He was always thinking about how to make money. He would stay there until someone woke up and kept him company.
Dad loved Mom unconditionally. There was never a time that he I ever heard him say anything bad about Mom. He would do some things that would make her so mad that sometimes I thought she could leave him. But even during those times, he loved her beyond comprehension. Dad could never have survived without Mom.
Dad loved us Kids more than anything, except Mom. He would always do anything or give anything to make us happy. He was always there when we needed him. He was an example of a simple human being with his own demons, but he never let us kids know about them.
Dad loved to eat. He loved to have barbques and crawfish boils. He loved to have cookouts. I remember one time when he got an idea from some friends about burying a roast in coals and cooking it. He got up at about 3am and dug a hole in the backyard. He started burning wood in the hole until he got some really hot coles. He had about a 30 pound roast that was trimmed and wrapped in foil. He put the roast in the coals and then filled the hole back up with dirt. About 3 hours later he dug it up and trimmed all of the dirt off of it... It was one of the best pieces of meat we ever had.
He also loved to cook pigs on a spit, cou sean du let. We did that at least 5 times and were never disappointed.
I remember Dad's riding lawn mower. Dad loved to be outside and he would cut the grass about 3 times a week. He would get on his riding lawn mower and he had a cup holder mounted to it. He would put a can of beer in the holder and would cut the grass wearing his pastel blue old man shorts, dark socks and dress shoes with no shirt. He would work outside all day.
Dad was comical in alot of ways but as a Pool player he was dead serious. He had nerves of absolute steel when the cheese was on the line. Dad would play the same for 5000.00 as he would for 5.00. He wasn't the absolute best pool player bt all around he had the respect of anyone in the city who knew anything about playing pool for money. In a legendary place like New Orleans, that's saying something.
I talk to Mom and Dad every day. I wish they were here with me....sometimes it would be nice to have thier support. But I know that if heaven exists. Dad and Mom are there. They are happy because they are together. That's the way it was meant to be.
I happened to be in New Orleans and spent some time at the cemetary talking to Dad and Mom. It doesn't seem possible that he has been gone for 4 years.
What do I remember about Dad.
I can remember that he would wake up very early in the morning. Sometimes 3am and would walk down the stairs. He would be in his polyester dress slacks and tank top undershirt. He would sit in the kitchen on a stool and he would smoke a cigarette. He was rarely without his cigarette and a cup of coffee, with cream and sugar. He would sit there and think. He would come up with business ideas or simply read the paper. He was always thinking about how to make money. He would stay there until someone woke up and kept him company.
Dad loved Mom unconditionally. There was never a time that he I ever heard him say anything bad about Mom. He would do some things that would make her so mad that sometimes I thought she could leave him. But even during those times, he loved her beyond comprehension. Dad could never have survived without Mom.
Dad loved us Kids more than anything, except Mom. He would always do anything or give anything to make us happy. He was always there when we needed him. He was an example of a simple human being with his own demons, but he never let us kids know about them.
Dad loved to eat. He loved to have barbques and crawfish boils. He loved to have cookouts. I remember one time when he got an idea from some friends about burying a roast in coals and cooking it. He got up at about 3am and dug a hole in the backyard. He started burning wood in the hole until he got some really hot coles. He had about a 30 pound roast that was trimmed and wrapped in foil. He put the roast in the coals and then filled the hole back up with dirt. About 3 hours later he dug it up and trimmed all of the dirt off of it... It was one of the best pieces of meat we ever had.
He also loved to cook pigs on a spit, cou sean du let. We did that at least 5 times and were never disappointed.
I remember Dad's riding lawn mower. Dad loved to be outside and he would cut the grass about 3 times a week. He would get on his riding lawn mower and he had a cup holder mounted to it. He would put a can of beer in the holder and would cut the grass wearing his pastel blue old man shorts, dark socks and dress shoes with no shirt. He would work outside all day.
Dad was comical in alot of ways but as a Pool player he was dead serious. He had nerves of absolute steel when the cheese was on the line. Dad would play the same for 5000.00 as he would for 5.00. He wasn't the absolute best pool player bt all around he had the respect of anyone in the city who knew anything about playing pool for money. In a legendary place like New Orleans, that's saying something.
I talk to Mom and Dad every day. I wish they were here with me....sometimes it would be nice to have thier support. But I know that if heaven exists. Dad and Mom are there. They are happy because they are together. That's the way it was meant to be.
posted by Tim at 8:26 AM
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