Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels

When I was 18 years old, my dad had my car stolen to teach me a lesson. Well, maybe not stolen but he arranged to have it taken to a buddy's automotive shop just when I needed it to drive 4 hours to pick up a boy.

Even though I was living on my own, my dad decided he knew what was best for me and thought he could keep me out of trouble. Yeah, I didn't have a car. But one of my friends did and we made that 4 hour drive and we picked up that boy....and got ourselves into a whole mess of trouble!


My dad has always been doing stuff like this to me "in my best interests". He really thought he was doing me a favor by taking my car. Or telling my friends I wasn't home when they called. Or greeting my dates in his pajamas.


Growing up with my dad was an interesting experience. I was the youngest of three daughters and a shocking surprise to my parents. My dad was nearly 38 when I was born - he already HAD one teenage daughter and another daughter just starting school. I'm pretty sure my parents thought they were done with babies. Actually, I KNOW they thought were since my mom found out she was pregnant at a pre-op appointment for tubal ligation. How's THAT for a surprise? By the time I came around, my parents were tired with a capital "T". My oldest sister was in high school and my other sister was barely 5. The last thing they needed was a baby.

My dad was an "over the road" truck driver, meaning that he went out of state and usually wasn't home every night. I don't remember alot about my early years (duh - I was a BABY) but I do remember my dad's deep and gruff voice. And of course over the years of my childhood, I remember getting lots of interesting advice and hearing sayings that still stupify me today!

My dad is now 72 and has Alzheimer's. I've gone from being terrified of him to being terrified FOR him. He is my hero and the man I look up to more than anyone else. I want to memorialize him in words for all the funny, sweet, sad, and sometimes irritating and mean things he's said and done during my life. My dad is not perfect but he is an original - he's always had a piece of advice for me and even today ends our phone calls with his words of wisdom. That's why I created this blog - to remember the words I could never forget.