Happy Birthday Dad!
My dad would have been 82 years old today. That's really an odd thing for me when I'm not yet 40, heck, that's not even around the corner but within 5 years. ;)
My dad, in his later years wasn't necessarily very social. And I do have some pretty good memories so it's about time I put them down before those memories are gone.
My dad was quite athletic and surprisingly, sentimental. He had a particular interest in bicycles, at least with me. From a push bike, tricycle, bicycle then 10-speed, he never hesistated to get me on some sort of cycle.
He surprised me when he came home from work with my first 2 wheeler; did he know that (at that time) my favorite colors were purple and orange? I couldn't have imagined a purple and orange bike, but that's what he brought home for me. He spent maybe a weekend or two teaching me how to ride and balance. When I finally got it, he would help me accessorize it with a bell/horn, spokes-noise-makers, and even tassels for the handle bars.
When I hit 7th grade, I thought I had to work up the courage to ask him for a 10-speed. No sooner did I ask him, we were shopping around and learning about makes and models of 10-speeds. It didn't take much to convince him to bring one home. Of course, he rode it whenever I didn't. :) I know he rode it often, but I often rode it for long hauls. Many Saturdays I would ride along the beach from Santa Monica to the Redondo Beach pier and back. Most certainly, something I miss from living in that area.
Then that one 8th grade afternoon as I was riding home from school, not only do I get hit by a car, but I'm also dragged through an intersection while on my bike and under the car! From that moment on, my dad became bicycle-quiet to my mom's ranting of being against any vehicle that isn't a car.
My dad held on to that darn bike, flattened handlebars and all. Hung it in his garage. It was an odd practice he made for whenever I did bring a boyfriend home, he'd take them to the garage and show them the bike. He would tell them of my accident if they didn't know already. One of the few peculiarities of my dad I still haven't figured out, but the fact that he held on to it as-is tells me how he can be sentimental about certain things.
My dad, in his later years wasn't necessarily very social. And I do have some pretty good memories so it's about time I put them down before those memories are gone.
My dad was quite athletic and surprisingly, sentimental. He had a particular interest in bicycles, at least with me. From a push bike, tricycle, bicycle then 10-speed, he never hesistated to get me on some sort of cycle.
He surprised me when he came home from work with my first 2 wheeler; did he know that (at that time) my favorite colors were purple and orange? I couldn't have imagined a purple and orange bike, but that's what he brought home for me. He spent maybe a weekend or two teaching me how to ride and balance. When I finally got it, he would help me accessorize it with a bell/horn, spokes-noise-makers, and even tassels for the handle bars.
When I hit 7th grade, I thought I had to work up the courage to ask him for a 10-speed. No sooner did I ask him, we were shopping around and learning about makes and models of 10-speeds. It didn't take much to convince him to bring one home. Of course, he rode it whenever I didn't. :) I know he rode it often, but I often rode it for long hauls. Many Saturdays I would ride along the beach from Santa Monica to the Redondo Beach pier and back. Most certainly, something I miss from living in that area.
Then that one 8th grade afternoon as I was riding home from school, not only do I get hit by a car, but I'm also dragged through an intersection while on my bike and under the car! From that moment on, my dad became bicycle-quiet to my mom's ranting of being against any vehicle that isn't a car.
My dad held on to that darn bike, flattened handlebars and all. Hung it in his garage. It was an odd practice he made for whenever I did bring a boyfriend home, he'd take them to the garage and show them the bike. He would tell them of my accident if they didn't know already. One of the few peculiarities of my dad I still haven't figured out, but the fact that he held on to it as-is tells me how he can be sentimental about certain things.