Saturday, February 7, 2009

Happy Birthday!

Born on February 7, 1951, he was a precocious kid. My grandmother had film of the before and after of him chasing the chickens and getting spanked for it. She showed that to her grandson with extreme glee.

He graduated from Sunnyside Senior High Shool in 1969. He went to YVCC. I recall a story he told about how he and several other malcontents took the college newspaper and changed the headline: "No Butt Flicking On Campus" (about cigarettes) into something much more...shall we say, x-rated. I also recall a trophy he won for being the fastest driver through town in legal way...although I suspect legal may have been a stretch...and I think some of the details may have slipped his mind...


In 1972, he was married. In 1974, he helped produce nothing less than a miracle: Me. About five years later he helped create someting a little less wonderful (at least to me at the time): my sister (love ya, sis!). Since then, he has worked, cooked, cleaned, and suffered through physical malodies like the best of them. Yet, he has remained steadfast and stubborn.

It is from him that I learned to appreciate ships with big guns. He stirred in me the interrest in aircraft. He made me slightly interested in trains, even (don't tell him). He is none other than my father.

Happy Birthday, Dad!! I hope it was a good one! I am sorry I did not get the chance to spend it with you, but I hope last weekend was a weak second. I don't call anyone else MY DAD.

Here is Cora and my dad on the hangar deck of the USS Kitty Hawk on the day of her decommissioning.



Here is how his grandkids see him...as we call himon occasion, Grandpa Camera-Face.


Without him, the world would be missing a very crucial thing...me!


Oh, yeah. And these would not be a part of the family, either...

Good Job Dad! Happy Birthday!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You try to think these things through thoroughly, is she tired, should I massage her back, would it matter? After all, we're still celebrating our 1st anniversary, 6/30/1973. Whatever else transpired on the cool spring night. Nine months to the day later on 3/30/74. God saw fit to place into the nervous care of two young people, the most beautiful baby boy born in that Century! This space would have to be 100 X larger to extoll the briefest of summaries
This kid of mine! I'm so Proud to have been one the parents that raised him to adulthood! I love you Son!

Jimh. said...

It was supposed to be bout you, Dad!

Kim said...

Happy Birthday Dad...
Love the photos..

Lorrene said...

Happy Birthday, Jim's Dad. Thank you for the "miracle child". We don't know what we would do without him!! I think Cora is especially thankful.LOL
Anyway "Happy Birthday"

frogglet said...

Happy Birthday Dad.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday dad! I like the picture of you with Cora, it's really good!!!

Jim you got the miracle thing in the wrong order. You were just the trial run, I was the Finale. haha

btw I've got espressos again!!!! YEAH!

Anonymous said...

Wow...gotta say, the picture of your Dad brought back memories of a school bus driver who, when told my name, came up with the nickname that stuck for a lifetime: Terra pieca paper in half!