Hats

23 August 2025: My dad turned 79 today. When I saw him earlier this week, I gave him his birthday gifts, which included this hat.

I had my eyes on it for him for a couple of years, but finally decided this was the year. First, it's just cool looking...subtle and fun. And I love the idea of stuff that positions him as a dad and not just a grandfather (well, an opa, technically). 

He seems to like it, too, and mentioned I had given him a dad hat before--when I was really little. I didn't remember that, sure enough, last night he sent me photo evidence (including pictures of two other hats I've given him over the years).

When I talked to him today, I said, "Well, you know I've always loved a baseball hat" and he laughed.

Like his new hat says, he's just a cool dad. 

Family visit

20 August 2025: Got to spend some time today with my parents, Erin, Krista, and Isla. We celebrated my dad's 79th birthday a few days early, too.

Christmas: Part 2

29 December 2024: Hosted Erin and company, Tara and the boys, and my parents today for Christmas: Part 2. Pretty great time!

(this last one taken--obviously--shortly after everyone left)

Father's Day 2024

16 June 2024: A really lovely Sunday here. This morning, I picked Betty up and we drove to Rockville to meet Tim. Then we metroed in to DC to have lunch and see a production of Metamorphoses at the Folger (where I hadn't been before). 

Then home by 6:00 or so to call my dad, who seemed to be having a very nice Father's Day. That on its own would have been enough to make my day great. He's just such a good dude, perfectly happy to spend his day doing some weeding, hearing from his kids, and grilling some burgers for dinner.  

77!

23 August 2023: Today is my dear dad's 77th birthday, so he's been on my mind more than usual today. We had a nice phone conversation earlier, which made me smile and feel profoundly grateful for him. 

Later this evening, when I found myself with a burst of initiative to get some more writing done, this song came on and I found myself belting it out. And it's not a bad song for thinking about my dad. 

"The one they pick's the one you'll know by..."

18 June 2023: Sitting here and thinking about my dad and about this song, which I can remember hearing him sing along to when I was a kid (badly, but that made it all the more charming).

When I called home today to wish my dad a happy Father's Day, I got around to telling him about my Assistant Dean position being eliminated. It shouldn't surprise me at all that he was wonderful about it. He said all the right things, including something I didn't realize I wanted to hear from him so much: that he thinks it's great that I am comfortable and happy enough professionally to not really want to be anything more than a professor. I told him how glad I was to hear him say it; it feels so good to be seen by him--and valued, loved, accepted. There isn't much more you can ask for from a parent. 

76!

22 March 2023: Happy to celebrate my mother's 76th birthday with her and my dad this evening.

Christmas, part two...

14 January 2023: My parents are in town and came by this afternoon. We finally exchanged gifts, which was nice. (They were, as always, too generous.) They also got to meet Jo, who was quite charming. We got Chinese take-out and had a nice visit. Grateful to see them and so grateful that they are okay post-COVID. 

Good news from Rocky Point...

27 December 2022: Glad to hear (directly from them) that my parents both seem to be improving, though my dad is still a couple of days behind my mom. I was worried; the unknown is so scary with this unpredictable virus. But I feel like we can breath a bit easier now. 

Thanksgiving 2022

24 November 2022:

Quarantine pop-over...

23 August 2022: My parents are in the area this week and Erin and the girls drove out to have lunch with them today for my dad's birthday. Of course, I couldn't join them, but they all swung by after so we could exchange gifts (my gift for my dad, "Annie and Sugie's" birthday gift for me) and they could drop off a take-out dinner. I stood on the porch in my mask and my parents stood in the driveway, with Erin and the girls on the lawn by the sidewalk. It was nice to see them because (already!) I am feeling a bit lonely. "Over three more days to go?" I said to myself not too long ago?

Of course, I am not alone completely. Had a good phone conversation with Vogel, texts from friends, and Wes is always here. (BabyCat also lives here.)

Speaking of BabyCat, this gift (again, "from" Annie and Sugie) is a custom-made depiction of my reticent little queen. It's a reclaimed slate from a barn in Beverly, MA (where Lucy Larcom is from!).

Father's Day

19 June 2022: Happy Father's Day to this guy, who insisted on buying dinner today but at least let me buy him some coffee ice cream. (Black raspberry for me. My mom declined the offer.)

"Go easy on 'em..."

26 February 2022: The post's title comes from my dad's advice as I work my way through this semester's ENGL 204 midterms. Interestingly, I've been thinking about a way to go a bit easier on them, giving an opportunity for them to earn back some points. It's rough out there and I think more than a few of them just panicked. So we'll see how this goes.

75!

14 August 2021:

[Catch-up post]

Celebrated 75 years of my favorite guy yesterday.

Regal Points and Father's Day

20 June 2021: In addition to the physical gifts I sent him, I was delighted to share a story of determined frugality and triumph with my dad for Father's Day. It involved how I emailed Regal Cinemas' customer service (more than once) to get credit for a bunch of points they hadn't given me--and it worked. He was proud and shared with me his own little financial victories. 

Chip/block. Apple/tree. And proud of it. 

Remember this...

26 October 2019: I want to remember this. My dad, to me, when I finally told him that things have been hard lately: "Well, you've got my vote."

Father's Day...

18 June 2017: "I'm just sitting here with Sug, reading the paper." --my dad's update on his afternoon.

Happy Father's Day to my dad, a pretty great guy who absolutely deserves to spend some time in the AC, reading and hanging out with the dog. In some of the best ways, he's a simple guy and I'd like to think that I inherited a few of those traits. (You know, organized and a bit fastidious, more introspective than not, careful with my money, having my stuff arranged just so, fond of reading and black raspberry ice-cream and running errands for the satisfaction of getting them off the list of things to do...and some other stuff, too.)

As I check in on Facebook today, I see lots of people posting tributes to their dads and their children's fathers. But I also see a couple of friends posting on this first Father's Day without their dads. I know how lucky I am to still have mine and to get to hear his quiet little updates about his day.

Thanksgiving...

24 November 2016: These people...the "good thing(s)" for the day, of course.

Tara and I.

Tara and Jeff.

My dad and I, taken by Colin, who has some things to learn about photo composition.

My mom and Colin. He looks good here, but she's looking away, so we took another one...

...and he looks (intentionally) psychotic. Sigh.

This guy, our dear Wolfie, turned 18 in September, so he gets a seat at the table and some turkey.

Lots of karaoke...

This guy...

23 August 2016: So this guy is 70 years old today. This picture is a bit old (from 2008), but it's one of my favorite ones of him.

Trivia with the parents

28 April 2016: Trivia was on Thursday this week (it's usually on Tuesday). My parents were in town and they joined us. And we won. Awesome. The best part, though, was that my dad knew (who knows how?) the name of Jane Fonda's first exercise video: Work Out. Ha!