Dad, Remember When...

...when I was about 8 you bought us a computer....a TRS-80 Model 1, one of the first 'personal' computers you could buy for your home....it was on that that taught myself to program (and never stopped programming).

...you took us for day trips on weekends...on the D.C. Metro to the Air and Space Museum...hikes and bike rides...train museums...and many many more.

...year after year you took all 5 of us kids and Grammy to the annual Vitro picnic at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds....a good time was always had by all.

.. I was home on break from college and had just gotten my wisdom teeth pulled....you took me out to dinner for some stew and molasses bread at the Olney Ale House...I could barely eat the stew because of the holes in my mouth...but it was the first time I ever had stew and really liked it.

...when we were both working in Northern Virginia you took me to lunch for my birthday at Carlyle's Grand Cafe.

...once when we went out on your sailboat, it was so gusty...we had to lean off the side of the boat...I was a little scared and exhilerated at the same time.

...you introduced me to California Pizza Kitchen...barbeque chicken pizza and barbeque chicken chopped salad...still one of my favorite restaurants.

...on cold winter mornings you often took us ice skating at the Wheaton ice rink.

...you took us to see the 4th of July Fireworks in Washington D.C.  We sat on the lawn near the Washington Monument and feared for our safety as bottles and cans frequently went flying overhead.  Other years you took us to Columbia to watch the fireworks near the lake.

...when I was about 17, I was somewhere helping you with your sailboat...you gave me your car keys to drive to the store...I don't remember what I went to the store for.... I don't remember whether we were getting the boat ready for the winter or reviving it in the spring...I was just so happy that you trusted me to drive your car.

...when I graduated from College, you bought me a suit...I still have the suit....it is the only suit I have worn since and it is stil the only suit I own.

...when I was in my early to mid 20s...we went jogging together after work along the canal...after jogging we went to a local restaurant and you bought us a pizza for dinner...we just hung out in the parking lot and ate and talked and took in the beautiful weather.

...we used to have a barbeque every Father's Day on your deck...we would have hamburgers and hotdogs and play in the yard...we would also often play tennis across the street with your almost-antique wooden tennis rackets.

...once when I visited your house (I don't remember why)...you asked if I wanted to stay for dinner and made hamburgers with fresh onions from your garden...it was one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten.

...I was in my late teens or early twenties you sat me down and talked about mutual funds and the importance of saving money for my future.

...in fall 1997 you helped me install new brakes on my pickup trunk and when we could not finish the same day, you let me borrow your car so that I didn't have to break my date with Andrea, the woman who I would later marry.

...you and Grammy and I drove to upstate New York (or was it Vermont?) to visit Uncle Herb and Aunt Ruth....  they had a train set that wasn't fully working so we went to the store and bought some more tracks to get the train working again.

...when I was about 12 years old, you took me to White Flint mall where I had a bagel with cream cheese for the first time...and we went to see the movie Wargames...still one of my all time favorite movies.

...when picking us up for weekend visits you were usually driving the Toyota Celica or black and white Vega that resembled a skunk...I still recall enjoying the music we would to... cassette tapes of Foreigner, Fleetwood Mac, and America.

...we ran lots of Rockville 10K, Pikes Peek, and Rockville Twilight Runfest races together...and sometimes went jogging together on Sunday mornings.

...for high school graduation gifts, you gave me an Eddie Bauer briefcase bag and a Sony Dream Machine alarm clock...I still have and use both of them to this day...I take the Eddie Bauer bag to work every day.

...you helped me shovel the 18 or so inches of snow from my driveway the day after Elyssa was born.

...you were always there to lend a helping hand...moving to a new house...helping me fixing my garage doors...helping me install new cabinets and appliances in my kitchen...and the list goes on...

Dad, I can never repay these gifts you have given me.  Hopefully I can follow in your footsteps by passing these same gifts on to my children and making similar memories with them.

Thank You