Happy 60th Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday, dad! Have another mega-Pina Colada on me!


Hope you're able to get some rest today... you shouldn't work too hard on your birthday. Wait... the above picture wasn't taken on your birthday. but it was taken several years ago as you can see the darker hair on the side of the head... :)

Here are some things you may not know about my dad... I don't know if I can come up with 60 things - I mean, sheesh, 60 - but we'll see what we can come up with... in no particular order:

1. My dad was in the navy for a little while
2. He was medically discharged for sleep-walking
3. They were afraid he'd fall off the boat (I've never seen him sleep walk... hmmm)
4. My dad used to have an afro. Obviously I don't have a picture of that one.
5. He also had a bright red leisure suit thing
6. And green and yellow plaid pants - the 70's ugh
7. He was born in Pennsylvania
8. He speaks some Polish
9. His grandparents were Polish immigrants, as were his parents (cause they came with his grandparents.
10. He was a radio announcer for over 30 years
11. His radio name is Ron Donovan
12. You can call my house in FL and ask for John, Jack, or Ron and be asking for my dad
13. When I was in high school, he bought a big truck. A big F150. It was a mid-life crisis thing.
14. Also when I was in High school, he dressed up as the Pink Panther (the mascot was a panther) and marched along with us in the band. This was a surprise to me. My dad, AKA the Pink Panther. Sigh...
15. I don't think my dad missed one of my marching band gigs.
16. I threw my dad a surprise party for his 40th birthday. That was 20 years ago.
17. My dad worked at Curtis Mathis
18. He was assistant manager at JByrons
19. A few years ago, he was St Lucie County non-Instructional Employee of the year.
20. He was a site maintenance foreman at an elementary school when he won the above.
21. Now he is a plumber in the county school system.
22. A plumber... our toilets at home never really flush well.
23. My dad's a plumber...
24. When I was in the 6th grade, he drove a red renault station wagon.
25. In the red wagon, he was in a horrible car accident - a semi ran a red light and broadsided him on the driver's side.
26. That was before seatbelt laws. if he had been wearing his seatbelt, he would have been killed.
27. After the red wagon, he drove a gold wagon. I got to drive that in high school - the Gallick's gold grocery getter.
28. Way back in the day he drove one of those long, blue station wagons with the wood paneling on the side... oi.
29. My dad is afraid of heights. Guess I know where I get that from.
30. On a family vacation, he took us to the light house in St Augustine

HALF WAY THERE! (Do you remember being 30??)

31. At the above-mentioned lighthouse, he MADE us climb to the top.
32. Then, he wouldn't come outside because he was afraid.
33. I don't think he knows my brother and I conspired to throw him over the side.
34. My dad taught me how to talk properly into a microphone - he was a radio announcer
35. When I was a baby and my kidney problem flared up, he would call his friends at the Pennsylvania Highway Patrol and they would give him safe passage to my hospital in New York
36. Apparently he drove fast.
37. Not only does he speak some Polish, he can understand it too.
38. My dad is an only child.
39. Sometimes my dad acts like an only child. :)
40. Sometimes it's really obvious my dad is an only child.

Only 20 more to go...

41. My dad hated when I went to college
42. I mean he missed me
43. But I lived on the third floor with no elevator... and I had A LOT of stuff.
44. My dad rented a u-haul to get all my stuff home from college.
45. He had his gall bladder removed before they had the small incision surgery.
46. He has high blood pressure
47. He golfs. I think that's supposed to help with the pressure. I think it just makes it higher.
48. He used to get soooooo mad when we would eat HIS pistachios
49. He also used to get mad when we ate his Tasty-Cake Cup Cakes.
50. REALLY MAD...
51. He loved our first dog, Chrissy, much more than he ever let on.
52. He brought home a hurricane-displaced kitten 18 months ago. A cat... sigh. Chrissy turned over in her grave.
53. He talked mom into paying for all of my computer instead of just half
54. He puts fun things into packages my parents send me.
55. He loves his daughter-in-law, Angela
56. And he loves his grandchildren Chandler and Casey
57. And he loves his wife, my mom
58. And he loves his third born, my bratty sister Jean
59. And he loves his second born, my bratty brother John
60. And he loves me, his first-born, the best!

I did it! I don't know if many of you made it this far, but anyways - happy birthday, dad! I love and miss you very much!