fathers day

It is a day to remember dear dad.  He has been gone for about 20+ years...and I think of him often.  He had an acerbic sense of humor appreciated by most.  He was a good time guy..always looking for fun and adventure.  My mother just mentioned one of his life philosophies...you can judge how good of a time you had the night before by how dirty your glasses are.
He taught the art of library conference attendance.  You simply stick your head in the door..listen to a couple of sentences and quickly head to the nearest bar.  Maybe that's why I followed his footsteps...
He went with the flow.  When he brought his kids up to New York to see the tall ships for the bicentennial, they never seemed to find the location as to where they were stationed.  Answer: step into a bar and watch on TV.
I do remember some scary moments with his party habits. We used to go to my aunt's for dinner and drinks-she lived on top of a winding mountain road. Which was not scary going up. It was a little terrifying at the end of the evening after a half bottle of scotch.
We spent our vacations on Okracoke Island, where we spent most hours  beaching it and watching my parents have cocktails.  We travelled in a volkswagon bug-all six of us and the dog and cat.  It looked like a circus car when we stopped for gas.
I do admire his professional accolades.  He was very successful in public libraries and served as president of the New Jersey Library Association (another fond memory of a library conference).  He instilled the concept of how important it is to stay in touch with your public even as a director.  He worked on the information desk a couple of times a month just to be in touch with the meat and potatoes of his business.
I do miss him. And wish my kids could have met him.  I would toast him with a scotch and soda, but my my drink of choice....