dads

How do you write something to say at your dad's memorial without crying? Not that I have anything against crying, but when I cry, people can't understand a word I am trying to say. There is also the crying that happens as you do the actual writing. I've given myself lots of time though, unlike my usual style, to procrastinate at EVERYTHING else in my life that could be construed as "paperwork". (Anyone who knows me should be at least chuckling by now). I can say with a straight face though, that I got this trait from my dad. The procrastination, not the crying.

He would stay up really late before a project was done. We wouldn't see him for days. He would only surface from his office in the basement to eat and then head right back down. I remember hearing him plunking away on his typewriter (yes, typewriter, you read right) and then racing over to his typist in the family car to get the final draft retyped. He had been a male secretary in a former life. 90 words a minute. That's not an inheritable trait though, domage.  That was his hard work. We never managed to convince him to switch to a word processor before he retired. Maybe he thought it would slow him down.

Another thing he taught me other than procrastination was to love hockey. It was the Montreal Canadiens at that time. Family and friends fondly remember one of his favorite hockey "screams"... "Shit, Schutt.... SHOOT!" (oh yeah, I guess that's how I learned to swear too) Two younger brothers and a hockey crazy dad (and mom), so I just had to learn, otherwise there was no TV for 4 long winter months. I finally decided to ask... "What's an offside?" and my training began. Now the Canucks are going to the Stanley Cup and Vancouver is gripped with hockey fever. I am sure my dad is around somewhere, reminiscing about Canadian hockey with Foster Hewitt. Enjoying how much I'm enjoying hockey. Sniff. Wipe. Cheers.