Daddy 'n Me

Happy Father's Day!

I asked my dad a couple of weeks ago what he wanted for Father's Day, and he said he wanted my help with projects around the house. This didn't come as a surprise to me because he usually responds to that question with a resounding, "Nothing." So today, for my dad, I went outside with him at 1 o'clock in the afternoon (peak heat time) and helped him trim tree branches off of our roof. I can honestly say that it was wicked hot, and I don't know how we lasted out there for as long as we did (which was a whopping 1 hour).

After we had finished clearing all the branches, I asked him what he wanted me to do next. The way he started talking, he made it seem like we were about to dive into another grueling project. But then he said, "Ok. Here's what you can do next for me. Get a cup. Put about 5 ice cubes in it. Then fill the rest of it up with water and bring it out here so I can drink it." I was thinking to myself, Oh, thank goodness, that's all. But I told him, "That's something I can do!"

It was a fun day with my dad even though it was blistering heat and the activity wasn't really something I consider "fun." Since my dad travels most of the time, we don't "hang out" like we used to. Even sometimes when he's home, he's working.

I remember when I was little, he and I would get up super early on Saturdays and have "Breakfast Club." (When I was 5 or 6 I didn't yet understand the 1985 movie reference.) It really only consisted of cereal and chocolate milk, but I would still get so excited for it. He would come into my room when I was still asleep and whisper, Breakfast Club! I would then whisper back, [gasp!] Breakfast Club! Fun times!

Something that we still do, to this day, is if we're going by the grocery store, or my mom has sent us to get something at the grocery store, we'll buy a quart-size carton of chocolate milk and drink it on the way home. But we had to make sure to finish it before we got home because my mom always thought it was gross for us to drink straight from the carton. Oh well, it was fun.

I love that my dad and I do quirky things together because they're things that I'll remember about him forever. My mom still talks about her dad and the funny things they used to do. I can still remember the little "jig" he would do to this song he made up. My mom and I just laugh every time we start dancing to the music in the car (yes, we do that) because we automatically start dancing the way Papa used to.

So, I guess that's all I have to say about Father's Day.

I do I have a new favorite drink at Starbucks, though. Passion Tea Lemonade, sweetened. It's really refreshing on a really hot summer day (especially if you've just come out of the sweltering heat). And it's a pretty pink color! So, thanks to Hailey for getting me on that boat!
I'm off to take a shower now... another one. It's pretty much my new favorite thing to do. I'll be posting pictures soon of my new apartment, so get excited!

-Ashley