Snowmobile (Part 2)

As I drove into mom's driveway yesterday, I noticed something was different (and no, I'm not talking about the chicken coop sitting on a trailer along with a hot tub turned on its side).  I noticed there was fresh fallen snow everywhere and the yard was untouched.  This is probably the first time that I have ever driven into dad and mom's yard after a snow fall and not seen snow mobile tracks.  It made me really miss dad.

I know we already had a snow mobile post, but dad loved snow mobiling so much that I am sure there must be more snow mobiling memories, good and bad.

I remember when we were younger, each winter a group of about 12 snowmobiles would show up at our house.  Dad would put his snow gear on and head out.  Him and the guys (I don't know who all came) would head out and snowmobile late into the night.

I remember riding with dad to grandpa and grandma Kraker's house and going inside to get warmed up and eat Doritos and Cheese Balls.  We would fly down the gravel road so fast (at least I thought it was fast at the time)!

I remember dad was always tinkering on or fixing a snow mobile.  I think he did more of that, the older us kids got.  We seemed to always be breaking something on them.  I can remember one time that Bryan and I went snowmobiling.  We were flying up and down the ditches out near 146th.  Bryan was following my tracks.  Apparently, I narrowly missed hitting a culvert.  Bryan wasn't so lucky.  He bent the front ski up and did some other damage.  We limped the sled home, having to stop every so often to put the spark plugs back on.  When we got home, dad was not there.  Bryan, thoughtful as he is, parked the sled right in the front yard in perfect view for dad to see as he drove in the driveway.  Bry and I went inside and waited for dad to come home, peeking out the kitchen window to see the expression on dad's face.  I don't remember what dad ever said to Bryan about it, but I do remember the expression on his face as he did a double take at the sled when he drove in the driveway was priceless!!  Poor Bryan....and dad, since he would be the one fixing it....again.

I know there must be more memories.....so please post them!  They make me smile :-)    Even the bad ones.

Snowplowing

    With all the snow plowers out and about today, this memory came back to me of Rick snow plowing for his Mom and Dad. Rick always loved to go out plowing, so seeing all the  plowers today was a little sad.  Rick would plow anyone and every ones driveway that he could find to do.
     I believe it was a Saturday afternoon. It had snowed quite a bit so we headed out to see whose driveway we could open up. First, we went to his Mom and Dads house. I went inside to have coffee with them.  As we sat by the table, we could hear Rick plowing and could see him from the window each time he shoved more snow away. There was a lot of cars that Rick had to wait for which always made him mad.  He just wanted to get the job done and wanted the whole road to himself.  As he sat in the driveway waiting for cars to pass a snowplow came through and threw a massive amount of snow right back into the driveway and right into the back window of his jeep. Now, the jeep he had then had a canvas top, so when the snow hit, it split the plastic open and threw the snow right through the window and it landed on  Ricks back. I can't even describe how funny it looked.  Not only did the snow hitting him make us laugh, but his shoulders dropped in disbelief as he realized what just happened.  I'm not sure we should have been laughing at him but just the way his shoulders dropped, we  knew what was going through his mind. I'm not sure who else was there that day, but I do remember laughing with them and yet, not wanting to go home with him because I was sure his day was ruined and he would be very crabby.
    Of course, if you knew Rick, he finished the job in his cold, snow filled jeep, and then went on to find more driveways to plow!

Little Green Guy

Mom reminded me of this one last night and I just had to post it!

 

I don't remember how old I was when this happened, but for a while when dad would tuck me in at night, he would always tease me about the "little green guy" in my closet.  I have no idea how this started.  But each night after he said good night to me, he would tell me he was going to say good night to the little green guy in my closet.  He would then open my closet door, peek his head in and say good night to this little green man.  He did it every night, never failed.

 

One night, mom decided that she would hide in my closet while dad tucked me in.  Of course, this was the night that he didn't mention the little green guy.  Dad didn't usually fall for jokes.  I figured he was on to us, but I nonchalantly said, "Aren't you going to say good night to the little green guy?"

 

He had no idea!  He proceeded to my closet...opened the door...peeked his head in...and then literally jumped a foot as mom jumped out at him.  I don't remember if dad laughed or was mad, but I remember that mom and I laughed and laughed!  We still laugh about it.

 

The next time dad tucked me in, I asked him, "Aren't you going to say good night to the little green guy."  He didn't skip a beat when he replied, "No, the last time I checked on him there was a big wart hog in your closet!"  I think that was the end of the little green guy living in my closet.  Poor dad!

Transition

Just wanted to share a short conversation that dad and I had this past summer.  It has helped me put things in perspective and brought me peace.

 

When dad was still working at Huntington and I was at the studio, we started a weekly lunch date at Franks.  Once he stopped working, we continued our weekly lunch at Russ'.  I really looked forward to our lunches together.  We would talk about everything from hunting/fishing (which was mostly me listening to dad) to projects dad thought Jer and I should do on our house to dad giving me advice on how to discipline our kids to how I should treat Jer.  I truly respected everything he had to tell me.

 

One Wednesday this past summer at Russ' (on the side without the phones of course), dad started a conversation about it not seeming fair how everyone around him was older and healthier and enjoying their food.  When I agreed with him that it didn't seem fair, he immediately replied, "It's not so bad.  I know where I'm going.  It's just this transition that sucks."

 

His words struck me and they still bring me comfort today.  I have never doubted that my dad was a Christian and that he loved God.  However, to hear him verbalize that he knew where he was going and to hear him refer to his experience as a "transition" brought me such peace.

 

This life is not the only thing....death is not the end....it is merely a transition to our everlasting, heavenly home.  Thank you dad for putting things in perspective.

Glass Half Empty

Dad is TEMPORARILY not with us anymore. At least not in the way that we would prefer. Thankfully this blog is here to help preserve memories of him, especially the things that we may have personally forgot. There have been several posts that have reminded me of things that I never would have remembered on my own.

Now that we are all parents too, we get to experience some of the same things that Dad did about 30 years ago. I often get in situations with my own kids that make me wonder, What would Dad have done? Just the other day my own kids helped bring back a small memory of Dad that will hopefully make you smile.

Sitting at the dinner table a couple of days ago, Elijah asked if I could pour him some juice. (Memories of Dad begin to stir) I grab the juice and proceed to pour a miniscule amount of juice into his cup. He looks at me like I'm crazy and asks for more. I poured a slight amount in his cup a couple more times until he gets annoyed. Then I proceed to fill his cup to the point that will make it impossible for him to get it to his mouth without spilling. I feel like that exact scenario was played out at every meal with Dad. And I think poor Tammy was almost always the victim.

I think one special thing about Dad was that a joke NEVER got old to him. Even if it hadn't produced a laugh in years, he would still proceed with his predictable joke and probably laugh at himself. Well it might have been awhile, but I think Dads old joke actually made me laugh once more.