Dad and his hobbies.

My Original Valentine

It's Valentine's Day and I'm thinking of my father.  Sound strange?  Clearly you don't have a father who has sent you flowers every year of your life with the same succinctly sweet card.

 Delivered early this morning at work, 2/14/11

Don't get me wrong, I've had my fair share of Valentine's.  And I have one I love dearly today.  But what could be sweeter than a bouquet reminding me that as 30 draws near, I'm still Daddy's little girl?  To be honest, there was one year that the flowers failed to come.  It was my freshman year of college and I had the sort of Valentine that you knew was going to give flowers, just to start.  And while this may make me sound quite spoiled, I was still disappointed after a day of gifts, poetry and jewelry.  Where was my bouquet from Dad?  So I called to investigate.  Dad said he figured I didn't need flowers from him since I had a Valentine this year.  

"But Dad, no boy can replace you!" I exclaimed.  Twelve years later, no one has and the flowers are still coming.

Meet you at the Mountain

My dad and I don't talk a lot.  But we stay close because we spend time together.  Lucky for both of us, his hobbies have become my hobbies over the years.  Once upon a trip to Red Robin, his good luck led to a free trip to Snowbird and an immediate love affair with skiing.  Mom and Dad returned and promptly got my sister and I up on the mountain.  Sixteen years later, we're still spending the winter in the snow.

There are days that all we do is sing along to Fleetwood Mac on the way to the mountain, sit peacefully on the chair lift on the way up and rip down the trails.  The most talking occurs during lunch at the Bullwheel while dad munches on his chicken strips.  Sometimes we're cursed with rain, ice or wind.  But we never leave the mountain feeling cheated.  

Dad still boasts an edge on me.  While I was stuck in Texas during college he was racking up the miles on the mountain.  But what I may lack in form, I make up for with youthful legs.  So we make a good match as we make our way across the slopes.  And although we may stay pretty quiet, at least once a day "Chantilly Lace" is sure to come on my ipod and we begin the duet, regardless of who shares the chair with us.  "Oh baby that's what I like!" (And of course, hopefully my sis is there giggling and singing too!)

Honestly, I've only gone skiing a couple times without my Dad.  It just doesn't seem right without him!

Take me out to the ballgame

Several years before the skiing began, Dad took his lifetime love of baseball to the next level by beginning to buy 20 game packages to Mariner's games.  My sister and I never played baseball outside of p.e.  But starting around 4th grade, my mom, sister and I would trade off as dad's date to the Mariner's games.  My sister got all the signed balls as she was still a cute little toddler when we first began frequenting the Kingdome.  I was there with dad when Martinez hit that famous double that still chokes me up to this day.  I was there for the last days of the Kingdome and the first days of Safeco.  I've eaten more than my fair share of hot dogs and Ichirolls.  I was there for the Neihaus memorial and I'll be there next season.  It's been over 20 years of (mostly) losing seasons and my parents are still some of the most avid fans I know, commuting to the games come wins, losses, rain and sun.  Lucky for me, I finally live in Seattle so I can walk there after work to meet them!

I've had months worth of first-base-line excitement and it's all thanks to my parent's love of baseball.

Last year we even got to go to Arizona to Spring Training!  All thanks to my parents!  I finally caught a ball (and an immediate crush on their short-lived first baseman) and we watched Griffey hit a walk off Grand Slam for what turned out to be the only victory of the week.  Nevermind the losses, we had a great time "Stuntin' like my Daddy!" as he took us out to the ballgame.

Are you ready for some football?

One of Dad's interests that has certainly taken over a big portion of my heart is football.  Despite many years without cable, I've maintained my love for Monday Night Football.  I used to get back from swim practice right around 7 and plant myself in front of the fire and tv.  Dad had both going and Joe and Al spent the evening with the family.  The last few years Monday Night Football has turned into an all day Sunday event, Monday and if I'm lucky Thursday too (I'm sorry Chris, I don't see it getting any better next season!)!  Dad's taken me to several games.  Like the picture below.  We were lounging around in our pj's on a lazy Sunday when dad asked me if I'd be interested in going to the game in an hour!  So we threw on our gear and hopped in the car.  And naturally, the last game of the season was my Christmas present to the parents this year!

Cowboy take me away

My sis and I have some serious cowgirl in us.  Although our parents only had us in Eastern Oregon for a handful of years, the rodeos stayed an important event in our family.  It's not all about horses and bulls.  The Fitzgerald family has a long history of bringing the ruckus to the rodeo.  Now that my sis and I are finally "of age" it has been so fun to enjoy these rodeos with dad.  It's not often that you get to see him "let his hair down".  But over the last couple of years we've been privileged to cheer, dance, strut, chug, hiccup, giggle, laugh, guffaw and hurl together.  It wasn't all pretty, classy or appropriate.  But it was ALL worth it!

 

Sister's graduation and Stockshow in one wild weekend!

 2010 Pendleton Roundup Centennial

 

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

Perhaps the most important hobby that Dad gave me was a love of music and concert-hunting.  My sis and I often speak of the Sunday afternoons filled with house-cleaning and Journey.  When the speakers were still taller than us and the bass filled our bellies as we sprawled across the floor.  The times when tapes were training me to have the well-rounded and excellent taste in music that I have today.  You don't agree?  Just ask my sis, mom or dad?  Music has always been there.  Through cleaning, road trips and choir concerts.  All those drives to Eastern Oregon and back to Oly had more singing than talking.

My sis and I went to our first concert when I was no more than 8.  Jimmy Buffet at the Gorge!  That was the first of nearly a dozen Buffet concerts that our parents have brought us to.  Perhaps the first time I returned the favor was the summer of 2000 when I brought my dad to his second Eagles concert.  That 30 year anniversary tour at the Gorge was rivaled only by his first time seeing them during their first tour!

 Fleetwood Mac (for the second time) on my 28th birthday

Father Figures

It scared me to think about writing about my father today.  How to summarize a lifetime of support, guidance and good times?  How to explain what he's meant without exposing this reserved and gentle giant?  The answer that felt best was to show you how we've spent our time.  My parents have instilled in me that there is no greater gift you can give than your time.  Over the years I've made it my goal to buy experiences for gifts rather than golf balls.  Those times when I can help to create new memories to add to the volumes that they've brought to life for me.

So I guess I'm not writing about my dad so much as I'm writing about OUR hobbies.  All of the ways that you think you'll never end up being like your parents can be so surprising.  To find myself in a job so similar to my father's despite swearing off architecture years ago.  To catch myself quoting him to make my point.  Well, I guess that's how it goes.

But if we're destined to follow in our parent's footsteps, how luck am I to have parents who have lived, and continue to live, a life that anyone should be so lucky to lead.  For you will never meet two more down to earth, honest, reliable and loving people in your life.

Love you guys!