He put his arm around me and he said, "Son, I was all that when I was young."

I have the best parents that anybody could ask for. I made a list of a few of the cool things about my mom, and being as today is Father's Day thought I would do the same for my dad.

• The man has a green thumb. He took pride in having the greenest (and most weed free) lawn on the block. He also ends up with an extremely productive garden every year, and has house plants that are as old as I am.
• He's one of the hardest working people I know, always makes sure that the job is done right regardless of how much extra time it will take, and this has instilled a good work ethic in us.
• He'd take us fishing, and spend most of his time going back and forth between kids, taking care of our tangles and such, and forgoing his opportunity to fish as he did so. Anyone who has ever tried to fish with kids realizes how annoying this can be.
• I don't think enough can be said about all the drives we'd take in the mountains. As I got older I realized they were often work related for him, but the fact that he wanted his family to come along speaks volumes.
• I still have to call him for diagnostic advice when I have car troubles, and he's always right.
• Pinewood derby cars - we may not have always taken first place in the race, but we always had a cool looking car.
• He taught me how to shoot. It's not a skill I use regularly, but I can still hit a Christmas tree ornament from a fair distance at the shooting range.
• During hunting season he would take us out with him on weekends, and evenings, to help him watch for deer. I don't think we were much help, but he made us feel like he couldn't do it without us.
• How many fathers would sing lullabies while they rock their babies (and grandbabies) to sleep?
• Gave me some extra money when he found out that my friends and I were taking our prom dates skiing, just in case I needed it. It turned out that I did when the bindings on the skis I had broke and I had to rent some instead. And being the young punk that I was, I don't think I ever thanked him properly for that, so thanks Dad.

Happy Father's Day. I love you.