Memory Monday - My Dad

Last week my Dad celebrated his 66th birthday. I didn't get to do a tribute to him yet so I thought today would be the perfect day. I actually almost forgot my Dad's birthday, last week was a busy/stressful week. Thanks to an email from my mom, who is not even married to my dad anymore, I remembered before the day was over and I was able to call him.

Dad and Jan - July 2006 If my Dad looks a little stiff it's because he is. He had just recently had neck surgery. He took his neck brace off for the picture.

Growing up my Dad was always our buddy. He had a flexible work schedule and was able to spend more time with us than my Mom was. He was a district court judge in Utah, which required him to travel between several different counties in Eastern Utah. In the summer he would occasionally take us (my little brother and my sister just older than me, Jenni usually stayed home) with him, especially when he went to Duchesne. We were old enough to take care of ourselves. Sometimes we would sit in the judges chambers and play while he was working in the courtroom. On one occasion my dad had to send the bailiff into his chambers to tell us to quiet down, I guess you could hear us in the courtroom. We would occasionally write really big notes that my dad could read from the bench:
"Were hungry!"
"Can we go buy candy?"
"We're going to the park."
"We're bored!"
"We love you!"

We would usually end up walking to a nearby park to play. I remember one time my brother somehow sneaking out of the judges chambers and crawling until he found himself under my dad's desk in the courtroom...during court. That only happened one time.

Before we moved to Vernal, my Dad had a sailboat that he would sail on the Great Salt Lake. He sold the boat when we moved to Vernal. A few years later in Vernal he made his own little fiberglass boat. I still remember the smell of the fiberglass while he made the boat. We sailed his little boat on a nearby lake. It was fun until the mast literally broke, in the middle of the lake of course, and we had to make our way back to the marina. Luckily he did have a little motor on the boat so we didn't have to paddle back.

My Dad had the opportunity to buy another boat. It was a 24-foot sailboat. This was a lot of fun. I don't remember sailing the boat on the Great Salt Lake before we moved, but I do have many wonderful memories of sailing this boat. It was big enough for a little kitchen and beds. We would camp at the lake, in the boat. Oh what fun it was. If you've never tried to sleep on a rocking boat, you've really missed out.

Other people we knew had speedboats and would go water skiing. Our boat never went that fast, though we did pull an inner tube behind it. Our boating was more peaceful and a little slower paced. Nothing beats sitting at the very front of the boat, legs dangling over the side feeling the water splash against you as we sailed over waves.

When we moved back to Salt Lake we sailed on the Great Salt Lake once again. The little lake we sailed on in Vernal was fresh water and was fun to go swimming in, but the area you could sail in was limited. The Great Salt Lake is huge. In all our times sailing there, I never even saw the Western Edge of the Great Salt Lake. To me, having never been to the ocean before, I imagined the ocean to be like this. Water for miles and miles.

We did swim in the Great Salt Lake. This was a great way to discover owies that you never knew you had. A little salt water would let you know right away if you had any open wounds, however minor they might be. Your clothes could literally stand up by themselves after wearing them in the water and letting them dry. Swimming wasn't nearly as fun here. Not to mention the smell. If you've ever been to the Great Salt Lake you know what I mean. Once you got out further from the shore the smell wasn't so bad, either that or we just got used to it.

I was fascinated by the Saltair pavilion and the history behind it. The marina was located near the pavilion and as we left the harbor to sail out into the lake we would sail right by it. You could see into the windows and I would imagine what it must have been like before the flood.

Sadly when my parents got divorced the sailboat was sold. In high school I took some friends out to the marina one time. We walked around and happened upon our old boat. It was sad to see it, all beat up and not taken care of. I was somewhat estranged from my Dad at the time and it kind of symbolized how I felt our relationship had become. After my Dad divorced the wicked witch from the East his second wife he remarried a wonderful lady that we all really like. My relationship with him has improved dramatically since he got married again. He now lives in Denver and I have gotten very close to him.

I am grateful for the many memories I have of my Dad and that we have been able to reestablish our relationship. He is a great Dad and a great Papa to my children. I love you Dad!