September 20, 2013 would have been my dad’s 70th birthday.  He will always be 53 in my mind, though.  Seventeen years is a really long time. 

If time allowed, I could fill many pages with things I remember about him.  His crazy sense of humor.  His penchant for safety.  His strong singing voice.  His affection for pets. 

I would tell you about all the times I got to dance with him, at parties at the ELKS club or at the weddings of family members and friends.
I would tell you about my 16th birthday when he took me to get my driver’s permit and then stopped at Present Co. and let me pick out a necklace and earring set.
I would tell you about the roller coasters we conquered, and the late, late nights in my college years where we would play Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Nintendo he won at the TOPS grand opening.

I wish I had more photos scanned. 
I wish he could have met his grandchildren.
I wish I made more of an effort to tell my kids about him.

Hmmm – I have time for the last one, don’t I?  I’ll start tonight.