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in observance of a major revenue-earning day for greeting card companies, here’s a shout out to my old man. he’s a genuinely quirky and bizarre character. he often picks things up and smells them, loves animals, likes to know how things work, has a very expressive face, likes junk food and sweets, and possesses beautiful penmanship (which i try to emulate to this day). below are some interesting and/or funny quotes from conversations. good times!
on love:
(i really wanted to make this a simple comic but was too lazy and lacking time)
dad: “in a relationship, it is more important for the male to love the female more. if the man loves the female more then the relationship has a better chance of lasting. he can take care of her and appreciate her more.”
me: “but dad, don’t you think people can love each other equally?”
dad: “that never happens in this world”
(ouch! i guess i inherited some of that cynicism)
“a bad relationship can ruin a girl’s life for 10 years
i know so many relationships that have ruined girls lives, so badly”
“between a man and woman, if there are complications then they shouldn’t get into it”
“dan dan, listen to me, this is very important. if something doesn’t seem right, then get out of it. don’t waste your time. if a man doesn’t know what he wants, get out while you can!”
“if you really really really love a man, you’ll want to marry and have kids with him”
(yeah i rolled my eyes too)
random inside-jokey goodies:
my sister said, “dad, you’re like the basement.”
(when i slapped his shoulder and a dust cloud rose from his fleece jacket)
“sporty but not comfortable”
(when asked about the rental car, dodge charger, that we took down to LA)
“i like angelina jolie because she has a strong personality”
“i think SF is going to be a poor city in a couple years”
(umm, YEAH)
“ting ting, are your ready to see the star?!”
(to my sister as we approached griffith observatory)
“i don’t think that can be hot. not trendy enough”
(wish i remember what this was about)
“that nut help us a lot!”
(commenting on the bags of nuts we bought from casa de fruta for the long drive down to LA)
“why is that man’s hand on that woman’s butt?”
(classic)
“once i was so disoriented i wore two different shoes to work”
(on how bad his allergies were)
“finally everything come alive”
(after we turned on the car radio after hours of silence)
him: “we should take copper here”
me: “copper’s dead”
(at a half moon bay beach; copper is my beloved dog that i had to put down in college)
“you look pretty today”
(we all need to hear it)
“can i do anything for you when you’re in china? i have a lot of connections there, like mobs”
(mirthquake!)
“i could eat a horse”
(when he was very hungry)
“hey listen, when i say i’m warm, i’m warm!”
(when we were expressing concern about whether or not he was wearing enough)
and we end with my favorite photo of him
(check the fly scarf)
June 13th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Your pops is wise.
June 14th, 2008 at 12:29 am
This post is too heartbreakingly sweet. Love that photo of you and your dad.
June 14th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Great photo collages and homage! Here’s to dads.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
So heartfelt. Make sure he sees this. And you totally look like him.
June 15th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
jen this is great….though, am i the only one who can’t see all of this cuz of the black sides? jen, do you know what i mean? anyone? the black words blend into the black sides of the webpage, sigh…maybe it’s just my computer?
June 16th, 2008 at 12:35 am
hey sis. great job!
June 16th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
hey everyone, thanks! it was fun to write. saw the old man yesterday and have a new list of funny one-liners from him. he broke into song about how he needs turtles for his koi pond (after seeing the koi pond at hakone gardens). hope everyone celebrate father’s day right proper. ps – andrew i don’t look like him
June 16th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
incredibly sweet!!! my Dad’s a Gemini also[17th]….I hope he buys something cool w/ the Patagonia gift cert!!!!
June 16th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
you totally have his lips
June 17th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
I am very happy to hear more father-daughter stories. mine is absolutely essential to who I am. case in point, he just signed an email off to me as follows:
“Sincerely,
White Bread in Cracker land”
June 17th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Fabulous photomontage. He’s a lucky dad, and you’re a lucky daughter. Hakone gardens are really nice. You should also take him to the one in downtown San Mateo — smaller, but public, free, and very well done too.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
sis. you are an amazinng person: self-sufficient, independent, strong, diplomatic, smart, beautiful, courageous, daring, and brave.
WAIT! Did I just describe who I think I described? Can it possibly be…~~ Superwoman????
Btw, you should see the HBO documentary “51 Birch Street.” it’s pretty good.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
What a great tribute. . . will you do one for my dad too? I’ll pay you!
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 pm
You little tearjerker jerker. This is exactly that one and only thing that a dad could ever desire from his daughter…you’re perfect. I love your blogs about your dad…and he brought Copper up in a conversation.
June 25th, 2008 at 1:01 am
this is so cute and funny and touching. i am laughing so hard. your dad is awesome.
June 26th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
dang! this was quite a hit with folks. that makes me feel good. thanks everyone for commenting away. i’m flattered and touched. i want to make one about mom (there’s a treasure trove of hilarity there) but she’s all like, private and stuff. whatevs!
August 4th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
[...] from a phone conversation tonight with the ol’ man. context: he finally saw the father’s day blog entry i [...]