Clark W. Griswald

For Father's Day (albeit the day before) my dad was not so fortunate as some (arguably).  He did not get to go to the lake or pool, grill steaks, drink beer, watch sports, or any other thing dads like to do on their day.  He got to move his only daughter and oldest child (me) into her first apartment.  Moving sucks.  It doesn't matter how you look at it.  But let me explain this Saturday and the tremendous role he played...

He got up shortly after dawn to go get the U-Haul with me.  He then drove the U-Haul through downtown Houston (not an easy task) to go to an apartment to purchase a couch that I had found on Craigslist.  While there, he watched from outside the gate, while I, inside the gate, backed his SUV into the gate.  After being more than understanding. he then tried to move aforementioned couch out of the seller's apartment, only to find out the couch does not fit though the front door (mover's must have hoisted it over the balcony).  We therefore left the apartment couchless.  Once home, he then loaded all my belongings, including two dressers, a desk, a filing cabinet of sorts, two book cases, a matress and box springs, and a giant box full of shoes, into the U-Haul and his SUV.  He then took a lunch break during which he ate a sandwhich and talked on the phone with his brother-in-law and father about selling his father's house since he has moved into a nursing home (a stressful conversation).  Following lunch, he drove the U-Haul to a suburb north of Houston to buy a kitchen table and chairs that I had also found on Craigslist.  He paid for the table/chairs and loaded them into the U-Haul as well.  He then drove the U-Haul an hour and a half to Bryan, TX.  Upon arriving in Bryan, he paid my first month's rent, and proceeded to unload the U-Haul and SUV, carrying my belongings up three flights of stairs to my third floor apartment in the 102 degree Texas  heat.  Once the truck and car were unloaded, he got to eat a burrito at Freebirds, only to rush me back to the apartment to meet the maintenance man who was there to fix the air conditioner that had not been cooling the apartment all day.  He then got to unpack some boxes and return the U-Haul to the College Station location.  Finally, he got  to go take a shower and go to bed.

In a blog about people, I have to be honest in saying that my dad is a pretty typical dad, much like Clark in the movie Vacation.  He would do anything for his family, and we are a much better family because of him.  I love him dearly and admire him for reasons he doesn't even know.  I'm proud of him for everything he is able to accomplish without sacrificing his time for his family, and I hope that next Father's Day, he'll be able to be a father in a more enjoyable way.

AJ