Dad and I finally bond

I was reminded by Judy that I used to argue with my Dad.  I really don't remember arguing with him... all I remember is Dad either saying either NOTHING...or just stating how it's going to be and then clamming up.  But if I did argue with him...I'm not surprised.  I had nothing to lose.  It's not like he'd get any more upset with me. 

So..Dad and I never got along much as I grew up.  I moved out of the house the day after I graduated from High School.  I think both he and I were glad.  I don't remember visiting with him much after I moved away.  For one thing...I kept myself pretty busy....working 2 jobs and dating.  It was a fun time in my life.

I eventially quit the Car Hop job when I got hired on by Santa Rosa General Hospital.  At that point I started going to Beauty School.  So...I got up early, went to Cosmotology School until 2:45pm and then went to work from 3:00 to 11:30pm.  After I got off work I often went out.  During this time I dated a few different guys.  John Scott was the most steady.  His mom worked with me at the hospital and he was a nice guy.  On his 21st birthday he proposed to me...and I turned him down.  NO WAY was I ready to settle down with him. 

The census in the hospital dropped during the summer (remember back then people usually had to pay their own hospital cost and there weren't so may elected proceedures) and I got laid off.  Mrs Glenn, an RN that I worked with asked me if I'd move in with her.  She didn't drive and wanted a ride home each night.  Her husband had just left her.  So...I moved in with her. 

I was collecting unemployment of $55 a week.  My car payment was $55 and my insurance was $35... Mrs Glenn promised to feed me as much as I wanted.... so life was good!!!   The only DUMB thing was...I had to drop out of Beauty School in order to collect Unemployment.  Back then they would not pay unemployment if you were going to school!!   So...I was pretty darn free and had some cash in my pockets. 

Mrs Glenn had an aparment on Sonoma Avenue...near the park.  It was only a one bedroom apartment, but I didn't mind sleeping on the couch.  I met my neighbor and we got along fine.  We discovered that if we opened the medicine cabinet doors we could talk to each other and hear each other like we were standing in the same room.  I remember sitting in the tub chatting with Dianne.  Dianne was engaged to Jack... he only had one leg...lost the other one in Viet Nam.  A nice enough guy...rather loud though.  Jack had a roommate by the name of David.  Dianne thought I should meet David and I was up for it.  I was up for meeting any eligable bachelor!!  Dating always meant another free meal...and usually a decent meal.  (I have ALWAYS had this love affair with food!!)

So...one Friday night I put my hair in rollers and sat down to read when Dianne knocked on the medicine cabinet door.  I went into the bathroom and opened my medicine cabinet and she asked me if I could come on over.  I told her I was in for the night and had my hair in rollers.  She kept asking and finally I said I'd just peak my head in and meet Jack's roommate.

I had on a moomoo dress and a skarf over my rollers.  I headed next door and poked my head in to say "hi".  There was Jack and Dianne drinking beer and Jack's roommate drinking a Pepsi.  WOW!! what a nice guy!!  Polite, good looking and he didn't drink?    Hmmm I was interested!!

The next day Dianne told me David wanted to take me out.  I said heck yeah I'd go.  But... the phone didn't ring.  Each day I was hoping he'd call...but nope...no call.  Then a week and a half later...on a Monday (that was his only day off back then) morning he called me and asked me if I'd like to go uptown with him.  Heck Yeah!!!

As they say..the rest is History!  Actually, I started out talking about my dad and got sidetracked...so I will continue where I left off.

After I moved away from home my relationship with my dad got better.  Maybe because he didn't feel so responsible for me.  I don't know.

I had bought the 56 Chevy just before I moved out, but it wasn't the best choice of cars.  I had a little money and Dad offered to take me car shopping.  I remember we went to SF to look at cars on Van Ness.  That was pretty cool.  We didn't find anything I could afford in the SF.  We stopped at the Ford Dealer in San Rafael on the way home and I saw my 65 Mustang--it was BEAUTIFUL!!  and felt so good when I drove it.  So...I bought it. 

Years later Dad retired from Mare Island and around that time Mom asked me if I could paint the entire inside walls of their house.  Painting just happens to be one of the things I have done plenty of...so I told her sure.

I would gather up my four kids and head to Novato every day to paint.  Dad was there each day...mostly watching TV.  It was weird...for a person that didn't own a TV most of his life...he sure took a liking to it.  He liked to watch talk shows and would get rather animated about what was being said.  Just having my dad do a lot of talking was weird in it's self. 

Anyway...as I painted and Dad talked WITH me...we started to bond.  We actually found out that we could get along and we both liked each other!! I have always been grateful for those green walls...just for the fact that the time I spent painting was the best time I ever spent with my Dad.