Why my daddy is simply the best

I am blessed to have two tremendous men in my life. It just occurred to me that, while I've written a special post all about Grandad, I don't think I've done one for Daddy. My bad! Since it's Father's Day and all, this is how I know my dad is simply the best.

*He thinks I'm awesome. He takes an interest in my interests, even if he doesn't share them.

*He's a stellar cook. Seriously. He doesn't often use a recipe; he's one of those who can just see what's on hand and make a feast out of it. I want to be more like that.

*He's been my knight in shining armor more times than I can count. He has tracked me down on the interstate to change my flat tire on the side of the road. He has helped me move nearly a dozen times, even though moving is one of his least favorite things to do. He has talked me through more than one tearful conversation when I'm at a loss about what to do. He's helped me salvage many a meal when my cooking skills were no match for the recipe. He's drawn sewing patterns for me because he can draw proportionally and I can't manage a straight line. He's helped me set up 3 different classrooms over the span of 5 years. He has saved the day more times than he knows!

*He doesn't mind when I call him Paw, because he knows that makes me feel like Laura Ingalls. He knows that I like to feel like Laura Ingalls, so he just rolls with it :)

*He sends me funny text messages.

*He taught me how to drive in the cemetery when I was 14, he took me to get my learner's permit, he taught me how to drive on the real roads, he never laughed at me when I drove well under the speed limit because I was so nervous, and he took me to get my license on my 16th birthday. When I passed the test and drove him back home, he stood on the porch and waved at me when I backed out of the driveway for the first time by myself.

*He loves my mama bunches. He's set a great example for me, and I'm not settling down until I find that for myself.

*He taught me everything I know about exterior illumination. {Name that movie.}

*He's wise and, I think, completely brilliant. Seriously...there's nothing he doesn't know. And if he doesn't know it, he'll make it up so fast you'll never know the difference :) I think he gets that from Grandad. The internet has made it very easy to check up on his facts and wouldn't you know it? He's always right. Sometimes to our frustration, he's always right :)

*He is the hardest worker I know. And he never complains about it.

*He gives great advice, and I value his opinion over most others.

*On my very first ever day as a teacher when I left the house at 5:30 AM, he woke up extra early just to tell me good luck and that I was going to do a great job.

*He calls me every night to check in and chat about my day. He tells me he loves me every time we talk.

*When he sends me mail, he usually puts a pet's name in the return address. I always laughed when I thought about the campus mail people at Auburn sorting through my mail from "Tiger Johnston".

*He would eat glass and walk through fire for Bubba and me. Granted, I'm sure he would prefer not to do either of these unhappy things, but if we needed him to, he absolutely would. He has always put us before himself and in case he thinks we don't notice, we do.

*He brought Prairie Home Companion, Cool Hand Luke, Mollie B., Car Talk, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and bluegrass music into my life.

*He has the world's best sense of humor. I rarely have a conversation with him where we don't laugh. He can get more laughs out of me than just about anybody else. I like to think that I inherited his weirdo sense of humor.

{This is my favorite picture from this past Christmas. Daddy was a huge fan of Meerkat Manor when it was on the air. Mom bought him this meerkat statue as kind of a joke, and Daddy LOVED it. That look right there is one of pure, unbridled joy. He's named his meerkat Flower and refuses to put her outside...where she belongs. She now sits right beside the computer so he can see her when he works. Seriously.}

I am certainly blessed to have this cool kid in my life. I'm excited to see him today...happy Father's Day to all you papas out there!