My Dad and I usually get on very well (although lately living together has made things "interesting"). We have very few interests in common yet we share a similar sense of humour and usually we share the same laid back attitude to life. I can talk to my Dad about anything and I do love spending quality Dad and Daughter time with him, although the older I am getting the less this is happening! We make each other laugh and can be quite a double act. However equally we can annoy the hell out of each other! We also both like our own company which has proved problematic when suddenly finding ourselves living together!!
My Dad is a very practical person and can confidently do plumbing, electrics, decorating, and building work. He has built sheds, workrooms and conservatories from scratch as well as fitted kitchens and bathrooms. In his day job he is a curtain maker and upholsterer so again more practical things. However mechanics completely bamboozle him. He has never been able to understand cars and engines. He can do the simple things such as checking the oil, putting water in the radiator, replacing spark plugs, and the like but he is not a man who spends time tinkering with his car's engine or would ever consider trying to do any "work" on it. He would much rather pay for a mechanic!
My Dad is not someone who can settle down with a good book and get lost in a story. He is more of a newspaper and magazine type reader. However as he is getting older he has developed a love for non-fiction books and autobiographies. He is also an outdoors person. He hates it if he has to spend the whole day indoors. He becomes restless and bored very easily and this leads to him becoming annoying and a bit of a wind up merchant!! My Dad is also a very plain speaker. He doesn't buy into being tactful, favouring more direct conversations and "telling it like it is". He is also very distrusting of people and takes him ages to work out if they can be trusted. He doesn't forgive easily and if you cross him there are no second chances. He just doesn't see the point. Similarly he is not good at doing small talk. He finds it a waste of time. Unfortunately some people think this is shyness or worse stand-offish, which is absolute rubbish as he will talk to anyone, but it has to be about something or a bit of playful banter.
He is not a man who really has hobbies. Occasionally he will get into something for a while but it will fizzle out quite quickly. A few years ago he got into gardening and got himself an allotment. He was really into it, buying stuff for it and reading all the books. Six months later he was getting bored and the interest was waining. About eight months later he gave up the allotment! Recently he started to get back into decorating and doing DIY. He painted the kitchen and bathroom. He did a brilliant job. He then decided to paint the hallway, he just had to choose a colour. That was four weeks ago. The brushes, ladder and tools are still waiting at the end of the hallway for him to start. He will get around to it,......eventually! He also has got into sea fishing. About a year ago he bought all the gear, and more recently he started reading all the books. Apart from one attempt last year when he got his line in a massive tangle and caught nothing but a cold, he is yet to actually GO fishing. He keeps promising when the weather is better to walk across to the beach and go fishing. I hate to be negative but I would be very surprised if he actually does go.
One hobby my Dad has stuck at is caravaning. His caravan is now 25 years old but is still in a very good condition thanks to his loving care. However age is taking its toll on it and he would love to buy a more newer one if he had the spare money. He also has a tent which he also takes camping. He loves the open air and relaxation of sitting in a field watching the world go by. Although the camp sites do have to have electric link ups, and clean washing, showering and toilet facilities. I use to go camping with him when I was a child and in my early teens and use to really enjoy it. However as I got older I became far too high maintenance and I just couldn't go without my creature comforts. He now goes with Ann.
Other facts about my Dad are he is a diabetic and an asthmatic. Two years ago he had a full knee replacement and after his recovery discovered his other knee was damaged and very painful too. He is currently going through various treatments to try and manage the pain as the doctors don't wish to replace his other knee so early. Another thing about my Dad is he is a fruit bat. He loves eating fresh fruit and can easily get through a bag of grapes, a few clementines, a banana, an apple, a few plums and a bowl of strawberries in one sitting. He puts it down to his childhood where he got a job at the age of 7 helping the local fruit and veg man. Initially he just helped with deliveries to his road but gradually as he got older helped more and more with the rounds. He got a wage but was also allowed to eat as much fruit as he liked. At the end of the day he would also be given fruit that needed to be eaten such as a bag of oranges or a bag of apples to take home to his Mum. This was very gratefully received seeing as there were 5 children and his Mum to feed. This apparently created his love of fruit.
So that's my Dad. I am sure there are better things I could tell you about him but that's what comes to mind. I love my Dad very much and although we recently have had our ups and downs I hope we will always remain close. He is as much a friend as a Dad. Over this weekend I have spent some lovely quality time with him. We didn't do anything special, just talked, laughed, watched a film, cooked and ate dinner together and simply hung out. It was very relaxing and nice to spend time with him.
So to my Dad, Happy Father's Day!
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