I picked him up out at the house around 1:00 and headed for the coveted steak house with cheesecake in the back of our minds :) This week was a chaotic week for our family as both of my teenage daughters lost their cell phones -_- an added task that we did not project we'd have to deal with! Fortunately, we were able to find a really great iPhone deal so Joe and I gave our HTC Inspires to the girls and the two of us got new iPhones :) Sometimes it just works out to your advantage. I am telling you all of this because in the process of losing phones and switching data to new phones...I lost all of the pictures I took of my dad and I at Tahoe Joes -_- I suppose you will have to endure this post without pictures. I will try to make it interesting :))
Dad and I took some time to settle in to the restaurant and searched the menu for something to hit "just the right spot". We ended up getting the petite filet which is a dinner for one, but we split the meal and made it a lunch for two :) While waiting for our meal, dad shared a little bit more about his dad's side of the family.
I think I mentioned before that my dad was raised primarily by his grandparents because his own parents worked alot. Dad's grandparents lived right next door to him, so he was able to spend almost all of his time there. This was a pretty convenient set up. Mama Jessie's home, was the hub. This is where everyone hung out. The funny thing is...not only did everyone hang out at Mama Jessie's... but for as long as my dad can remember, his paternal grandmother, Nanna, lived with Mama Jessie, too. My dad has fond memories of growing up with both grandmothers...what a blessing. His grandparents stood in the gap where his own parents could not. I suppose this is why my dad is as nurturing as he is, and was never much of a disciplinarian when it came to his own kids and grandkids. I am also most certain that this is why my parents are as involved as they are with their own grandchildren.
I asked my dad who he was closest to and to my surprise he said "Nanna Garrick". I thought for sure it would have been Ma Jessie. Growing up I remember countless stories about her and the times they'd spent together, but no, it was Nanna to which he felt the closest. He said she was always there for him no matter what. She bought him his very first car, a 1940 Ford Coupe. He described her as, "generous and loving". They spent alot of quality time together when he was young. Dad reminisced about the the countless trips they'd take to the zoo and all over San Francisco. Nanna didn't drive, so they would take the Trolley car. What an ideal way to grow up. Dad remembers going to the theater to see movies and specifically the movies that didn't have any sound. Silent films, only they weren't completely silent because they had music in the background. Nanna would take my dad to the movies in which she actually played the piano for the background music! Listening to my dad remember his grandmother so lovingly, I got a real sense of why my dad is the way he is...pieces fitting together neatly like a puzzle. She was one of his heroes I could tell. I wonder if that is why I had such a strong connection to her at such a young age. Hmm...something to ponder I suppose. The human spirit is strong and penetrating. My dad's connection to his grandmother shaped him and molded him into a gentle and loving father. I have never felt more blessed to have a dad like mine.
We ended our meal with the famous slice of cheesecake. I thought for SURE Tahoe Joe's cheesecake would satisfy dad's longing for Red Velvet Chessecake...until the two little ladies sitting next to us commented on our dessert stating that "Tahoe Joe's has the best cheesecake" to which my dad replied "yah...it's good...but ya oughtta taste Cheesecake Factories Red Velvet!" Guess I'm not gonna get off that easy.
By the way...I found two pictures from our lunch which must have been saved to my SIM card :)
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