Jewels

I have got to find time in my week to sit down and write!  No excuses...but...uuhhhh...it all goes by way too, fast and I find myself reeling from the busy-ness...clawing for bits and pieces of time.  Time to do treasured things like write, and read, and soak up the company of loved ones.  Time is a funny thing when you think about it.  We all want it and loathe it at the same time.  It is our best friend and our worst enemy.  Though I haven't posted in six months...I Have spent time with my dad.  We have gone to lunch probably a dozen times and with each lunch I cling to our time together.  We just celebrated dad's 77th Birthday.  On one of our recent lunch dates I asked my father what he wanted to do for his upcoming birthday.  He, without hesitation, said..."Cattleman's!"  So...Cattleman's it was.  We were missing a significant chunk of our family (Kory, Travis, Tony, Jen, Meadow, and Amelia) and the hole was definitely ever present throughout dinner, however, we had a great time celebrating my dad. 

Dad decided that he should order the 32 oz. steak.  I thought my mom was going to have a heart attack when they brought it out.  She proceded to banter with my dad about the size of the steak and how it was ridiculous that he ordered such a huge piece of meat.  I had to laugh and then remind my mom that it WAS his birthday and that he could always have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow and, well, for that matter, dinner as well!  The reframe seemed to settle my mom's irritation. None the less...dad didn't do too shabby at tackling the monstrous steak.  He was a happy cowboy. 

  The 32 oz.

Kyle and Steph

 

 

Pictured right: Suzi and Colby

On our Lunch With Dad date a few weeks back I decided to set some goals for the year with my dad regarding the things he wanted to accomplish in 2013.  Among them were trips to the mountains and the California Coast.  Dad seemed happy to set these goals.  His face lit up when I mentioned the idea of spending Christmas in the mountains.  I think I know what we are doing come December :) 

Ending the blog here doesn't seem right withoug first mentioning our beloved

San Francisco 49ers.  As you can see my dad is wearing a 49er sweatshirt...but not just any 49er sweatshirt!  It is one of only 4 that Sports Authority received, and how Joe managed to nab it up before it even hit the glass case it was supposed to be displayed in, is a mystery!  It's a thermal sweatshirt with the current Superbowl displayed across the front.  A one of a kind.  Perfect for a one of a kind guy!  Dad and mom spent Superbowl Sunday with Joe, Colby, and Dan at our house feasting on steak and bacon wrapped shrimp while Marlee, Mariah, Stephanie and I headed to Monterey Bay for our traditional Supergirl Sunday.  Although our Niners didn't win we celebrated our favorite team anyway.  I'd have to say it has been a pretty fantastic year for San Francisco.  We are faithful to our home by the bay :)  San Francisco will always be home. 

 

 

On another Lunch With Dad back in October...dad reminisced about Seal Stadium and how he watched his first Giant's game there.  He was just a kid.  Not more than 10 years old.  He said he remembers when the Giant's first came to San Francisco from New York.  He remembers watching Candlestick Park being built from the foundation up!  Dad described in great detail how they filled in the land to create a base for the stadium.  He shared memories of working as a kid at the stadium for extra money.  Apparently the seats were very uncomfortable, so cushions were sold for fans to use as a remedy.  Dad said the kids were paid 10 cents per cusion to gather them up and turn them in to the stadium officials at the end of each game.  Dad laughed as he recalled horsing around with the cushions.  He and his freinds would gather them up and then toss them off of the balcony seating area only to watch them sail to the ground below.  He said they got in a lot of trouble for that, but he managed to steer clear of getting caught.  Sounds like my dad.  he does have an ornery side to him ;)  At the end of the day the kids would collect their money and then go to the local store to buy baseball cards.  It amazes me when I think about all that dad has seen and done in his lifetime.  He is a treasure chest full of knowledge and experience.  I am grateful for the jewels I manage to pluck and share here on Lunch With Dad.  

Memory Lane

I cannot believe it has been almost three months since my last Lunch with Dad post.  Of course dad and I have continued to have our lunches together, and we have celebrated several family milestones since my last post including Mariah's graduation from high school, My sister's birthday, Kory's 22nd birthday, two dance recitals, a second ACL surgery for Mariah, a wonderful visit from my nephew Tony and his beautiful family and I am sure several other important events I will remember later in this post.  Work has increased, so free time for me has decreased significantly.  I am not complaining...work is good...especially in today's current climate, however, it does cut in to my time with dad.  Sometimes I wish I could stop time and tend to those luxury items like spending time with loved ones.  It is really a catch 22 in a sense.  I wonder what the independantly wealthy do with all of the free time? I know what I would do :)  Enough day dreaming.


Dad and I went to Logan's Roadhouse last Friday.  Now that work has leveled out I have carved out that time again to spend with dad.  Dad wasn't sure he was going to make it...it was a scorching 109* in Fresno/Clovis and the heat is hard on him.  He decided to try and weather it (pardon the punn) and so we treked across the city in search of a good steakhouse.  We went to Outback Steakhouse first figuring that this was close and I could take him home when we were finished.  I should have thought ahead and either called or got out of the car myself to check, but...I didn't.  We parked and I helped dad out of the car.  We made our way to the front of the restaurant where we discovered that the restaurant was closed until 4pm.  This might not seem like such a big deal...but the Parkinson's has really taken a toll on my dad's body.  It was all he could do to get back to the car.  I felt terrible.  Why didn't I think to hop out and check before getting him out into the heat!  Lesson learned.  Dad, as always, was a good sport and insisted that we find a place to eat.  We headed to the Riverpark area where everything is open all of the time.  Although I knew it was open...I still went in and checked first before getting my dad out and in the heat again.  We were seated quickly and I believe we were one of two tables in the entire restaurant so the service was quick.

  

Onion Petals

                           Hot Buns

Now, a few weeks ago mom and I drove Marlee to San Francisco so she could catch a 9:50pm flight.  Unfortunately, dad could not go with us as it was just too long of a trip for him to make at this stage in his illness.  Marlee's destination was Cedarville University in Ohio.  Here she would attend Camp Electric, a Christian camp for young people who aspire to be in worship ministries.  We met up with Kory at Pier 39 and had dinner together at a sports cafe before sending Marlee off.  Mom, Kory and I spent the night in a motel on the penninsula.  Sunday we had breakfast at the Milbrae House of Pancakes and then toured our old stomping grounds San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Brisbane, and Bayshore.  We visited every home I lived in, where my mother worked when I was young, the PG&E sight where so many homes were destroyed in San Bruno, my dad's childhood home, my mom's childhood home, the grammar school where they met among many other memorable locations.  There are so many memories tucked in the streets and corners of these cities that dot the penninsula. 

Having Fun at Pier 39

Captain Kory and Uncle Marlee

 

Kory Potter

                                                                      Brotherly Love
                                                               Saying Goodbye at SFO


While sitting with dad and enjoying our lunch I asked him if my mother had shared with him all of the places we visited while we were in the Bay Area.  Dad said he thought she had, but I decided to share anyway.  In particular...memories of 4-H.  Dad loved his involvement with me in 4-H.  I told him that we visited the farm, but it appeared that most of the animals were gone.  Mostly agriculture lined the farm and a few chickens poked out of the fences when we drove up to the gate. It was my dad's greatest joy to work with the kids in the large animal program helping them get their Steer and lamb ready for show at the San Mateo County Fair.  It was on this old dirt road to the farm where I learned to drive.  Dad would let me drive his truck up and down the road every day.  I told dad that the farm was just a shadow of its former self, but it looked like there was still some life left.  The school my sister attended from K-6th grades was now surrounded by a military compound which dwarfed the school.  It was almost unrecognizable.  The Artichoke Joe's at the end of San Mateo Ave. is now a huge casino and Lullaby Lane is completely gone.  Dad had questions of his own which I tried to answer, but most of them were questions from his memory that dated before I was born, so I told him he would have to ask mom when he saw her later.  Our trip through Brisbane and Bayshore was nostalgic.  I showed Kory where I learned to ride my first two wheeler on the street where my great grandmother Jesssie lived and where my dad spent most of his childhood.  We drove through Brisbane and squeezed down the narrow and windy streets to where my mother grew up, and past the grammar school where dad met mom.  Kory loved every minute of it and we had so much fun sharing it all with him.  It was bittersweet to go back.  So much has changed...run down homes, different buildings, more people and more cars...it's just as well that dad stayed home.  Preserving the memories he has of these areas was a better choice.

Milbrae House of Pancakes

A Family stlye pancake house that locals adore. This restaurant was a favorite of mine growing up. Just a couple of blocks from my High School, we would often frequent this place for lunch and an occasional 4th period extended lunch ;)






                                           

                                       

                                             

Dad's childhood neighborhood just blocks away from the Cow Palace.

Above Pictured: Momma Jessie and Pop's house in Bayshore

Dad's house just two door's up from Ma Jessie's

Dad's cousin Neil's house two blocks over

Bayshore Elementary

With just two tables in the restaurant to serve, we were finished quickly so we decided to grab some ice cream before heading to my house.  Dad was exhausted.  He slept until my mom came to get him after work.  It was so nice to spend time with my dad again. 

Bucket List

A lot has happened since our last lunch with dad.  My sister and her husband, Dan, moved back to Fresno from the Central California coast.  A necessary move for various reasons, but a difficult one to say the least.  They had to leave their son, daugher in law and two grandbabies behind which has been nothing short of agonizing for both of them.

 (Mother's Day 2012 Visit)

Of course the obvious weather adjustments and lifestyle changes have been challenging.  As difficult as it was to leave they are settling in to the Fresno/Clovis routine and it is like riding a bike.  Some say Fresno is a vortex...once you move here...you can never really leave.  In my sister's case I suppose this rings true!

My sister started her new job within the first two weeks of moving back while my brother in law, on the other hand, is nursing a very badly injured knee that is due for surgery sooner rather than later.  I feel so bad for him as he hobbles around on what looks like an exotic melon rather than a knee joint!  He never complains and is so willing to help out wherever and whenever needed.  Dan has always been such a hard worker and really loves to serve others.  It is in his blood to serve.  He amazes me.  In particular he loves to cook and watch people enjoy his gourmet dishes.  He has become the household chef for my parents and they are loving every minute of it!

In addition to my sister moving home...Joe and I moved about a week later.  Our new home is larger and closer to the school.  We love it!  Our move was necessary as well.  We had a short amount of time to get out of our old home and into our new home due to Joe's schedule with the railroad.  This brings me back to my brother in law again.  I watched in awe as he hobbled around on a terribly swollen knee tirelessly helping Joe move our entire home, and I never once heard him complain about how badly he hurt.  We are so blessed to have family that are supportive.  Not many people can say that they love their brother in law like a real brother...but I can honestly say that Dan is the big brother I never had.  I am so thankful for him.


I invited my sister and Dan to lunch with dad the first week they were here.  We went to the Doghouse Grill, a restaurant that caters to the college atmosphere and is right across the street from Fresno State.  This was a great choice for hanging out.  Not so conducive to conversation but a great place to reconnect and enjoy each others company.

 We had a great time.  Mariah had just been picked up by Fresno State's soccer team and so we had a blast talking about the excitement ahead of us on the pitch!




















The following Friday dad and I went to the Madd Duck.  This is a local pub that has several flat screen tv's with various sports playing on all of them.  I guess you could call it a sports bar.  Dad and I love the sweet potatoe fries and their sliders.  We didn't spend much time looking at the menu which was great because we had a lot to talk about :)

Apparently dad is still "tinkering" and continues to drive my mom crazy.  Dad said he told her "I won't pull the dirt over my head until I'm dead!"  I cracked up at that one.  I told dad that even though it drives mom crazy...I'm glad he is busying himself with this and that.  For those of you who do not know, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2007.  I am constantly encouraging my dad to get out in the sun and soak up the vitamin D!  I am pleased that he is tinkering but don't tell my mom ;)

( Dad's Crazy Hair Hat :)

Dad and I ended up reminiscing about my childhood as we often do when we get together.  We remembered the many motorcycle trips we took and the motorcycle club "Trails and Wheels" we belonged to when we lived in San Bruno.  I learned to ride my first dirt bike at the ripe old age of 10 and progressed to bigger and faster bikes and engagd in racing and jumping over mini tracks that we created while camping.  This was a huge part of my childhood and my dad was my hero on the motorcycle.  Dad and I remembered people we hadn't thought about in years and wondered how and what they were doing. 


Dad, as usual, bagged up half of his meal and brought it home for my mom.  We went back to the new house where dad patiently (for the most part) waited for my mom to get off work and pick him up.  This has become our lunch with dad routine and it is nice because dad gets to visit with the kids for a bit...if they're home that is...most of the time at least one or two of them are home, so it works.

Two Friday's ago we decided to try out a new place...Eureka Burger.  Dad said his goal with our lunches was to try as many places out as possible.  I love that idea and told him I thought it was a great goal!  Eureka Burger happens to be a really great little restaurant with probably the best burgers I have ever tasted in my entire life!  The cool thing is we are related by marriage to one of the owners.  If you are a local I highly suggest this gourmet burger joint.  The food is incredible and healthy. 

Dad was in a fun mood and said he wanted to make a running list of wishes.  A bucket list if you will.  Funny thing is...I was going to suggest we make one together.  This lunch with dad rountine has got us in sync :)  The following are some of the wishes we came up with for our Bucket List:

Lunches-New place each visit
Trout fishing
Watch Mariah play Semi Pro (Clovis Heat team) and Fresno State
Watch Marlee in her dance recitals this summer
See Colby play baseball
Get my jeep running again
Go to a Giant's game
Go to a 49er game
Cruise to Alaska
Visit Cananda again
Go back to Hawaii

Here we got a little side tracked and reminisced about our trips to Hawaii when I was a young girl. We have a lot of good memories together and I think this bucket list is do-able. I will keep you all posted...and rememeber to be blessed! Life is too short to live it any other way :)

(Dad Being a nut at Eureka Burger)

(too sexy for my cane!)