Happy Paddys Day

Today is my dads birthday, he is 55. He was born early, on St. Patricks Day. He goes by Pat, but his real name is James Patrick. I am fascinated by stories from my dads childhood. He was a fun, interesting kid.

As you are probably aware, my dad has had a multitude of looks. He has always taken great pride in his long hair in high school. I have heard many times how he and is his brother were the first to grow their hair long at PG high. I have fact checked this and they indeed were the only ones that had long hair in the yearbook. This is the shortened version, the wedding look.
He has not limited his look to the hair on his head. He has also had various combinations of facial hair. My dad has experimented with sun in, perms and once tried a spray on hair I bought as a joke. He is also a pretty fashionable guy. He takes great pride in his look. That look has changed several times over the year but here are a few staples worth mentioning, the Members only, T shirt with the sleeves cut off , the Ken Barbie suit, the Air Jordans, and Lava Lava shorts. Not sure he had them but the mere mention of them were a constant source of entertainment.
This is what I have always refered to as the Kenny Loggins. That's my grandfather on the right. I think he was maybe where my Dad picked up some fashion tips from. He has always been a pretty sharp dresser. Neck Kerchiefs, snap brim hats, desert boots. As you may or may not be able to tell from the fuzzy photo, he was a huge believer in the perm. He permed for years. Draw the shades, pour some drinks, and he and my step grandmother(behind me) had themselves an afternoon of perming. I am besides myself that I cannot find the perm picture. This look I call the Willford Brimley. This is one of my personal favorites. I spent many hours trying to photo shop this picture onto a can of oats. Photo doctoring is something else I have picked up from my dad. He once made a collage of me and a boyfriend when I was a sophomore. For several Christmases I gave him a photo album of pictures that I would caption. My dad clips things out of papers to stick on peoples lockers at work. You should also note that my Dad became quite a hat connoisseur as well, as he got a little older. This is my favorite picture of my dad. A typical Pat Sheppard pose. This picture was taken on 19th street. It's where my mom and John lived until they moved into Alder st. where I grew up. My dad and Sharon switched with them and moved onto 19th st. This was when Oscar was just a baby and my dad and I spent a lot of time together. We both delivered newspapers and on his day off I would hang around and follow him on his errands. I really enjoyed that time with my dad. As a matter of fact,I spent so much time there that Sharon came up with a way to ensure a night off. I was not a fan of lamb at the time and all she needed to say was that it was lamb night and I would steer clear. Thanks Sharon, for allowing me to be a constant presence. As is probably clear, I absolutely adore my dad. He is an amazing person. He is thoughtful and sensitive and so,so funny. I have been sick from laughing so hard, cried and cried. We share a sense of humor and I cherish that. My dad remembers everything you tell him. He asks questions to things I thought he would never remember and always remembers what we like and dislike. My dad used to keep tabs on all the things my mom or Sharon liked. At Christmas I remember getting out of school for a day and driving to Santa Cruz or San Fransisco to hunt down the exact present. He is an amazing gift giver and that day alone with him was a gift in itself to me.
Our relationship with our dad has really evolved. He has always been a joker and would wrestle and roughhouse. He was never much of a hugger and kisser. We always bumped foreheads, that was just a classic. But, I think after Sharon that really changed a lot. He hugs and kisses. We can be serious sometimes and talk. This blog has also been great because I have learned some things on Wednesdays that I didn't know about my dad. I look forward to each and every comment. I also hope that he has realized that Atlas building maintenance was one of the best times of my life. I will also speak for Alex and say that she feels the same, just for the time we had together. (yes Luisa, you too, on occasion) I love you dad. I wish I was with you today. I miss you a lot and look forward to our next visit, our week together was awesome. I am proud to be your daughter and I love to find our similarities. You have been a great father and a wonderful grandfather. We all love you so much and I hope you can feel that today. I hope that you enjoy your day and know we will all be thinking of you. I also want you to know that there are just too many stories and photos so I am holding back a few good ones because when I talk about you is when I get the most responses! What a star! Happy Birthday!