To my dear (not so) old dad

So just for the record, my dad is definitely better than your dad.  You can try to fight me on this one but I know the truth and I'm always right so don't even start with me.

Today is my superawesomegenius daddy's birthday.  I will not give away his age because apparently as people age the topic of age becomes touchy...  Either way some amount of years on this most beauteous day my father came into this world.  He comes from a different place than the rest of us (no not outer space people) but from the woods, you know like the outdoors.  Most of us are unfamiliar with this place because we are sucked into our virtual worlds (hello, this is a blog...) but my dad grew up playing outside, building things, playing in the DUMP (yeah like a real live trash heap), and in rivers and other naturey outdoorsy things.  And while building things from scraps and taking apart computers and building my own boat do not sound  like appealing activities to me in any way there must be something to this exploration play because my dad is (not to brag) a pretty smart dude.  Not only is he a brilliant mathematician, he can also fix things - a skill I most definitely lack.  He has basic knowledge of cars, plumbing, building, painting, computers the list goes on and on.

But the best part my dad is also just a genuinely good human being.  Over and above all things he has taught me to be the same (I hope I'm turning out to be a good one).  He is helpful (he can't say no...sometimes to his detriment), kind, incredibly dedicated to his students (all you students out their bitching about professors, eat your words), and loves his family.  I am so lucky to have a daddy who coached me in calculus through sobbing phone calls, repaired my computer from 500miles away, is always willing to answer a tech question or a car question or a math question, and who loves me and would do anything to make sure I am ok.  Thanks for tutoring me in every math class I've ever taken (even though I stink), and teaching me to play sports (even though I stink at those as well), and teaching me to be computer literate (that I stink at less!), and for letting me be whoever I wanted to be and loving me just the way I am.   Thanks for working yourself to the bone (you know you are my favorite cash cow!)  so that I could go have my fabulous life!

So today, big thumbs up to all the great dads out there who work hard to support and love their children.  But the biggest kudos goes to my dad, the best one there is.  Happy Birthday Daddy!  I love you!