Yes, yes, the Chicago post is coming. I had a fabulous time, foot pain and all, but today is my dad’s birthday, so using that as an excuse, I’m going to post some things that I have been thinking about for a while (for posterity…so this post may totally bore any of you not related to me, or who don’t know Nev).

My dad is hilarious. He tells the lamest jokes ever (we were discussing adoption tonight and he once again mentioned that one of my sisters was adopted…but then they brought her back) that always make me laugh. With him? At him? Does it really matter?

One of his favorite funnies (not so much a joke) is referring to himself as Good Old Dad. Create an acronym and you’ll get the humor in it. His favorite is to remind us to thank “Good Old Dad” for whatever it is he has done for us at that moment.

He doesn’t really share how he feels, but it is obvious through his actions. He has moved every one of us multiple times. He has installed crown molding, recessed lighting, kitchen cabinets, and painted more walls than I could ever count. He pays for plane tickets for us to visit each other and we know that, no matter what happens, he will be there if we need him (like for me, now, as I live in the apartment over his garage). And, as seen above, he lets his granddaughters play with his hair.

He has always been a great example of hard work and frugality. Unfortunately, I only inherited the former…my spending habits I got from my mom. And even though he wishes I could figure out the real difference between wants and needs, he is really good about not making me feel bad about my inability to do so.

In teaching us about hard work, he also taught us the importance of each step in a project. In any project, there are four steps. You probably thought that it varied based on the project, but it doesn’t. There are always four and only four. Sure, within those four, there might be multiple tasks that must be done, but any and every project can be subdivided into the following four steps:

1. Prep: this step includes planning and setting up for the project.
2. Do: pretty self-evident.
3. Clean up: again, not much explanation.
1. Most people would think the project was over at this point.
2. Most people are mistaken. Step four is not only the most important, but also requires the most time.
4. Admire: this step can be done alone, at first, but in order for any project to be truly finished, you must actually include at least one more person in this step. This step requires “ooohs” and “aahs”. Not necessary to this step, but definitely encouraged, are phone calls to others who are not able to be part of Step 4 in person, photographs to be shared for years to come, and later discussions about just how great the project turned out.

I have to say I have a pretty great dad, even if we don’t see eye to eye on everything. So here’s a big birthday wish to my favorite dad ever! Happy Birthday, Dad.

Oh, and thanks for dinner.