I guess I do remember

I hate July, and the biggest reason why is what happened 18 years ago today. My dad went into his second open heart surgery and didn't make it out. It surprises me how much it can still affect me today.

I've been looking through old pictures and flashing back to those times a lot lately. And its occurring to me that after 18 years, I feel like I don't remember much about him. But as I looked at the pictures, I do have memories of the trips and occasions that are captured in those images. Those don't go away.

This is one of many pictures I've found from one of our many trips to the Vilas Zoo in Madison. As a kid that zoo seemed so big. And the trip to that zoo was always a big deal, at least it seemed that way to me. The sea lion enclosure behind us looks the same today. I know now as a grown up that the zoo isn't that big, but its big in sentimental value. In fact, when I wrote my cover letter to apply at the Wisconsin State Journal, I mentioned the memories I have of trips to the zoo as a child. And now its really special for us to go there now with Allie. I'm sure it seems really big to her.

Here we are on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. We're really tiny in the middle. I remember climbing all the way up into the crown. This was way before 9/11 of course, so we could still go into the statue. We couldn't go into the torch though. We went there the summer after I finished second grade. And after the Statue of Liberty, my most vivid memory is of the traffic jams and how I told my parents I'd never go to New York  City again because of the traffic jams. I haven't been back to New York City since then, but I'd like to go there, hopefully to run the New York City Marathon someday.

I don't remember the occasion for this photo but there's Jeni, Johanna and me with dad. Our property had so many trees. My dad didn't want to ever move because he didn't want to drive past the house and see all the trees cut down. I haven't been down that direction in a long time but I don't think they're all cut down.

During the vacation to New York, we also went to Washington D.C. I remember seeing the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. I suppose I don't remember as much about that portion of the trip though, except for getting sick in the hotel. I think more than one of us got sick during that trip. That must have been fun for Mom.

My dad built an addition onto the back of our house when I was really young. It was our family room and it had a playroom in the basement. We eventually stopped using that part of the basement though because it flooded a lot. The family room had a separate stair case into the playroom. At some point an attempt was made to jackhammer through the concrete from the other part of the basement to former playroom. There was a big hole in the wall, but never a real doorway.

I guess I do remember a lot. I wish Allie could have met her grandpa though. I'll tell her what I can when I have a chance though. As long as I have these pictures, I do have the memories.

I miss you daddy.