"You used up all the glue...ON PURPOSE!!"

Every time I say, "Dad, I'll be right back. I'm going to run to the store," he always says, "Don't run. You'll get tired. Drive instead."

I'll summarize the actual statement.

 

On my way to get my driver's license my dad said something to the effect of "certain male body parts have no conscience."

 

He also always said "you think I can to town on a turnip truck?"

"Well my goodness, **rockmom! " He'd say this when he was exasperated with me.

 

**he used my real name. .

 

He's gone now. But I still hear that on my head when I do stuff I know he'd shake his head at.

 

"All you have is family". There was absolutely nothing my dad held of higher value than family. He would (and did) give his last dime to someone he felt needed it. He let many family live with us. He paid for all my grandparents bills, including groceries ,for all his adult life till they passed. He paid the nursing home and hospital bills for 1 brother, his mother and a sister and a brother in law. And he paid for 4 funerals. We were poor, but rich compared to them.

 

My God, I miss him so much it hurts.

I spent the most time with my dad at Churchill Downs. If he lost a race he would say every time "I knew that horse was going to win. I should have bet him". Every time.

 

Also, he said when I would go out "wear a condom". I don't know why he thought I was doing something that needed one, because I left high school a virgin. Many nights in high school I wish I could have heeded his advice. He should have said "don't drink and drive". I have no idea how I didn't kill myself or some one else.

When someone was complaining about a relatively mundane thing: "A hundred years from now it won't make any difference."

'You're having too much fun'

 

'Don't play ball in the house'

 

'Don't make me come up there'

If you said you were hungry he'd say "look in the mirror, you'll get fed up".

 

If you said you had a headache he'd say "a head like that ought to ache".

 

Actually, he still says both of these.

"You'll have to work 2-3 times harder than a white man to have sustained success in this country. Do let anyone outwork you and you'll always be successful."

When it was time for guests to leave, dad would say "Here's your hat, what's your hurry .."

My dad was big on being on time. On time usually meant at least 1/2 hour early. Whenever I was late getting somewhere or coming home he would say "what took you so long...you must have come by way of Sandusky". Don't know what that meant, or where it came from as I've never heard anyone else say it.

"You can't get blood from a turnip."

Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who in the hell wants to be in an institution?

My Dad used to say "prit near" and "howdy do" ,and though he was raised in Covington in the 20's & 30's, and was a stickler for speaking perfect English, and was hardcore schooled at St. Patrick's and Covington Catholic, my grandfather was raised I believe in Gallatin County, so perhaps these were casual phrases that he had picked up from him.

"If a man has to yell at or cuss another to get his point across, he's not much of a man."