[The Boss]

I spent yesterday with my father - went up to Massachusetts to finish up the leaves in the yard for him. He's 84 and since my Mom passed away has been alone at home - and is really enjoying himself.

He's always got something going on, He's helping the Holyoke Library work through their expansion project and has built 3 other libraries in his lifetime. He goes to shows and concerts in the area a couple times a week and writes reviews for an on-line magazine and still has a couple customers left over from his advertising business he takes care of as well. He's also active in local politics and was a delagate to the state convention this year.

He was never a terribly handy man & I was always the one fixing the lawnmower or a lamp in the house. But he did teach me one very valuable lesson - Buy good tools and you buy them once!

I still have (and use) the first skill saw I bought myself in 1987 and the drill I got with it, the first nail gun in 1992, and most of the hand tools I've accumulated in those years as well. I still use the Husky chain saw I bought in 1991 to clear the lot for my first house and the Estwing hammer I used to build it.

It was great spending time with him yesterday - if I can be half the man in my life that he's been in his, I'll have done well.