A qucik little Ode to my dad!

Sometimes when I am at home all day reading and writing, the only thing I have to look forward to is what I am having for lunch. The past few weeks, this has lead me to spend a little more money then desired on impromptu lunches out. In an effort to cut down on that expensive habit, I resolved to start buying some interesting things for lunches in, because let's face it, I have had enough bland sandwiches to last me till heaven. Today for lunch I had this....

and the whole time I ate it, I couldn't help but remember my dad fixing the same thing oh so long ago on Saturday afternoons or in the evenings when mom was gone. The chili dog is something that will always make me think of my dad. I know that's strange, but it's those simple things in life that usually make me think of him.

On another note, let me share with you a dad and daughter story that wiggled up into my mind from a memory filing cabinet buried deep in my brain from long ago. This past weekend when I was working, a dad and daughter came into Target, and the daughter was dressed in a cheer leading uniform. This made me think back to my cheer leading days. When I wanted to try out for cheer leading, my parents enrolled me into a tumbling class specifically for cheerleaders. Most of the time, my dad took me. My mom may have taken me a few times, but in my memory , it was always my dad sitting in the colorfully decorated observation room watching a bunch of 12 year olds doing hurkies and toe-touches. After about six months of my tumbling class, I got good enough where I attempted to do a round-off back-hand-spring all by myself...no spotter. For a 12 year old just starting her cheerleading career, this is a huge accomplishment. I was nervous as all get out, but I did it anyway. The roundoff went fine, and the back-hand-spring was ok too. Instead of my hands, I landed on my elbows, and instead of my feet, I landed on my knees, but I went over all by myself! I remember being on all fours realizing what I had just done, looking over to the parent's room with a huge smile, and my dad stood up and started clapping for me! He gave me a standing ovation in front of all the other parents watching their daughters. He had that smile that I always saw when he was excited about something and was clapping loud enough for me to hear it in the gym. I was so proud of myself, and was proud that dad was proud, that I stood up and literally jumped in circles all the way back to the end of the matts. Now the next few handsprings didn't go so well...my nerves got the best of me, but for that first time, I will always have that memory of my dad, my #1 cheerleader, cheering me on.