A Girl Always Needs Her Dad

I might be in my thirties, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in three decades, it’s that I’ll always need my Dad.

He’s also taught me some pretty great lessons over the years.

In honor of my old man’s birthday (November 1st for those of you who know him and want to wish him well) I’ve put together the top 15 lessons I learned from the best Dad a girl could ask for.

At Fenway with the best Dad a girl could ask for

1.) Take care of your car. I’m pretty bad at it, but I know I should check my oil, tire pressure, and miscellaneous fluids on a regular basis. It also couldn’t hurt to give the old girl a vacuum every once in awhile either.

2.) Family first. Friends come and go but your family is forever. Take care of them and they’ll take care of you right back.

Our family 🙂

3.) A deep and unwavering love for ALL things musical. Of course he taught me to appreciate the classics but the man has the MOST eclectic taste in music. Pretty ironic considering he can’t hear for shit! Just kidding Dad 🙂

4.) Gratitude and appreciation. Every night at dinner, without fail, Dad proclaims to Mom, “This is the best thing I’ve had to eat all day!” It doesn’t matter if it’s fish sticks or filet mignon, he appreciates the hot meal she takes the time to make for him. Thank yous go much farther than you’d ever think.

5.) Hard work pays off. The man worked a rotating schedule and almost never had a weekend off for 20 years, but he retired at 50. I call that WINNING.

Retiring at the ripe old age of 50!

6.) Celebrate your victories. No matter how small you think a win is, take a moment and appreciate a job well done.

7.) A place for everything, and everything in it’s place. As kids, if we didn’t put our stuff away, it was likely to get thrown out. On the plus side, if you always put your shit away, you always know where it is.

8.) Paddling a boat around a lake brings a unique sense of accomplishment and peace of mind. It’s pretty hard to be anything but happy surrounded by calm waters and wilderness.

Paddling around Emerald Lake 🙂

9.) Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Take pride in your work or no one else will.

10.) Be kind. It can mean the world and it costs you nothing. I’ve never seen my old man be rude to anyone. That includes people I’m pretty sure he can’t stand. Exclusion is for assholes. Being nice to people you don’t like doesn’t mean you’re fake, it means you’re mature enough to tolerate your dislike towards them.

11.) Bitching and moaning is a waste of time. If you can fix something, FIX IT! If not get over it already.

12.) Make some “me” time. Whatever it is you enjoy doing, make time for it. A hobby is a great way to blow off steam and challenge yourself.

The man’s a 6 handicap. That doesn’t happen by accident!

13.) Find the funny. Trips home from the Cape usually included a stop at Friendly’s before the bridge. One time, as Dad went to put ketchup on his fries, when he shook the bottle, he (and the whole restaurant) discovered the cap wasn’t fully on. Ketchup sprayed EVERYWHERE! The first person to laugh was my old man. That always stuck with me, because really, if you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

14.) The value of a dollar. As kids we got paid to rake the acorns in our yard. Let me tell you with four oak trees back there, that’s a shit ton of acorns. All I had to do was look at the calluses on my palms to realize money was something you earned.

15.) Enjoy life. No one gets out alive so you might as well have some fun while you’re here.

That’s the smile of a man who lives life to the fullest!

Happy Birthday Dad!! ILY

It Takes a Village

Hillary Clinton said it takes a village, and who am I to argue with Hillary??

Sunday is that one day of the year when we take the time to say, “thank you” to the women who raised us.

(By the way, how about we start doing that a little more often?!?)

Which got me thinking about all the women who have influenced my journey through life.

There are two I feel I lost just before I needed them most:

Aunt Joan – I will always have questions for you. Things I wished I’d thought to ask before it was too late. But, I’ve started to realize, the world you grew up in was far, far different from the challenges I encounter today. Sometimes the choices I have the freedom to make are daunting. I wish you were here to talk to.

Grama Gloria – If the woman you raised is any indication, you were a force to be reckoned with. I wish I remembered you more. I wish I had the foresight to ask for your story. In my mind you will always be an adventurer. From what I hear, that’s not far off.

There are those I still have the privilege to know and love:

Aunt DJ – There are no words for the strength of spirit I have witnessed over the years. I can only hope to one day approach life with the grace and class you exhibit every day.

Mom – my crazy, smart mother, who knows more than I can ever hope to – which I will never admit (again). You taught me anyone can learn anything if they set their mind to it and put in the work. I can never express how truly you inspire me every day to be a better person.

Barbara – my beautiful cousin who showed me family could be friends. You have taught me being vulnerable is a gift not all people receive. I only hope you know how very wondrous and fierce you are.

Those who have shown me professionalism and class are NOT mutually exclusive:

Maura Deedy – the first real female work friend I had in the “professional” world, she taught me that you CAN be a rock star at work without throwing your fellow woman under the bus

Erika Cook – my first female boss. I might have been just a waitress but you set the standard that for 20 years has made me believe women can be supportive and caring of their subordinates. Shame on you 🙂

And last but certainly not least:

My girls – that seems like such a lame word for the women who have held me up and encouraged me over the years. “Girl” completely discredits the reckoning you encompass. You are so much more than words could ever describe. Imagine that! I’m at a loss for words!! You know who you are. I love you fiercely.

Just a sampling of the “girls” who warm my heart:

I thought long and hard about the women to include in this post. There are far, far, many more goddesses who have helped show me love and kindness on my journey. I honestly did not have room for you all. (I fully relish the excess and decadence this sentence implies.) But that does not mean, in any way, shape or form, that your presence has not been felt, nor made a significant difference in my life. It has. You are appreciated and loved. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart.

Are there women in your life who have lent a helping hand on your journey?

Tell them!!

Who do you owe a “thank you”?

It’s Finally Friday!!!

Quote of the Day:

Techie Love:

Everybody pees and everybody carries a cellphone.

Inspirational:

One open heart at a time, you can change the world.

Health and Wellness:

Do you take things personally? Do you find your feelings get hurt more than you’d like? How to fix it.

Wine me, Dine me:

Thinking of going gluten-free? Check out this 5-day meal plan.

Do you love Chips Ahoy cookies as much as me?? Make your own at home! They’re even gluten-free!!

Survival Skills:

Power out? No candles? Flashlight out of juice? Try this.

Feed your Mind:

15 books to read before they get turned into movies.

Climbing the Ladder:

Looking for a job? Make sure you have these 7 skills on your resume.

Peace of Art:

Calling all gamers. The classics are now considered art. Who woulda thunk??

Giggles and Such:

Give the world a reason to dance.

Live your life like an open faced sandwich.

Have a great weekend!

It’s Finally Friday!!!

My parents were awesome and so is this tumblr.

Only in New York.

Could you live off the kindness of strangers??

Feeling like a failure??? Take a look at this:

10 places every American should see. How many have you been to??

Going on a road trip? The only app you’ll need.

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.

Desperate for a job? Check out these creative job search methods. My personal fave is #6!

2 questions everyone should ask themselves.

This asshole’s definitely Father of The Year material.

Apparently multitasking is BAD.

Why can’t camera straps be cute AND functional??

The next 10 years will define the next 10,000.

I’m obsessed with this!

You should be too! Get involved here and here.

And now for some giggles:

Poor white guys.

Shit nobody says.

How diets work.

The more colorful the thing the better it is for you!

Have a great weekend kids!

P.S. (I started an internship this week. That’s right folks! Between the two jobs and the blog I felt like I had too much free time so I decided to become a 30 year old intern! All jokes aside, due to the extremely limited free time I now have, Adventures In Adulthood will be going to a Wednesday and Friday publishing schedule. Enjoy!)