Lake Placid, NY

I just handed Erin off to her mother for a quick snack before bed. She gave me a big hug around my neck and I left the room. I immediately ducked back in and said, “Erin!” – to get her attention – “I love you.” I then slipped out. It’s important to me that “I love you” be the last words she hears from DaDa each night. I want her to always know how much she is loved. Being the sole working parent (right now) I don’t get to spend the quality time with her that I wish I could and so the few hours I have with her in the morning and evening are precious to me – even if, at times, the stresses of the day-to-come or the day-that-was preoccupy my mind. I’ve just come off a long week away on business to a 5-day vacation with my wife and daughter. What a wonderful five days it has been.

In five short days, I have gone to the mountains that I love, spent some VERY quality time with my wife and daughter, celebrated my 6th wedding anniversary, celebrated my 1st Father’s Day, ate some really good overpriced food and some really good cheap food, went for an early morning hike with my wife and daughter and an afternoon sail with my Dad.

I am now bidding my five days ‘goodnight’ by grilling up some hotdogs for dinner. Grilling food has become my new addiction. I’ve been grilling almost non-stop the last month or so. I cook our dinner and then ask my wife, “what else do we have that I can grill???” I suppose in the culture that I grew up with, grilling sort of defines the Father-role. My dad always was the one in charge of the grill, as is my father-in-law. I’m not looking for gender equality around the charcoal and propane – I like it just the way it is.

Happy Father’s Day everyone.