Papa

Everyone knows how much I love my mom. She gets a lot of attention on this site, and quite frankly I think it's going to her head.

Growing up everyone told me that I looked just like her. I assumed this to be true until I saw a black & white picture of my dad as a teenager. Give me horn-rimmed glasses, a plaid button-down shirt, tight pants (actually I've already got tight pants), a perm, subtract 10 pounds of muscle (adding back 10 pounds of brains) and you've got the technicolor version of Glenn, 30 years younger.

Seeing that picture spurred an amazing argument a few weeks later that ended with me yelling: "We fight because we're exactly the same!" It was incredibly dramatic. I'm not sure how he kept a straight face.

These days, my dad and I are still stubborn, still analytical, still perfectionists. Neither of us shies away from telling the occassional bad joke. I hope the comparisons continue from there because my dad is decent, honest, kind, smart and funny. He takes chances, takes things in stride, gives everyone a fair shot and tries his hardest at everything he does. If you've never met my dad you're missing out on more than just the chance to see a grown man wear a headband.

My dad is my hero and trying to document all the things I owe to him, all the things he's taught me, and all of the ways I model myself after him was never going to fit on one page. But I'm glad I gave it a shot. I love you dad.

Eric