20 Questions for My Dad

I've got a new label for family history related posts that I hope will help humanize the names on my family tree. Whether you know my father personally or not, I find the following to be universally entertaining. By way of introduction, I'll include the first things that come to mind when I think of my dad. First off, he's my living hero. Secondly, he eats Raisin Bran almost every morning. He used to walk to work almost everyday. He's a pharmacist so I used to tell people that he was a drug dealer when they asked what he did for a living. When I was in Kindergarten, he would leave for work the same time I left for school and he'd race me to the end of our block. One of his life goals was to be fit enough to play full court basketball on his 40th birthday, which he did, with me and my church youth group.

1. What was your first address and phone number that you
memorized? First address: 209 Washington Court, Indpls, Indiana. First phone number was in Kettering: Axminster 9-2680. The address there was 1341 Wheatland Ave., Kettering, OH 45429.

2. Do you dream in color or black and white? I'm not sure, but I assume in color.

3. Which TV channel do you watch the most and why? ESPN sports channels for the sports (basketball and tennis). I watch CBS local news because I like that weatherman the most.

4. What's your favorite candy/dessert and why? Kookaburra Liquorice and strawberry shortcake (made my way). My favorite category of dessert is PIES. Why? Because they taste so good.

5. If you had to be one or the other, would you choose to
be blind or deaf, and why? Deaf. Being deaf can cut you off socially, but being blind robs you of your independence. I think I could better compensate for deafness, than for blindness.

6. What was your worst subject in grade school? English.

7. Who is the best-looking celebrity you know? (I was interested to know which actress my father considered attractive or something like that. Unfortunately, that answer will have to wait for another day.)

8. Are you more of a cat person or a dog person and why? Dog. They are more responsive and affectionate.

9. How many times have you moved in your life and which
place was your favorite and why? Ignoring temporary moves and college, 14 times I believe. Silver City - the weather is close to perfect.

10. Which of your grandparents did you know and what do you remember about them? I have one memory of my maternal grandfather, Floyd Zook, as an old man sitting in a rocking chair in Peru, Indiana. I have lots of memories of grandma Zook, as a kind, christian woman. I did not know my paternal grandfather. I did know a step-grandfather, Joseph Mitchell, who was a quiet, soft-spoken man, who was married to my paternal grandmother, Hilda Mitchell. I think it was the second marriage for both of them, and grandpa Mitchell had his own grown children. Grandma Mitchell loved to play cards - rummy, as I remember.

11. What's your zodiac sign and what does it mean to
you? Cancer. The descriptions of personality seem quite accurate - I'm not sure why. I was also born in the chinese year of the dog - that seems very accurate also.

12. How many brothers and sisters do you have? Four brothers and one sister.

13. Before you got married, how may kids did you want? Four. After I got married, I still wanted four.

14. If you had to be born in a different age, which would you choose and why? Some period where they made glasses for vision.

15. Tell me a joke you recently heard.
J. Golden Kimball was a Mormon missionary walking down the street with his companion, when he approached a minister who was adamant in his opposition to the Mormon Church (and its missionaries). When the minister stopped them he said, "Good Morning, you sons of the devil." To which, Elder Kimball, doffing his hat, replied, "Good morning, father."

16. What was your first paid job? Painting a house.

17. Who was your childhood hero? Vada Pinson (center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds), Jim Brown (running back - Cleveland Brown), John Havlichek (sp?) and Jerry Lucas (Ohio State - basketball national champs), Jimmy Rael (sp?) who played for the Indiana Hoosiers and could literally shoot the ball from anywhere on the whole basketball court, and did. Not to mention The Lone Ranger, Johnny Mack Brown, Superman, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Cheyenne Bowdie, Palladin, and Marshall Dillon.

18. What's your favorite scripture passage and why? Alma 22:18 (from The Book of Mormon: "O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead.") It's what it is all about.

19. What's the best part of your day and why? About 10 am; I'm a morning person.

20. How did you feel when I was born? Surreal, punch drunk, happy, and knowing that my life just changed forever.