I saw a TV show the other day that I am sure dad would have enjoyed. On the Discovery Channel they have a show called “Pitchmen.” This is about the world of direct TV sales for interesting and unique products (Info-commercials). Dad always did enjoy his late night $19.99 purchases. We have many items around the houses that are a “must have” and many of them were a surprise at how useful they actually turned out. Then again, there were a few duds! I have purchased a few items in spirit of dad and the most useful one yet is the grab-it screw extractor.

      Time keeps on moving and it seems that in many aspects the year is becoming more difficult. I thought 2009 would be the start of positive change, but now I am looking to 2010. I am in full swing with the doctorate program and after my residency last week I am rethinking my dissertation topic. Today I drove dad’s charger to work and like normal, was stopped by 2 people who appreciate the 60’s muscle car. I always tell them it is my dads and one said I was lucky that he lets me drive it. Too bad dad is not around to put gas in it, as it is very thirsty for premium gas!

Attached is a picture from December of 1994 that mom took. It has the car, us kids, and Dad.

Till then,

~Jason

                 Dad is always on my mind!!! I am out of the school for the summer!!! I wish Dad was here to see me studying to get my teaching license to teach English grades 5 to 8. In grade school, English was my worst subject and now it is my best and most favorite subject. I missed Dad greatly on Father’s Day and had Dunkin’ Donut holes in thought of him. Love, Amanda

The picture of Sam, the kids, and the Charger brought back multitudes of memories! The Charger was my mom’s before we acquired it in the late 70’s for $600! Sam drove that car to the different hospitals that he worked in while we were Baltimore. It was parked out on the street (we did not have a garage) and if only it could talk! A couple was arrested fighting on the hood-they took out the antenna, the windshield sustained a bullet hole and the same bullet took out the headliner-a man shooting at his girlfriend’s ex, it had a polka-dot paint job after a man decided to paint the front of his rowhouse white and used a roller, and finally my yearly tire changing-when Sam would accidently run over a “Thunderbird” bottle while coming back to Hopkins to park—–AAA would not come and change it, they said the area was too dangerous!!!!! When we moved to Cleveland the Charger was only driven in good weather and parked when it started to snow. In 1993 on our move to Houston we dropped the Charger off in St. Joseph, Missouri to get some restoration done on it. My parents delivered the car to us 1994 with a new paint job! The doctors at Anderson hinted that Sam was paid enough to get a “new” car, but that was his baby and he would never think of parting with it—even though it did not have air conditioning! The Charger is pictured with each of our kids when they attended their proms, Amanda and Brendan left their wedding and drove to the reception in this very special car. Jason has worked on it over the years and a few years ago took on the job of a complete restoration. Sam quit driving the Charger to work everyday when he purchased his Victory motorcycle, but it thrilled him to take it to medical dinners in Houston because of all the attention it got, now his car was placed in front of a business and valet’s were excited to get a chance to park it!!!
I always enjoy opening my garage and to see the Charger there, that car holds decades of wonderful memories of my life with Sam and my mom. ~Rhonda