 |
| A small John Deere from his Tractor Fleet.... |
 |
| King of the Hill - Bobby, Hank, Peggy, Luanne & Ladybird the Dog |
 |
| 1980's Dynasty Couple :) |
FATHER KNOWS BEST
I often wonder why some of the hippest cartoons or TV shows spotlight the dad as the star of the show. Bill Cosby, Peter Griffin of Family Guy, Fred Flinstone of the Flinstones, George Jetson, Stan Smith of American Dad, Homer Simpson of The Simpsons and King of Hill...with Hank Hill as the star - he definitely reminds me of my dad! You could say that the reason many TV shows feature the "Dad" as the star is because of sexism, favoring the male. But I think in this case, it is just because of the fact that Dads make extremely good characters!!!
My father, my dad - David Lee Grissom, is struggling with advanced prostate cancer. It is a debilitating disease, with many hurdles - but it doesn't define him. He's just a cool dad, with a very uncool disease.
SMALL TOWN BEGINNINGS....
I first met my dad on January 3, 1975 when I came out of my mother's womb into a cold hospital. I came out crying and yelling - the 9 month vacation was over! Preschool and demands would come soon.
As a newborn, I looked at my mom - blonde, blue eyed and a babe! Okay, the future looked pretty good...and then my dad, who had an obnoxious 70's haircut and big, goofy glasses! Hmmm, okay my future was 50/50. But lucky for me, my dad turned out to be a great guy and premature balding would take care of the bad hair!
And dad is a gentleman, bringing his new daughter a gift to the hospital. He brought me Fischer Price golf clubs to my bassinet. This wasn't a smart move as later in life, I literally accidentally hit him in the stomach with a golf shot! (I told him to move out of the way - as he was directly in my line of fire. And typically, he wouldn't have to worry, as I wasn't the most dedicated golfer - but that day, he felt the power of my club!)
My dad took a blurry picture of the clock because he was so excited to meet me and forgot to focus the camera. This must have jinxed me because I had horrible vision. Nothing the 1980's hip Sally Jessy Rafael red glasses wouldn't fix. Hubba Hubba!
My dad was so sweet about my insecurities of wearing glasses. In 2nd grade, he took me to get contacts. Back then in the 1980's, you had to MIX your own SALINE SOLUTION and also, sterilize them by this heating machine and other solution you mix up. It was definitely a science project. But I would often mix my solution next to my dad's contact cleansing area. Nowadays, it is so much easier!! Of course, in the 1990's, it became cool to wear glasses and people even wore them with no prescription - unbelievable!
 | ||||||
| A Methodist Church in the middle of Stamford, Texas |
Well, dad's tale of hardship is playing golf on a rock and dirt golf course in Stamford. He was a real resident of Bedrock - Mr. Fred Flinstone! But dad lived in the Bible Belt of Texas, Baptistville and the town loved a Revival!! I can't make fun of it because he is "good stock." And the small town has character, beauty and people who look out for each other. His dad, John "Pop" Grissom was a pilot, who came back to the West Texas region to work and his mother, Frances "Mom" Grissom was a past Ms. West Texas and dedicated mother. Dad had a younger brother of 5 years named Gary. Dad liked to play jokes on a little Gary, but Gary got him back later in life by becoming a better golfer. This would of course, irritate my father. But Gary was humble enough to allow him to play in tournaments with him - the dynamic duo often winning!
 |
| Dec 2012: Dad & His brother, Gary Grissom (my uncle) - Dad goofing off with an Elvis wig. The 2 brothers, 5 years apart are very close and have been competitive in golf and football. |
 |
| Gladewater, Texas - My mom's home |
My dad marries my mom, from East Texas and thinks of her as being a homely woman, with interest in baking, cleaning and other home type activities. She turns out to be one of those weird artists types and comedy ensues - you know, naked drawings of her husband, Women Wolf Pack meetings and even worse, she hacks off her beautiful blonde locks in favor of a short Jane Fonda hair do!!! What was a West Texan Hank Hill like man to do - well, if you can't beat them....join them!
DAVID GRISSOM, ATTORNEY AT LAW
Dad is actually a good lawyer with a heart of gold (almost a mythical creature), who really wants the best for his clients. He wanted to help people. And he did....he helped get me out of several speeding tickets. Muhahahaha! One time, at his law firm, he had my brother and I there while my mom went to a class. Of course, over the afternoon, the kids got bored and restless, so we suggested that dad drop us off at Astro World, a local amusement park. (It was the 80's and things were perceived as safer....) Garrett and I were in 4th or 5th grade I believe. Well, he dropped us off, told us exactly what time to meet us back at the spot and we went off to our roller coaster adventure!! We came back exactly on time and thrilled about the day's antics. When my mom found out though, that we were dropped off at Astro World without supervision, my dad was in big trouble!! My brother and I probably had a hunch in the back of our head that our mom wouldn't want us to ask Dad to drop us off at Astro World, but it was fun to take advantage of clueless dad in the days before the cell phone!!!
Being from a small town, dad would sometimes except the "barter system" as payments for his services. One client was a hair barber who gave dad lifetime hair cuts after dad worked on a case for him. Dad, of course, took Garrett and I to receive these services and the poor Barber had to learn how to style a demanding girl's hair. I wanted bangs and so he just chopped my hair with one cut. He was an old school barber. But I got back at my dad when I was in college at SMU, and had Jose Eber, a famed Beverly Hills stylist work on my golden locks. $$$ Cha Ching! Actually, he shagged (cut, not the British definition) my hair to bits. The barber actually did a better and more basic job!
 |
| 3700 Montrose Blvd, my dad's old office in Houston, Texas |
FATHER LOVES PETS
If it has fur, my dad has a soft spot for it. My dad is a true care-taker and has always loved animals! They have traveled with us on airplanes, been on the golf course and have been snuck into restaurants - mostly successfully.
 |
| Showing off the Pet Stroller to everyone!! |
When it came to MY pet choice, it was a cat for me! But cats have access to more hiding places around the house. Only my dad would take apart an entire pool table to retrieve my kitty cat stuck inside. (My brother thought it would be funny to shove him in there and watch him navigate the tunnels.) I was scared at the time, but when I think about it now, it was funny to see a frustrated dad, with his tools, attempting to take apart a very heavy pool table set that was meowing - and occasionally, you'd see a flash of the cat navigating the tunnels. In the end, after he had unsuccessfully taken most of it apart - it was food at the pool ball's entrance that lead the cat to safety.
And when a bully cat started beating up my spoiled and defenseless Persian long haired cat (think Fancy Feast), he saved the day by tossing the invading cat over our fence!
When our poodle died while I was away at camp, I came home distraught that I couldn't say goodbye. One look from my mom and dad went out in the yard, exhumed the poodle's buried body so that his daughter could look one last time at the dog. I think after this memorable moment, he never wanted to watch Stephen King's "Pet Cemetery."
And you already know about my parents staying in an RV for the night, whilst the cat got a hotel suite. See my older blog entries on that story. On that trip, he actually taught the cat to walk on a leash!
After Garrett and I went away to college, we were replaced by Yorkshire Terriers. 3 dogs - Wycke, Shivas and Wolf became the newly doted upon. I knew I was up against something when I came home to find a crib next to their bed and a little dog in it. I guess around 50, your mind starts to go......
 |
| I'm with a Yorkie, a bottle of your finest! And make it snappy! |
My husband loves to sleep in and my dad gleefully uses the Yorkshire Terriers as alarms!! At a certain point in the morning, dad opens the door, inserts the dog in Rob's bed and you hear, "Ugh, get off me!" Rob tosses dog out, dad keeps up same routine until a defeated Rob joins the family. Brilliant!!
Rob knew no boundaries with my parents though. Rob was chasing our family cat with the kitchen tongs one time and the cat escaped to my parent's bedroom. "Not on my watch," shouted Rob. He ran in the bedroom, with my parents in the bed, and went under their bed to retrieve the cat with the tongs. My parents just looked at me (laughing in the background) with a look that said, "This is who you married? A cat abuser?" The dog was safe with my dad, on his lap, watching the night's chaos.
| GREEN ACRES IS THE PLACE TO BE...... |
Back in school, I hated that I got a tractor as a gift - but now, I wish I had that tractor back! Dad attempted to get me to mow the lawn with the tractor, or dig holes, or whatever a tractor does...
I just liked owning it and looking at it.
One time, I wore some very short shorts to mow the lawn on the tractor and that was the last time he asked me to do so. Snicker!
We had pecan trees on our land and our parents attempted to teach us the value of a dollar by having my brother, Garrett and I pick tow sacks of them. We had huge bags filled with pecans - and each sibling sometimes stole from each other's stash.
Friends loved to come over to our house, except on weekends. That meant being woken up to do chores - like help paint the fence, or clean the porch, or work on whatever project the adults did for "fun." If my parents felt that Garrett and I or our friends needed lecturing, that was done in the early morning, on the porch, when teenagers are MOST ready to hear it. (Note the sarcastic tone???!) And dad would gleefully wake us all up with "Good Morning to You" songs, the song wouldn't stop until we finally cracked a smile.
DAD PRANKS CAN EARN SPANKS!
I know, we were abused children, but we found ways to get back at my dad. Poor father never stood a chance. There was the time when we put a fake snake in his bed. And thankfully, we were covered with Health Insurance for the subsequent heart attack that followed afterwards.
I remember our first lap top computer and Garrett and I were thrilled with the microphone on it. We recorded our dad's voice, "My name is David Grissom, attorney at law" and had it say that every time he logged in at the office.
I feel bad for dads. Sometimes, you have to do things you never would do if you weren't a parent. We made him ride an amusement park elevator drop ride and even I felt bad as he let out a terrified groan all the way down.
My best friend Sheleah and I were up at the crack of dawn one morning and decided to get the household some donuts as a surprise. It was pitch black outside. I backed the BMW convertible of my dad's out on the driveway only to hear a LOUD crunch!! We had hit the farm trailer that was lower than our vehicle. My poor dad was awoken at 5:45am to this news.
CHURCH YOUTH GROUP
Dad was a leader in our Church Youth Group. Those kids could get away with anything compared to Garrett and I!! He loved working with the kids. On Sunday School mornings, he would bring in Taco Bell, donuts or kolaches to hungry Church goers. Garrett and I remember the typical, "TURN THE MUSIC DOWN" lecture while driving in the car with my parents - but the youth group kids, he'd smile when they turned it up!
VACATION GOLF AWAY
 |
| Santa brings Dad 24 Hour Golf Possibilities - on the course and at home! |
When we went on vacation, golf was always a factor to consider. Whether it be Hawaii, cruises, Europe or other...dad found a way to pudder around with his putter!
One time, in Hawaii, the hotel was doing renovations and put us in a horrible location. The staff didn't seem to be really working on the problem, so my dad "stole" a hotel golf cart with a frantic staff member running behind him.
Dad loves to "walk the course." Garrett and I love to "race on the course" with the golf carts.
When I was younger, I could get away with giving him gimmicks, like exploding golf balls. But nowadays, he wants the aerodynamically engineered and lab tested super-strength titanium, etc...golf clubs! He's become a golf snob - the right shirts, the right balls, the right clubs...typical guy!
COLLEGE or ANIMAL HOUSE?
Right out of high school, my parents wished for me to start exposing myself to a college education. They sent me to Houston Community College, Houston Baptist University and Baylor for classes - before my actual Fall Semester. I was absolutely scared of going to Baylor by myself, away from Houston and my dad drove me up there to meet with the professors and other students in the London program. He made me feel comfortable and I was tickled to see him suggest we stop in Brenham, Texas for some Blue Bell ice cream. The ice
cream never tasted so good with him!
On another British Abroad program, I took a History class where I had to read Henry Kissinger's "Diplomacy." It was a hard read for me and I called my dad telling him this. Without letting me know, a fax appeared later at my college in Oxford with an outline of the first few chapters. By then, I had read most of the book and had even gotten some of Kissinger's sense of humor - but it made me feel very special that my dad wanted to help out.
Dad wanted to see where all of the American Express charges were being made at - some place called The Green Elephant at SMU. He found out it was a bar. He then cross examined the bouncers to see if his daughter was a regular...Guilty!
When my mom or mother-in-law couldn't attend my all female Tri Delta sorority Senior girls luncheon, my dad stepped in to cover. He looked at me astonished and said, "Do they all (a room full of women) just keep talking?!" What a dad...to drive 5 hours to some sorority luncheon and drive back to Houston.
GRISSOMparents (Gigi and Da)
Golfing with Da.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4Xz3ZsSCts
 |
| Longhorn Brainwashing Attire (smile). Da has the kids proudly showing the "dog poop" they had collected from the yard. Yuck - don't only Aggies do this?! |
 | |||||
| Gigi, Hayden, Colin and Da -July, 2008 |
