A Father/Son memoir that tells the story of a tough disciplinarian alcoholic Father and a sensitive, creative rebellious son. Through the years dad was always trying to toughen me up. He would say "I'm not here to be your friend, I'm here to be your father."It was difficult being the son of a man that was so blunt and in-your-face but in the end it was just what I needed. All the lessons he taught me were put to the test when he passed away unexpectedly Easter morning 2016. If I had to use one word to describe dad it would be "presence". Dad was a presence. He had a presence.

And he made his presence known wherever he went. He was a voice. A booming megaphone-like voice. And his smile could light up a room. He lived hard, loved hard, and did it his own way. The following stories will give you some insight into the man I was lucky enough to call DAD for 37 years.