Our own Angel Lee has written about her dad before here on Chasing Heroes.  I can just picture him with his cowboy hat, ruggedly trekking here and there up in Northern California.  Dad’s are those enigmatic creatures who we often don’t know very well, but who become clearer to us as we grow older. 

Now it’s my turn.  Today is my dad’s birthday.  Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad is my hero.  He’s part Chief, part Best Friend, and part Professor.  A pretty remarkable package, really.  =) 

For a long time, I was just determined not to let my dad down.  He intimidated me with his smarts, and he was always the one who knew everything, could win a debate hands down–no matter the topic, and I wanted nothing more than to earn his respect.

I  remember so distinctly the moment in time when we transitioned from father / daughter to father / daughter / friend.  While not all parents are able to let go and allow their children to grow up and be who they are, my dad was able to do just that.  He has always been proud of me, always stood by me [even as he laughs and reminds me of my trying teenage years just after I’ve lamented the struggles we are having with our own teenagers], and has helped our relationship grow by letting go.  He said, in so many words, that he would always be my father, would always help me however he could, but ours was a friendship now, and less a father / daughter relationship where he would only be that paternal figure.  

It was a stunning realization to me that we could evolve in that way, and that, while the father / daughter piece is always there, I know he cares about me as a person and genuinely is interested in my life, as I am in his.  There is a friendship now.

I may not ever be as smart as he is, or defeat him in a debate, but I think I have made him proud.  I think I have earned his respect with the life that I lead, my parenting, my successes and failures, and how I handle them.  

He’s taught me so much about myself, about life, about love, about responsibility, and about friendship and the relationships I hope to have with my children when they become adults.

He’s a hero.  A wonderful father whom I dearly love.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

STATS:          Republican party’s candidate for U.S. Presidential Election 2008.  Attended college at the United States Naval Academy, and launched a 22-year career as a naval aviator upon his graduation.  Served in Vietnam War.  Taken as a prisoner of war on October 26, 1967 when a missile struck his plane and forced him to eject.  Retired from the Navy in 1981. His naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.  First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982.  Has 7 children and four grandchildren.

THE LOOK:            Older Caucasian male

LEADING LADY: Cindy McCain is known for lending her time and talent to increase awareness of international charity organizations and the work that they do to make the world a better place.  As an advocate for children’s health care needs, Cindy founded and ran the American Voluntary Medical Team (AVMT) from 1988 to 1995. AVMT provided emergency medical and surgical care to impoverished children throughout the world. Cindy led 55 medical missions to third world and war-torn countries during AVMT’s seven years of existence. On one of those missions to Mother Teresa’s orphanage, Cindy was convinced to take two babies in need of medical attention to the United States. One of those babies is now their adopted daughter, 16-year-old Bridget McCain.

BOTTOM LINE:  McCain has served his country well and, like Obama, is certainly qualified to lead it. 

QUESTION OF THE DAY:  As thrilled as I am by McCain’s choice of a female VP, my overwhelming belief is that it is a clear tactical decision to “even the scales” and sway more liberal votes away from Obama.  It’s not necessarily a bad or good thing, but simply the reality of politics.  What do you think? 

 Questioning the Heiress, Delores Fossen  Harliquen Intrigue, August 2008A funny thing happened on the way back to the ranch, after Friday’s blog. My friend Jill James, brought for me from the conference a signed book bag, filled with books, since I couldn’t be there. And what do you think she picked up for me! A story about the Texas Rangers, cowboy hat and all. I was thrilled. I do have a sweet spot in my heart for the Rangers, having had some experience with them while working in Law Enforcement. They are just as you imagined, tall, Stetson, and cowboy boot clad. They take their hats off for a lady, and always say yes, ma’am in that sweeping Texas drawl that conjures up pictures of wide open spaces.  So I loved the book and of course Egan Caldwell the Texas Ranger.Sgt. Egan Caldwell of the infamous Texas Rangers has found himself knee deep in an investigation of four murders in a socialite community. The murders connect like a game of connect the dots to a car accident that killed an innocent woman and injured Caroline Stallings, the central figure in the investigation.There is an immediate spark between Egan and Caroline, that can’t be extinguished, as hard as they both try. Placed in protective custody, after two attempts on her life, Caroline finds herself unable to resist the handsome Texas Ranger assigned to live in her house. But there is a snag. Caroline comes from a very socialite family, wealthy and powerful. Egan is the son of a chauffeur, and feels she is way out of his league.Egan is an interesting character. He is a good combination of warrior, chief and the boy-next-door. Raised by a man whose bitterness comes out of the death of Egan’s mother at birth. He was raised around extreme wealth, only because of his father’s job. It left Egan with a bad taste in his mouth, knowing some of the suspects involved in the case from childhood. A childhood were he was often treated like a second class citizen. Still he prevailed over adversity and became a Ranger.Caroline on the other hand, could be a rich spoiled socialite, but instead comes across very down to earth, with a hidden wild-child side to her. She adds to the who-done-it, by a good dose of amnesia from the car accident. She knows who the murderer is but can’t remember due to shock and a head injury. In the center of all if it, is her dream diary, which she keeps as she struggles to regain her memory and catch a killer before he kills again.This was a quick, entertaining read that I completed in one sitting. I can sometimes guess who the murderer is, but in this case I was left guessing up to the end. This wasn’t exactly a contemporary western, but still images of the wild west fly when the Texas Rangers arrive on the scene. Question of the Day:  What do you think about the cowboy hats? Are they out dated cliches? Or do you like the modern equivalent of the sexy man under the hat?

Sacred Sins by Nora Roberts (Bantam, 1987)

STATS: There’s a killer strangling slender, pretty blondes with the white silk scarf of a priest and Ben Paris is the magnetic police sergeant assigned to the case. 

THE LOOK: “His profile was in shadows, struck intermittently by streetlights.  It was funny how sometimes he looked safe, solid, the kinds of man a woman might run to if it were dark.  Then the light struck his face another way, and the planes and angles were highlighted.  A woman might run from him.” 

LEADING LADY: Tess Court is a shrink who believes “The Priest” is in pain and seeking help.  She’s immediately drawn to Ben despite his resistance to her theories.  He’s immediately drawn to her, struck by her elegance and the cool wash of her violet eyes. 

There’s a particularly funny scene when Ben is trying to romance Tess and he gets a call from one of his lady friends:

“It didn’t take a trained psychiatrist to understand there was a woman on the other end.  Tess smiled into her drink and went back to the view.

‘No, I’ve been tied up.  Look, sugar—“  The minute the word was out, he winced.  Tess kept her back to him.  “I’m on a case, you know?  No, I didn’t forget about..I didn’t forget.  Listen, I’ll have to get back to you when things lighten up.  I don’t know, weeks, maybe months.  You really ought to try that marine.  Sure.  See ya.’  He hung up, cleared his throat, and reached for his drink again.  ‘Wrong number.’

It was so easy to laugh. She turned, leaned against the windowsill, and gave into it.  ‘Oh, really?’

‘Enjoyed that, didn’t you?’

‘Immensely.’

‘If I’d known you’d get such a kick out of it, I’d have invited her up.’”

J  Love Ben.

BOTTOM LINE: Ben is a tough cop who often butts heads with Tess, but he always makes me think of a gentleman.  Just like his description above, he’s a bit of a riddle—gentlemanly but capable of ripping someone’s head off if he needs to protect the public or the woman he loves.  This is probably Nora in my favorite phase, concentrating on just a couple of characters and drawing out the story so we get to really enjoy it.  

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Ever been in an awkward situation and had to laugh your way out of it?