My grandma passed away today. My dads mother. While this is a typical me long and complicated situation with much to be explained, I’m happy for her and relieved of the pressures to keep secrets from a 96 year old lady.

But it made me miss my dad a lot

It was recently his one year anniversary, I haven’t written in awhile, so I’m forcing myself to tell a fun memory tonight to provide some sort of outlet for the emotions of missing my dad that I’ve been repressing.

Look at the size of this Dalmatian! It basically is the size of 101 Dalmatians but in one large form.

I just remembered one of my favourite stuffies was a Dalmatian from 101 with a red collar and tag. Neat how one good memory leads to another.

Anyways

My dad always took me to stampede (which is like a rodeo and a fair for those not familiar with the 10 day cowboy event).

He would win me probably at least 10 stuffies at games, he brought a pillow case to carry them in.

He was amazing at whack a mole, must be the lazy eye we can have on command.

We always played the buy a bucket of plastic red rings and if you miraculously get one on the neck of a sea of coke bottles you get a huge prize. I was a tough game where people mostly did not win, hence the size of the prizes.

Well one year he tossed that red plastic ring and it landed right on the bottle. He won! And we even had half a bucket of rings left.

He was so proud of himself. I was proud of him! I was excited to have this colossal prize.

It’s so big everyone clearly knew my dad was the best ever!

But wait, this doesn’t fit in the pillow case….

My dad carried this huge dog around on his shoulders, all day, for probably 10 hours, i the blistering heat, proud as hell, not a care in the world, and adding more prizes that fit in my pillow case with each game he won

As I grew older and out of my Dalmatian phase, this big guy got moved to the basement.

He was the perfect flop chair for my friends and I. I loved that stuffie, and I’m not sure when my parents snuck him out of the house to greener pastures. 10 years at least. Not sure what happened to him, but due to my extreme personification and love and care for stuffed animals I still have to this day, it’s best I don’t know where he went and when.

I loved that huge dog. I realize now that I loved that dog because my dad won it and he was so proud. And he put so much sweat and effort into hauling that dog around all day. Just for me. We were both proud of him and it was all for me.

On the topic of stampede some other stuffies I wish I knew where they went come to mind.

A Coca Cola polar bear my dad won at whack a mole.

A Green octopus my dad won at whack a mole that my dog destroyed when I was at school.

A bear with abc blocks my dad won at whack a mole.

I realize these 3 stuffed animals were all won at the same stampede. I loved these and hope I find them hidden somewhere in a box one day. But I see now I probably love them because this was the best stampede year I ever had with my dad.

I don’t know why. I don’t remember how old I was, or anything really else about that stampede, except that my dad bought ride tickets to watch a motorcycle stunt show where they ride up and down the circular dome (can’t explain it) and he was so stoked because he loved motorcycles and thought it was cool enough to buy 5 expensive ride tickets to see it.

Every stampede was great with my dad. Not sure why that one year had such significance and attachment to those prizes he won for me.

I miss our carefree happy days when life was just about how quick you could hit a plastic mole on the head.

Missing my dad so much today