Retired at last!

Well dad finally did it! As of March 9, 2012 dad officially retired to enjoy the good life. Dad has worked his whole life. There were times in his life when he could barely crawl to work because his feet hurt so badly. In his early years he worked at the State hospital in Provo Utah. He worked in the kitchen sometimes standing in cold water ( dad hates to be cold ). He stood on cold, hard cement floors until his feet hurt so badly he could barely walk. He would go home from work nearly crawling in the house. It affected him for the rest of his life. In many jobs dad has had to stand on hard concrete floors, at Cliftons market his arches fell and he had to have special shoe inserts made of hard plastic put in his shoes, then at Shamo's he would walk all day long on hard ground our cement floors. When you think about it dad has stood most of his life, no wonder he loves to nap so much. Then in his later life he has stood on hard floors down at Ace hardware store. He has cheated death on many occasions in his life, to name a few...while at Shamo's dad was crushed between and truck bed and a fork lift, breaking many bones and causing him to be laid up for weeks. Survived a horrible roll over with the lumber truck loaded on it's way back from Salt Lake City. The truck flipped and slid down the interstate on its top with dad in the cab, being crushed inside the cab as it slide to a stop. The first on the scene said, "Nobody survived this, dad hollered out... "I did get me out of here." He laid there for 3 hours with the cold diesel fuel dripping on him with his head crushed to the asphalt of the interstate. He survived once again. Another survival was this past summer while working on his new shop. He was on a 14 foot ladder putting up a piece of plywood on the peak of his shop. The wood slipped knocking him off the ladder onto the concrete slab below (hitting his head on the patio), then the piece of wood coming down on top of him hitting him in the head and literally scalping him (he had to have over 60 stitches). The xrays showed not brain damage or concusion but dad has never really recovered from the damage to his back. He still went on to work after only a week off. The work has finally taken at toll on dad and he made the huge decision to retire!!! At last! Dad will be 80 this August. Dad wants to work in his shop, go on walks, tinker around and nap when he gets tired. I am happy that he will be able to enjoy some quality time during the later years of his life. Dad, thanks for all the hard work you have done to provide for us. You are quite a guy. I don't know what Ace will do without "Bernie"...because - You are Ace! Everyone knows it and will miss you. Enjoy your time dad, live some life. We love you!

79 years young!