I'm enjoying these posts. SC, your relationship with your dad is very much like the one I've had with my dad: the deep feelings were there and understood, but remained unspoken to some extent.

I lived at home when I went to college, so I officially left home when I went to law school in Boston. My parents drove me up and helped move me in. As they were getting ready to go home, my dad pulled me aside and said that my mom was going to miss me, so please don't forget to stay in touch, and with a handshake gave me one sentence of advice before he left: "Don't take any shit from anybody." I passed that on to my boys when they went to college.

Pizzaboy, I salute your outlook on spending time with your dad. Make the most of it. Oli, I'm betting nothing tastes so sweet as those Father's Day pies.

TIS, my mom still tries to slip me money, which is silly. She'll insist and say it's for gas or spend it on the kids, and I sometimes have to grab it to end the bickering.

But my oldest son is making pretty decent money with his internship and other summer job, but if he's going somewhere I slip him some cash, and now his age and modest means compel him to resist the offerings and I end up prevailing in giving him the money. I guess it never ends.