Happy Father's Day Dad!

Dad at the beach in Florida

In honor of Father’s Day I want to share with you why I think I am one of the two luckiest girls in the world.  Simple answer, my sister and I have the best dad ever! Sure it’s cliché but I really can’t image what my life would have been like if it wasn’t for all of the lessons he taught me, the memories we have made and the bound that keeps growing stronger through the years. He is my hero, my coach, my friend and one of my biggest fans!

My dad is the owner PJ’s Plumbing Supply in Dover, NJ.  My grandfather opened up the business in 1981 with my dad’s help.  After years of serving the community with plumbing and heating my grandfather, Peter Scimenes, sold the business to my dad before he retired to Florida.  Happy Father’s Day to my grandpa too, we miss you. Now, my father carries on the family business even though recently the street they are on became a dead end road after construciton and re-routing of traffic.

I have an older sister so in our younger years we would fight for dad’s attention.  It was usually when we were swimming and playing in a pool on vacation. We always wanted to show off our tricks in the pool, hand stands, summersaults or big splashing jumps. Being the fair kind-hearted guy he is, he always gave us equal attention and to this day we no longer feel that we have to fight for dad’s attention at all.  He’s always interested in what’s going on in our lives without us having to pull on his arm saying “daddy look at what I can do!”

My athletic spirit defiantly comes from my father.  Each year for about twelve years straight he ran the Long Beach Island 18 mile run. He even completed two full 26.2 mile marathons in his lifetime; The New Jersey Waterfront Marathon and the New York City Marathon. My mom, sister and I were always along the race routes and at the finish lines to cheer him.

Boathouse Row in Philadelphia from Waterworks

My sister and I ran Philadelphia’s 10 mile Broad Street Run in 2010. Guess who was there to cheer us on? Our parents! My dad even gave us some running tips even though I knew he was crushed that he couldn’t join us on the route. When I wanted to give up duriing the 90 degree hot humid race day I just pictured him a the finish line waiting for us just like we had done for years waiting for him at the finish line.

Every morning my dad would go for a long run and when he arrived I would be getting ready for school.  I would not be sure what to wear so I’d ask my dad what the weather was like.  He would say every single time, “It’s a the same as yesterday but a little different.” Not until my senior year in high school did I finally catch on! Of course the weather is the always same as yesterday but a little different.  Haha that’s my dad!

My dad has someone new to wish him “Happy Father’s Day”, his new grandson Matteo Peter!

Happy Fathers Day! Love, Nina