VSCA

(You might be late! Here are parts one, two, three, four, and five.) My father is missing part of one of his thumbs. Instead of a thumbnail, it ends in a rounded stump at the knuckle. He told me that he lost it when he was about sixteen, being careless while chopping wood. The story is never told in detail and when it is told it always changes a little.... http://vsca.blog/2020/11/25/revolver-last-part/

(Part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4 for the tardy) The revolver makes only two more appearances in my memory. The first is at some indeterminate time later. I’m visiting my father in his work shed which has our old orange black & white television in it. My father has his work light on and is working on something at the bench.... http://vsca.blog/2020/11/24/revolver-part-5/

You might be arriving late, in which case start at part 1. Here's part 2 and part 3 as well. We arrive at my grandmother’s house. I have mostly fond memories of this place since it’s where Christmas dinner often happened and when lots of people cook for lots of people the meals are usually pretty wonderful. At the very least you know there’s going to be some diversity.... http://vsca.blog/2020/11/23/revolver-part-4/

Here's part 1 and part 2. So let’s circle all the way back. We’re on our way to a family handyman event. I’m looking forward to this since they always turn out well (partially, as I would understand only much later, because the whole family were alcoholics). Once my father asked his brothers to come help fix the roof. It needed the shingles replaced.... http://vsca.blog/2020/11/22/revolver-part-3/

Here late? Here's part 1. I’m not sure how best to present this part as there are chickens and eggs, but let’s start by saying my father was a profoundly gentle man. He didn’t want us doing anything dangerous and certainly nothing violent. He didn’t watch boxing or wrestling and he didn’t want us doing it. He wouldn’t stop us if we were keen but he definitely disapproved.... http://vsca.blog/2020/11/21/revolver-part-2/

Part 1 of some number of parts. When I was in my late teens my father drove the family to my grandmother’s house because there was some maintenance work that needed doing and this was how my father’s side of the family operated. Some significant subset of the brothers and sisters (there were five brothers and two sisters in all) would heed the call, gather their favourite tools, and rush to the location that needed work.... http://vsca.blog/2020/11/20/revolver-part-1/