Grandpa’s album

A childhood memory

Summers meant my grandmother’s porch. She’d hand me a paper sack of peaches and tell me not to come back until it was empty. I can still hear the screen door slap behind me.

Someone who shaped you

My first boss at the hardware store, Mr. Alvarez. He told me, “Fix it right the first time, and you only fix it once.” I’ve used that on everything from leaky faucets to hard conversations.

A funny moment

The year we tried to deep-fry the Thanksgiving turkey. Let’s just say the fire department knows our address, and your grandmother never let me near the fryer again.

Advice you would pass on

Call your mother. Say thank you out loud. And when you don’t know what to say to someone who’s hurting, just sit with them. That’s usually enough.

A song, meal, or ritual

Saturday pancakes, always shaped like the first letter of your name. Burnt on one side. That’s how you know I made them.

Personality

• Always early

  Fifteen minutes early is on time.

Funny moments

• The turkey incident

Favorite songs

• Anything by the Beach Boys

  Windows down, volume up.

Sayings

• “Measure twice, cut once.”

Things you loved

• The pier at sunrise

  Coffee in a thermos, no talking until the second cup.