My Dad's Dad...

I remember much of my grandfather on my dad's side. He was a very strict man. I remember he yelled alot. He and my grandmother would argue just for the sake of arguing. I was not really close to him, I don't think anyone was. He did not mind this. He moved to Puerto Rico, or I should say, he returned to Puerto Rico in the mid sixties. He worked and saved enough to have a house built out there.

One thing I recall him doing was smoking a cigar. He would by the cigars by the box. He did not smoke these all day long, I remember he would save this for the evening. He would sit outside and just smoke his cigar.

Another thing I recall him doing was, whenever anyone would come over to visit, he would offer the guys a shot of rum. I still remember how he would offer this. He would say, "Quier un palito?" This means would you like a shot?. It is a custom in P.R. to offer a palito. I never gave it too much thought, but the rum he offered and drank was called 'Palo Viejo' I now realize that the offering of a palito was based on the name of the rum. As time went on though every shot of rum regardless of the brand is called a palito in P.R.

In Puerto Rico you could always find my grampa sitting in his rocker outside, once the sunset, with his cigar and a shot of Palo Viejo. I remember that the rum was a dark rum, this is due to the aging process, and the sugar cane molasses.

In his own way this was how he relaxed after a busy day. He bothered no one and just went to sleep after his nightly shot and cigar.