I miss my dad.

At the end of this month, it will be three years since my father died. Of all things, a radio report of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics reminded me of him yesterday.

The reporter obviously was speaking to a different audience because she emphasized that CCD technology was what made digital still cameras possible and that the initial advancements were "boring" and incomprehensible to laymen. Speak for yourself, lady.

My ears first perked up when she said "Bell Labs", which I know invented several things used by RCA. My dad worked for RCA for 27 years, for several years in the broadcast division. One of RCA's inventions during that time was the CCD television camera, which was far better than any other TV cameras on the market. The reporter mentioned the cameras but not who created them.

My dad would have liked hearing the report. He probably would have fired off an e-mail correcting any inaccuracies, too. He would have appreciated that such groundbreaking work was finally recognized. Maybe he even met Mr. Boyle or Mr. Smith.

It's not just milestones in life I want my dad around for. It's also the little, unexpected conversations that will never happen.