February 2012
Randon Rochesterite
By Jennifer Koski
Age: 44
Occupation: Stay-at-home dad
Where we found him: Dunn Bros. North
What’s a typical day like for you? Basically it’s taking care of the house and trying to keep my son entertained.
Any tricks? He’s three, so it’s pretty much anything that has wheels—trucks, trains, cars. And puddles. In the summer, we’re outside almost the entire day.
Are you the kind of dad who allows jumping in puddles? Mom is more into that because I do most of the laundry. [Laughs.] My wife is more encouraging when it comes to Lucas getting dirty. And I’m sitting there dreading the outcome and thinking back to the things my mom used to tell us about grass stains.
What did you do before you became a stay-at-home dad? Well, I’m legally blind. That’s kind of how the stay-at-home thing started. I’m originally from Pennsylvania and I was living in Philadelphia, working for… Blue Cross for 17 years. My wife, who is a research scientist, had to take a job at Northwestern University. So we relocated to Chicago. I’ve been legally blind my whole life more or less, but at about that time—which coincided with my 40th birthday—my vision started getting worse. I had trouble adjusting to a new place and fi nding a job. Then my wife’s boss decided to move the lab to Mayo Clinic. My wife got pregnant just before we moved—so she pitched the idea that since I was home (at least on a temporary basis), what would my interest be in taking care of our son?
You were on board? I’d never changed a diaper in my life. But nature takes over and you just kind of do it—and I’ve been doing it ever since. This summer will be four years in Rochester. My son was born here.
How did you meet your wife? We met, believe it or not, through an online dating site. After a couple of weeks, we met in person at a restaurant in my neighborhood. The funny thing is that she used to live in the same neighborhood. She once lived two blocks from me and we never met.
You must’ve crossed paths at some point. We probably did, but with me having vision problems, I could’ve walked by her and not even noticed.
The rest is history? My wife is originally from Argentina, so English was her second language. We had a bit of difficulty understanding each other at first. But I had this weird feeling that I had known her forever. We just had this connection. We got married about a year-and-a-half later in Chicago.
Ever told a lie? The worst lie I ever told was when I was invited to the wedding of two friends. They were both super successful people and I don’t remember if I didn’t feel comfortable because of that or because I thought it was going to be a more fancy wedding, but I told them I couldn’t go to the wedding because I had a family commitment. I regret that. It affected our friendship in a negative way. … Sometimes you underestimate how important you are to other people.
Favorite place to take out-of-towners? The downtown farmer’s market. I think it’s great here. And of course Thursdays on First is a wonderful event. As far as restaurants, I usually hit Chester’s and Canadian Honker. These are must-dos when my family comes.
Dream job? If I had better vision, I would love to have played baseball. I’m a baseball fanatic. I could watch baseball 365 days a year.
Favorite team? I would say I’m a New York Mets fan, but I have a soft spot for the Twins… especially since the Mets have played terribly the last couple years.
Is there a story you find yourself telling again and again? I was hit by a car when I was 11. It was a summer day and I was rollerskating with a bunch of kids in the community park where I grew up. A group of us were crossing the street, and I must’ve been looking the other way because everybody stopped but I kept going. …it’s like I never saw [the car] and she never saw me.
What happened? I spent a month in the hospital—during summer vacation, no less. I was in traction for a month, in a body cast for two to three months, and then I had to do months of physical therapy. It was just not a fun summer.
What makes you laugh out loud? My son. He’s recently taken up the hobby of backseat driving, which is absolutely hilarious. He’s always telling my wife that she’s driving too fast. He tells her that if she doesn’t slow down, she’ll have to go to time out. He’s hysterical. He cracks me up.