"All it takes is money..." -- my dad

I miss my dad... he's been gone almost eight years. Some days it feels like last year and some days it feels like twenty. I felt so secure when he was in this world. He was such a stablizing force, you could set your clock by him. My dad saw things in black and white, there was no gray. When he said something, he meant it, always. If he said he'd be there, he was, and on time (or early.)
He had very high standards, and wouldn't accept less. He attended Texas Military Institute, and to this day, is the smartest person I've ever known. If we ever had a bet on something we both thought was right, he always won. My mother said he was tested at a younger age, and was at the genius level. I believe it. He was just always right. He could be very difficult, don't get me wrong. But he commanded respect, and he got it from everyone.
He was cool, calm and collected and never yelled, not even once. He would back up whatever he said, so if he said no, he meant it or there were serious consequences. He was a real man. They don't make men the way they used to. Dad was like John Wayne, or the guys in the Westerns. He was bigger than life, he still is.
He spoke sayings that I like to call Martin-isms (his name was Martin.) One of them was "All it takes is money..." which he pretty much said after everything we mentioned. If I said I wanted to go to Hawaii, he said it. If I said I needed a new dress, he said it. You can say it after almost everything actually, and it seems even more relevant today with the diving economy. I often wonder what he would think about Obama, and the decisions being made in the government, and what the future holds. I think he would answer with a simple 'Martin-ism' but I'm not sure what it would be. It would be something as truthful as 'all it takes is money,' -- I just wish I knew what it was...