i'm leaning towards this shirt:

after like 30 years, i'm actually thinking about sending my father a card.
thinking.

Sounds like you need another martini
martini

nicely played, billy.

I got my dad a Red's jersey.
He'll dig it.

I suck at holidays.

my dad needs nothing. nor does he ever want anything.

i'm just going to take him out for some ribs and to a movie....and then for an icecream cone at the most delectable icecream joint in sandusky, ohio.

what more could he ask for...... but time with his one and only precious daughter?

I like your idea, Chase. I was thinking about picking up Sebastian Junger's "A Death in Belmont" for him. What do you give an 80 year old man that he doesn't already have???

My dad is not into anything specifically, and has almost anything a man could reasonably want aside from happiness or stability

But, he is generally into nice hardback, or special edition books, anything engraved or personalized, and drinking.

So, for the past several holidays I have gotten him a James Joyce collection, some coasters with his initials on them, a cane with his initials engraved in the top piece (he broke his hip a few years ago) some glasses that say "___'s Pub"

etc..

Are those "Rape's Pub" or "Cold Blooded Killer's Pub"?

Well, after the "personalized license plate fiasco" I decided on "Your Son's Comin Home in a Body Bag Bar and Grill

"They Wasted Their Live's Tavern" ???

Gets me every time, you fucking asshole.

big mike (aka: dad):

53 years old, married to my mom forevah, garbageman.

likes:

beer, miami dolphins, fishing, the who, cajun/creole/caribbean food, most movies, cajun/zydeco music, roxy music, little feat, florida, the cubs, bicycling

dislikes:

gag gifts, yuppies

the past three holidays (xmas, bday, dad's day '05), i burned cds for him. i think he's getting tired of the homemade presents. $75 is my limit unless it's a really great gift, then $100.

gift ideas? help? please?

my dad is Big Mike too

neuro took a nice pic of us recently so I just got it printed out, got a frame at Marshall's, voila!

what about a shave and a haircut at one of those old timey barbers? my dad loves shit like that

We don't do gifts in our family and since I will be out of town this weekend, I'll just give mine a call on Sunday.

Mikes rule!!

My dad's got a HUGE viking-like beard and long curly hair. No one's going near him with a razor!

I think I might buy him a portable fish scale or something. One year I bought him a bootleg video of the Who from the 60's (70's, maybe?) where Keith Moon passed out behind his drumkit. My dad's face lit up and he took the tape into the living room and didn't emerge until the whole video was over. I want to recreate that moment of happiness, but I don't think a fish scale's going to do it.