I'm so excited about Xmas this more than most because we got all of our shopping done weeks ago.

All except for my Dad. Every fucking year it's the same thing. Don't even THINK about asking him what he wants. "I don't need anything". "You need to save your money".

Dude, it's f-ing Xmas. What am I not gonna buy something for him. Jesus.

He's sooo particular about clothing. He has EVERY tool ever made. He's got tons of books that he hasn't read cause he doesn't have the time yet. He's not really a gadget guy persay.

It'd get him a Tivo but I don't want to spend quite that much.

I'm giving him my old stereo reciever (Onkyo) and old center channel (Infinity) cause I'm not using them and his reciever crapped out recently.

Buying for someone should not be this hard year after year.

Anyone got any suggestions? He's a retired army guy who has everything.

Good luck.

does he golf?
maybe purchase a few rounds of golf?

gift certificates to his favorite restaurants? stores?

yeah, my dad actually told him not to get anything this christmas. yeah dad, like i wont get you anything.

We're brothers?

Cos my dad has the whole keg/bar thing, I just get him some kind of personalized glasses or coasters or whatever most of the time, but also simple, elegant things go a long way.

Get him a leather valet with his initials on it, or personalized cufflinks or something. (My dad has a pair that are .45s that would be perfect.

check redenvelope.com for some ideas.

Nope. Doesn't golf.

You know what? I've never been much of a gift certificate guy in the past. I was brought up believing that they were a very impersonal gift to give. But this has got me thinking otherwise.

Hmmmmm. Lemme think on that.

Barnes and Noble GC. I get him the same thing every year, and he is always highly appreciative as he reads all the time

does he drink coffee? if so, shitty coffee or good coffee? You can always get him good beans and a grinder, and maybe a better coffee pot.

Does he have a fave charity? Or get him a copy of M.A.S.H.

you know... i've always thought the same thing.

however, i know how much i like to receive them from family members who really have no clue what to get me. they come in handy.

and, if he has everything he needs or wants..... then, a gift certificate would sure beat something that he has no use for.

my dad is the same way. he's a workaholic that only reads for pleasure during summer vacations, if even then. he has piles of books that won't be getting read soon, so i don't want to get him any more. i was thinking about tivo because they had a rebate deal that got it down to $30, but i know it'd take him forever to install it. and he doesn't listen to music, so that easy gift doesn't work.

the one thing i had some luck with a few years ago was technology magazines because he's one of the most tech-advanced professors at his university and is always trying to be a step ahead of everyone, but i now live 700 miles away and my stepmother can't help with which he's reading or not now.

great, now i feel like a bad son. and i also should do some xmas shopping soon.

My dad has no hobbies.
He has no sense of fashion. (We dropped our baby off at their house to watch her while we took the boy out for a treat, and he showed up with this boy scout t-shirt that we got at a camping trip we went on in 1983! The shirt was old and raggedy, and I know we got him lots of stuff since then, but he never wears them or opens them.
He never buys anything for himself except cheap computer crap.
He drives a Chevy Metro (previously he drove a Ford Festiva, and before that a Chevy Chevette until they were junk.) I am pretty sure he has a 6 figure salary.

We have gotten him stuff before like watches and wallets.

2 years ago, we got my parents a weekend at this romantic cabin at a lake near us. They could pick any weekend. We spent like $400 on that, and they never used it.

I am totally getting my dad some good beans.

The only other thing the dude likes to do outside of watching tv, and working on computers is to go to Reds games. I was thinking of getting him a jersey, but they are expensive!

oh, i gave my dad a microbrewery-of-the-month subscription one year. he did love that.

Busty,

Go to the Alice Ashman branch of the library and check out some books on CDs and rip them. put a whole book on one CDR in MP3. So he can listen to it that way. If you want icing get him a shuffle so he can load a whole book on CD to go!
I've got a lot already in MP3 format and can get them to you if you want, so that will mean all you need to do is get him a small mp3 player. I do this and it's great to listen to while your walking doing chores etc.

If my dad told me not to get him anything for Christmas, I probably wouldn't. We don't really do Christmas in our household.

Uh, yeah! Really, he doesn't want anything. The best gift you could give him (and you) is to talk to him and tell him you love (or whatever word you guys are comfortable with) him and you are not going to stress about his gift every year, if that's truly what he wants.

Trust me, you'll both feel better.

I do this myself. Everyone knows they don't have to buy me (crap) gifts and I don't have to buy them (crap) gifts, and no one takes offense and when we all get together it really is about spending happy times together.

CAUTION: This does not work with children, teenagers, or kids in their 20's. It does, however, work with infants.

I got my dad a big bottle of Maker's Mark last year. He loved it and said it was his favorite gift.

I'll be your daddy...

Is there a website for this?

yes, http://www.beermonthclub.com/. i think we did the combo package (domestic & international) every other month for a year. he said there were only a few that he didn't like, but it was mostly a good deal.

when my dad was alive I never knew what to get him - usually just got a card and some type of food. my father in law is even worse - ugh.

Busty's soooo right... I would HATE to buy for his dad. Guy just wants to keep everything just like it is, pretty much. Comfy / secluded house, comfy chair, gives a rat's ass about much beyond cleanliness and dinner. Guy has spent his life getting himself setup for this stage, so he pretty much doesn't need shit. Much like my dad.