My dad doesn’t need to strategically place anything to remind us about Father’s Day, he’ll straight up remind us every time we call. He takes his holiday VERY seriously. He will also never ever tell you what he wants and say “I don’t need anything but you guys”, but fully expects gifts from both my mother and me. Also, if my birthday is on Father’s Day (which it sometimes is), we have to celebrate a day early so that I don’t get in the way of his day.
I love my father, but he is a DIVA.
itsapandaa+63
OH MY GLOD MY BIRTHDAY IS ALSO ON FATHER’S DAY AND DAD ALWAYS TRIES TO DIVA HIS WAY INTO THE SPOTLIGHT TOO! PRINCESS DADS ARE BOTH THE BEST AND THE WORST.
ppyajunebug+37
RIGHT??? LIKE MAN, MY DAD IS AWESOME LIKE 85% OF THE TIME, BUT THE OTHER 15% IS HIM EMBARRASSING ME IN CARS AND BEING A RIGHTEOUS DIVA ABOUT HIS ~CELEBRATIONS~. THE FESTIVITIES FOR HIS 50TH BIRTHDAY LASTED FOR A FREAKING YEAR AND INVOLVED INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL.
urspostrophe+11
My dad throws himself a cross-country skiing party every year for his birthday. The extended family is invited and most people never come. I haven’t had the heart to tell him that no one wants to travel to rural western Pennsylvania in February.
GruntledDave+21
Princess Dad is my new superhero name.
_ellison+12
This is so funny, because my Dad DOES NOT CARE about Father’s Day. I called him yesterday to ask if he wanted me to come in town, and he said he didn’t even know it was coming up.
octopoda+7
Mine too, almost refuses to acknowledge it.
Carole+1
SAME! Everything about this is the same for me! I’m glad Father’s Day is so late this year. I actually got to celebrate my birthday.
leighbee+74
would 100% read the article on crossbreeze optimization as i don’t have an air conditioner and i refuse to admit that i need one (aka: i want one but refuse to spend the money / pay a higher electric bill. it’s so hot in my house, guys. it’s so hot.)
jennycieplak+35
My husband (we just got married and as an aside it’s SO WEIRD to say that) swears by two window fans, one blowing air in and one pushing air out. He is not a dad but has many of the same tendencies, including PROJECTS!
Unreadaethel+17
All dads have to start somewhere.
seapartridge+3
It works! I grew up in a place with no air conditioning and am now living in the muggiest place ever with insufficient AC. I put both of them to exhaust during the day and one of them to exhaust and one to intake at night.
anninyn+11
We don’t DO air conditioning in homes in the UK, so all my windows are open.
I would also be interested in this article.
keristars+12
haha i was kind of thinking that about my car! I’m in Florida, so a/c in the house is a necessity (especially these newfangled buildings that don’t make use of traditional cooling techniques ON TOP of the insulation, etc.) but my car lost its a/c about 18 months ago and it’s like i’ve started to melt by the time i get home from work some days (15 minutes!)
I’ve taken to having amazing posture so that I get a breeze across my back, but I’m all up for more optimization suggestions.
in fact, last week my dad was like “for you birthday, and also for safety, I will pay to fix your a/c” (because nothing like Florida’s summertime apocalypses – daily at 4pm! – which involve blinding rains and also not being able to see out the windshield because the humidity has fogged it up, and you can’t keep wiping at it while driving). so at least it’s only a few more weeks to endure!
The thing with the two fans – one pushing, one pulling – is totally true, though. Just got to get it set up right, and you don’t necessarily need two, just one and also a big open door/window on the opposite side.
catmanscrothers+1
I had a car in FL that had no A/C for 2 years. My dad finally did the “at home” thing and it worked for like 3 months and then my hood started smoking if I turned the air on!! Florida cars with no A/C are the wooooooooooorst and I feel your pain keenly
keristars+4
Oh god it’s the worst because we can’t even figure out what the problem is if we wanted to fix it!
I rear-ended a gas tanker (it was a problem with my breaks + tiny taillights shining in the setting sun) in October of 2013 and a church friend of my sdad’s offered to do repairs for minimal labor cost (we think he was paying his guys under the table), and when I got the car back a week later, the a/c was overloading the engine. I’d be slowing for a stop at a light, for example, but suddenly the engine would rev and the car would jump forward. It would even do this while I was stopped! but if the a/c was off, it wouldn’t happen. And trying to get over a bridge with the a/c on was always interesting to see if i could keep up the momentum to get over the hump. Oh, and also too, it was blowing tepid air out, at best, on the highest setting.
So we went back to the guy and were like “WTF??” and he said NOPE NOT MY FAULT and basically treated me like an idiot girl who never noticed that these things were happening. But you’d kind of notice the jumping forward while breaking. Maybe its cooling efficiency was slowly dying, sure, but the other thing?!
And that’s why it’s so frustrating: I’m fairly certain that the issue is related to the accident OR to the guy’s crappy repair skills, but it’s prohibitively expensive to do an exploratory search for the problem. (But my dad and I have been googling and he has now offered to pay the fee, yay me!!!)
catmanscrothers+1
oh geeze that sounds like the same kind thing mine was doing for a while. It was a problem with my intake manifold. Basically it was sucking too much air in and then it would try maintain the right amount of air but then it would jump and eventually started stalling if I didn’t maintain speed. My mechanic (the best guy ever, he’s in Gainesville if you’re close) fixed it no problem. So it could be that your mechanic person accidentally punctured a hole while doing something to your A/C?? (disclaimer: I am by no means a mechanic it just sounds eerily similar to my sitc)
keristars+2
OH! My mom thinks it’s the air intake valve, but someone said “no, that doesn’t sound right???” but your explanation seems to fit with her vague understanding, so I’ll be sure to mention it when we go to the shop. Thank you!!!!
My google results suggested it could be an MAF wire that needs to be grounded (it connects the air intake to the control panel, I think? and if it’s not grounded properly, it’s not able to transmit the signals that say what to do), which could have happened at several points in the repair process, and could easily be the intake manifold itself, if you’re describing the same issue.
Thank you again for the suggestion!
halloweenjack64+3
I don’t have many suggestions (aside from opening the driver’s side front and the passenger’s side rear windows to optimize crossbreeze), but I feel your pain. I got by on junkers before I got my current car (the first car I could afford to buy new, and one of the cheapest on the market), and they’d always lose their AC well before the car gave up the ghost, with the cost of fixing it well above the value of the car, so I’d carry a bar towel for myself and an OXO squeegee for the inside windows when they’d fog up.
keristars+1
UGH I got confused and typed the wrong response here!
I meant to say to you THANK YOU for the front-and-back window thing. I haven’t tried it yet. I’ve found that all 4 windows open tends to be a bit too violently windy, and doesn’t help when I’m stopped in traffic, but I haven’t tried the diagonal window. Gonna do that today 😀
Mrs_Peel+3
Depending on what’s wrong with your car’s AC system (e.g., a slow leak), sometimes you can get by for a few months by recharging it with refrigerant stuff in a can. I did this many, many times on the various clunkers I’ve owned over the years, with various degrees of success.
It’s not too expensive to have it done in a shop, but it’s also not too hard to do yourself if you know where to attach the hose. (They sell cans that have hoses and meters attached).
I just got my first-ever new car with functioning AC this year and it’s been pretty life-changing, not gonna lie.
Perdita McLeod+3
None of the cars my family had until I was at least 14 had any AC, so our remedy was to open all the windows and then frequently mist ourselves from a spray bottle. It was pretty effective, but only works if you are moving and not, say, stuck in slow traffic.
keristars+2
My sdad is a mail carrier and he used to have a little battery operated fan that he attached to the dashboard, and now they have them that spray water at the same time (I see them at the beach and stuff), and I’ve seriously considered copying him with one of the new versions.
But intentionally getting more wet when I’m already damp from humidity-sweat seems a little backwards. 😀
meetapossum+12
I have successfully avoided putting my air conditioner in yet this summer by using crossbreeze optimization. (Thanks, Dad!)
catoclock+2
Me too! I mean, I also live in Massachusetts in a basement apartment that is built into a hill and therefore 50% cave, but still.
Hoolia+5
If possible, I recommend that you use a window on the shady side of the house for bringing air in. My bedroom window faces north, so if I open that window, keep the west-facing living room blinds closed, and pull air out with the kitchen fan, I can cool my apartment significantly. This is a method I only need employ about three days per year given that I live in Seattle, but still, I think the technique is solid.
halloweenjack64+6
I grew up without air conditioning until well into my adulthood, but I used to wonder how the Victorians got by with the outfits they’d wear in summer. For a while, I had a theory that they really wore these flowing silk kaftans (even the men) in summer and only wore the whalebone corsets and wool frock coats for formal portraits.
Mrs_Peel+2
I can’t even imagine– I read someplace that the average woman’s clothes weighed about 25- 30 pounds back then!
keristars+3
TBH there’s a lot of people who visit the theme parks in Orlando while wearing modest dress and my heart goes out for them because it seems so miserably hot. I mean, I know that sometimes a t-shirt with sleeves is more comfortable than a tank top (less skin-on-skin, more fabric to wick the sweat away), but always long pants and multiple layers? I am someone who dislikes showing skin for many reasons (I didn’t own any clothing that revealed my knees for most of my 20s), and even I’ve given up and bought shorts and spaghetti strap tanks for theme park visits.
I can’t imagine how much worse the wool and corsets of 100 years ago was, when they didn’t even have A/C to help.
Mrs_Peel+2
My boyfriend sometimes plays in a Victorian-costumed brass band for the 4th of July (at a Colonial Williamsburg-type place), and just looking at him in the heat in his wool suit makes me want to die.
keristars+3
why do people do this to themselves??????
(i ask while quietly ignoring the fact that i wore long jeans even in summer for years)
Thujaplicata+3
I volunteer at a living history farm during the summer and wear the full corset, petticoats, skirts, and shirtwaist. It’s surprisingly less hot than you’d expect. I mean, working in the garden in the sun, even with my wide brimmed hat is hotter than laying around in my basement in a tank top and boxers, but it’s not too bad. You’ve got some good ventilation with the skirt, and all the fabric is cotton, so it breaths really well.
Chance_Hale+61
$3.99: The Right Amount for a Dad to pay for a monthly magazine.
Alli525+18
Especially with a subscription deal, negotiated annually for the low low price of $1.39 per issue – a nearly 65%* savings!
*I did not do the math.
aravisthequeen+34
Oh Lord I did not expect to have a Feels Explosion right here at my desk. Excuse me while I go to the washroom to cry for a few minutes because FAME does my father love a good cross breeze.
elsamac+18
My late lamented father had a whole-house fan installed, perhaps simply for the pleasure of flicking the switch and hear the massive WHOOSH as all the hot air sucked out of the house and cool evening or morning air washed in, or perhaps for the pleasure of instructing everyone (and I mean everyone who stayed in the house on the precise window-opening/crossbreeze protocol for using the whole-house fan.
When I occasionally find myself reversing a fan my husband put in a window, turning it so it’s sucking hot air out (in the kitchen, for example), I often hear my father’s voice in my head, talking about optimal airflow.
Catandrist+41
I’ve suspected for some time now, but Cross Breeze Optimization confirms…. I am a Dad.
ramina+145
PROJECTS. I have mentioned in the comments here before that my dad has decided that he really likes helping my sister and I with our cosplay props, but I don’t think I showed y’all the SWORD he made for my sister’s Rose Quartz costume:
The handle is courtesy my sister, made of worbla, but the blade itself is made by my dad with a couple of dowels and leftover pine. It’s incredible. He now wants to try and make tentacles so she can have an Ursula the Sea Witch costume next year. Apparently when he was a young adult in the 60s, he won a costume contest with a homemade viking costume and has loved it ever since so he is like 5000% behind us.
A+ DADDING
jennycieplak+16
That is excellent, good job Dad!
greyduck72+4
I am in awe of your Dad’s dadding capabilities. My kids didn’t luck out nearly so well, all I had on offer was ability and money enough to keep four franken-puters running so as to keep the whole family playing Diablo II together. *wry grin*
Unreadaethel+6
I did a skit for my German class in high school that was a translation of the Norse myth of Thrym and his theft of Thor’s hammer. Dad and I constructed a very large hammer with a light wood core, a thick layer of foam, and then duct tape + electrical tape for the criss-crossy bits on the handle. I still have it in my room.
jennycieplak+41
YES I WANT SOME SNACKS!
pretty_monster+15
i’m not even sure my dad really eats proper meals any more. on my recent visit , he was almost always in possession of his tiny plate with olives & cheese or crackers & dip or charcuterie & mini veggies. even breakfast was a bit of cold leftover salmon and a small piece of pie. what is that, even? the only time i saw him eat an actual composed meal was when he made dinner for everyone.
Mrs_Peel+22
This is totally going to be me when I retire. Salmon + pie = A+ breakfast.
(Actually, I’m not far off from that now…)
jennycieplak+8
I would love to be a person that always has a tiny plate of charcuterie in my hand but I cannot afford to keep buying new pants…
ArsenioB_Ham+7
Oh man, y’all, I’m failing Father’s day so bad this year. Last month I sent mother’s day cards/gifts to my mom and future mother-in-law and they arrived EARLY but it is now three days before Father’s Day and I haven’t bought or sent ANYTHING to my stepdad or future father-in-law and even worse I don’t know what to get them. FIL gave up coffee and my stepdad is NOTORIOUSLY hard to buy for. Ughghghgh.
Fluffernutter+3
Same here! I might end up emailing gift certificates or something equally lame. Ugggh how do these things sneak up every year? I’M A BAD CHILD.
They’re also training the rats to detect tuberculosis now!
dancingcrowdesigns+5
And in the same vein, there is always Heifer Project ( http://www.heifer.org/ ) because dads and goats… or chickens. I’m sure other peoples’ dads have Opinions on livestock…
ArsenioB_Ham+2
Oh man, that is amazing! I ended up getting boring stuff like a wine aerator for my FIL and some Blu-rays (that my mom recommended) for my stepdad. I am DEFINITELY bookmarking the HeroRat page for future gift-giving.
RunGracieRun+2
Mallory won’t like hearing this, but my dad LOVES birds, so this year I made a donation to a bird sanctuary in his name. He’s feeding a duck for a year!
Eris+34
Oh my god, my dad has one of those anti-gravity chairs that can recline at terrifying angles, and he keeps it in his office to take naps in. He also has at least one regular fold-up outdoor chair in the back of his car, just in case he takes my sister (who is disabled and can’t stand/walk for long periods of time) somewhere, and she needs to sit.
Basically my dad is the sweetest human being.
RuncibleSpoon+41
No issue of this For Dads-By Dads publication has ever disappointed me in its dadliness and capacity to make me think about my own, deeply dad-like, dad. Who never let us use the central heat or AC, because suffering builds character and is cheaper on electrical bills.
We are going camping this weekend, full family camping, and my sister and I will be driving up together to bask in a full weekend of dadness. There will be esoteric political discussions tied to historical facts and hiking and thinking about fishing and naturefacts! and good beer.
Unreadaethel+9
And character builds hope, and hope does not disappoint.
RuncibleSpoon+6
exactly. 🙂 Actually, one of my favorite things about my dad is that he’s a lovely softhearted cynic and sort of does and doesn’t believe all kinds of things simultaneously. so he both would and would not agree here. Quantum dad.
Unreadaethel+7
Oh man, my dad’s the same! He’s a mushy, goopy Plains Lutheran stoic, who strongly believes both that suffering builds character and is good for the soul, and that Justification by Grace through Faith is the only valid doctrine. DADS ARE A RICH TAPESTRY.
RuncibleSpoon+5
mine’s a Jewish new yorker erstwhile hippie type, but i suspect a lot of Toasties grew up with a bit of quantum parenting…probably one of the reasons we commentarriat are so nice and such trolls simultaneously
Unreadaethel+17
I think it’s a fundamental characteristic of dads, particularly in relation to daughters. “Suffering builds character,” Dad grumbles, “but here’s $20 in case you need taxi fare.”
v_d_budenmayer+24
Is this the dadliest issue of Dad Magazine yet? I think it might be!
Projects!
dancingcrowdesigns+5
Cross ventilation!
walrathem+5
I think June really must be the dadest month even without Father’s Day- mowing! Outdoor cooking! Projects! Baseball! Golf!
kilks401+9
My dad broke down and bought an air conditioning unit, but only for my parents room. The rest of us had to live with the cross breeze.
(to be fair, I was mostly out of the house and my sister in college, but it was still funny)
megalesias+5
to be honest tho I’m still not convinced they ever use it
ljndawson+10
Crossbreezes. OMG. Every issue of Dad Magazine describes my partner to a T.
logicbutton+12
Uuuuuugh thanks for reminding me that I still need to write that godforsaken obsequious note my dad requests every Father’s Day, not that I really needed reminding what with the guilt trip my mom’s been laying on my brother and me as per usual re: how much he loves the obsequious notes and how hurt he’ll be if he doesn’t get one, they are too happily married and it is disgusting, why does he do this to us anyway, showing emotion is terrible and I wasn’t brought up to do it as he should know perfectly well
but lol at “sitting ovation”
squishycatmew+7
Taking my dad with us to look at a possible wedding venue (because it’s up in wine country and he has wine he needs to pick up, anyway) counts as a Father’s Day present, right?
(I bought a wedding dress on Saturday and I feel bad about it because I had only intended to see how various silhouettes looked and was going to take my father to my first “real” dress-hunting appointment.)
Frumiosa+83
Just bought a three-year subscription to This Old House magazine for my husband for Father’s Day, to go with his ritual of gathering our five year old and toddler to watch This Old House with him every Saturday night. I have been banned from said screenings for my inability to watch This Old House without imagining every single scene as a prelude to porn. “That’s some nice mounting, Dave.” “Yep, that’s a nice long tool for the job.” And then they take off their clothes and make sweet Dad love to one another, complete with Boston-accented exclamations.
elsajeni+40
There’s a woodworking show I can sometimes catch on PBS, hosted by a fairly handsome younger Bostony dude, which I think is actually called “Rough Cut” but which I insist on calling “Rough Trade Woodworking” and now my husband won’t watch it with me anymore. I believe you and I are kindred spirits.
PonyAlong+9
This. Is. Epic.
Mrs_Peel+14
“complete with Boston-accented exclamations”
No you’re trying not to lose it at work
KatPruska+10
LOL Dads
I’ve been calling candy shops local to my parents in an attempt to have the fancy chocolates he likes delivered, and none of the shops will take my order because it’s too warm to ship chocolate. I already hit Peak Daughter when my brother and I surprised them on Xmas a few years ago, but I thought I could keep my game up with nostalgia chocolates from shops that they used to go to in their 20s, but alas. Then I was all, “Hey, they’re heading to Michigan this year (both are displaced Michiganders residing in NYS), I’ll call the fish shop near the cabin and get a gift certificate!” But the fish shop doesn’t really do that, because for WHATEVER REASON their day-to-day fishermen life doesn’t really allow for the possibility that crazy ladies from out-of-state would want to bestow smoked Lake Huron whitefish as a gift on anyone.
He will have to make-do with the weird “keep track of your golf game” notebooks I found on amazon instead. He’s such a Dad, with his golfing and woodwork and gardening and chicken-keeping.
My mom has decided she has to stop horsing, so she’s going to sell her sweet little mare (sweet little mare who got ornery and bucked her off last week), so I might get her something too, as consolation. My mom is 63 and has been pitched over the head of a horse three times in the last few years, miraculously with no broken bones or broken necks, and I think she figures she’s probably tested the universe as far as she should at this point.
(What I’m saying is that my wee, adorably bad-ass hobbit-style mom would be awesome for the cover of Mom Magazine, should one ever come to fruition).
Mrs_Peel+3
(pouts) I would like a whitefish gift certificate.
dancingcrowdesigns+3
I feel like I can tell from here your mother’s mare is a chestnut, and I send her some heartfelt fellow feeling since I too have parted company with a (red) horse too often in the last couple years. I have had remarkably good luck with geriatric Quarter horse geldings, non-chestnut, gray by preference…
merrite+50
Snacks! You can have some, but you gotta pay the Dad tax.
squishycatmew+6
My mother was the one who claimed “Tax!” on all our ice cream cones and Halloween candy.
GruntledDave+20
The Dad Tax is that you have to sit for 30 seconds and listen to puns.
drashizu+2
“Sure, you can have some. If you give me a quarter.”
Thujaplicata+2
It was always the carrying charge in my household. Carrying charge tended to be several M&Ms out of the bag of trail mix that was being passed to me.
megalesias+46
My Dad reminds me about Father’s Day by handing me his Dunkin Donuts rechargeable gift card a few weeks in advance, for me to put another $20 on. This has been going on for probably 8 or 9 years.
kilks401+4
I think it started when I was in high school, so if you combine us I think it’s closer to 11.
chazzgoodtimes+26
Has DAD ever run a ‘how-to’ feature on making pancakes in the shape of letters and amusing creatures for your children? I feel as though this is the most Dad thing I do for my daughter, and it some how completely makes up for the time(s) I left the gate at the top of the stairs open. All Dads should have this skill.
Unreadaethel+20
Ok, I think “suggesting features for Dad Magazine in order to improve one’s own Dadding skills” is actual Peak Dadness. Go home, everybody, we have found the One True Dad.
bottleredhead+6
MY dad does this too!! He always does our initials, and I have an “R” to start my name, which is really hard to do backwards in pancake batter so yay Dad (although I guess he named me so it is his fault). I named my daughter a name that has four letters that are all straight lines, super easy, so she gets her whole name every time he cooks her breakfast.
Mrs_Peel+8
No, but when I was in the 5th grade, we had to watch a Tampax-sponsored video where a mom draws a diagram of the female reproductive system in pancake batter.
dancingcrowdesigns+5
whaaaaat???
Mrs_Peel+7
It was….. not helpful in answering my many questions.
fromthelandwithlove+2
Have you ever been able to find this online? I have a hard time convincing others that no, it was not a hideous fever dream.
Mrs_Peel+11
My dad has decided to spend Father’s Day installing a new sink and toilet at my house. Which makes me feel guilty, but he seems to enjoy that kind of thing.
(I did insist on serving him brunch first, though).
(Also, the new sink and toilet are his birthday presents to me, which are very much appreciated).
KatPruska+18
He’s spending Father’s Day Dadding! That’s perfect!
Mrs_Peel+5
🙂
He’s taking the next week off from work to go to a jazz festival, so at least he’ll have some post-toilet-installation relaxation.
PonyAlong+27
Aw, after reading all these awesome comments, I’m aching for My Dad (he passed away from cancer approx. 13 years ago). I still have one of his projects: a hobby horse he built for me when I was fairly young. I loved it then and I love it now.
KatPruska+9
I’m very, very sorry about your Dad. He sounds like the best of Dads.
PonyAlong+4
Thank you…he was, for me, the best of Dads. I still sob over him from time to time.
Sent from my iPad
jennycieplak+11
I really enjoy these posts – as someone who has had a very fraught relationship with her dad (and sometimes still does) these are nice reminders of the times when having a dad is awesome.
supernanify+4
Ohhh you guys, I miss my dad so much right now and I won’t get to see him until the fall, and this hilarious piece just made me inordinately weepy.
christoncracker+28
My dad does the Rule of Three Offers with snacks. First, a simple “you want a triscuit?” If I say no, he puts the box closer to my face. If I say no again, he wiggles the box about two inches from my nose. If I am still able to decline at that point, he sighs deeply and continues munching.
RuncibleSpoon+6
excellent choice of username
thecaitd+10
Triscuits are The Dad Cracker.
VaguelyDownward+8
Yes! I had an ongoing Triscuits vs. Ritz debate with my dad when I was a kid, and while it has mostly died down, he still refers to Triscuits as “The World’s Best Snack Cracker” any time they come up in conversation.
winterbymorning+12
Nooooo, you guys. Breezes lead to drafts, and drafts lead to all manner of illnesses and pains! You think you’re sniffling because of seasonal allergies? NO! You got a cold from unwittingly sitting in a draft. Hurt your knee jogging? THINK AGAIN, the pain is caused by the insidious draft!
longlostlullaby+5
What my dad wanted (and got) for Father’s Day: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I55VKM4?ref_=…
They’re sold out now, so sorry if the rest of you have dads who also wantedChocolate Vanilla Creme Pop Tarts for Father’s Day. It’s too late.
pole2pole+13
I observe that Cover Dad has on what is clearly his Chore Hat, which reminds me that my dad had a Chore Hat (the same color green, too, but with a bill).
In our family, potential residences are judged heavily by crossbreeze potential. “If you open up that door they turned into a closet…”
knittingBAMF+9
Projects, snacks, and crossbreezes?
I’m totally a dad. A lady dad without kids.
Unreadaethel+11
I like to email these to my dad. I also emailed him the Taken speech one, so he could admire my Wodehousian stylings. He asked me if my username referred to Aethelred I or II.
VaguelyDownward+10
I sent my dad a slightly sappy Father’s Day card (a level of emotional display only acceptable because we live in different states and I won’t be there when he reads it). I also just sent him all of the benefits information for my new job to help me make decisions because I’ve never had actual benefits before, which is precisely the kind of dadding that he excels at.
claire1404+6
I think Dad Magazine should include a book review – one Patrick O’Brian every month. Should keep them going for years.
I think my favorite part of my dad’s retirement is the time he has to devote to his projects. He designed and made this amazing set of card holders for a bridge club friend who has Parkinson’s and can’t hold them in her hand or use the standard type holders.
He made a custom set of shelves for my aunt’s kitchen that is an engineering marvel.
cleo
Projects!
I think my favorite part of my dad's retirement is the time he has to devote to his projects. He designed and made this amazing set of card holders for a bridge club friend who has Parkinson's and can't hold them in her hand or use the standard type holders.
He made a custom set of shelves for my aunt's kitchen that is an engineering marvel.
Elizabeth+1
I’ve only just been introduced to the miracle that is Dad magazine and this has to be one of the best covers ever! I would like to mention the following: -creating problems to create… Inventions! -multiple thermometers in the same room -homemade gifts (i.e., complicated beach chairs!) -dads decorate (eg, the Salvador Dali clock you have to have, Home-made frames and blown up New Yorker cartoons on parchment paper, well there’s a blank space on that wall, sun catchers!) -headsets: why God created phones
My dad doesn’t need to strategically place anything to remind us about Father’s Day, he’ll straight up remind us every time we call. He takes his holiday VERY seriously. He will also never ever tell you what he wants and say “I don’t need anything but you guys”, but fully expects gifts from both my mother and me. Also, if my birthday is on Father’s Day (which it sometimes is), we have to celebrate a day early so that I don’t get in the way of his day.
I love my father, but he is a DIVA.
OH MY GLOD MY BIRTHDAY IS ALSO ON FATHER’S DAY AND DAD ALWAYS TRIES TO DIVA HIS WAY INTO THE SPOTLIGHT TOO! PRINCESS DADS ARE BOTH THE BEST AND THE WORST.
RIGHT??? LIKE MAN, MY DAD IS AWESOME LIKE 85% OF THE TIME, BUT THE OTHER 15% IS HIM EMBARRASSING ME IN CARS AND BEING A RIGHTEOUS DIVA ABOUT HIS ~CELEBRATIONS~. THE FESTIVITIES FOR HIS 50TH BIRTHDAY LASTED FOR A FREAKING YEAR AND INVOLVED INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL.
My dad throws himself a cross-country skiing party every year for his birthday. The extended family is invited and most people never come. I haven’t had the heart to tell him that no one wants to travel to rural western Pennsylvania in February.
Princess Dad is my new superhero name.
This is so funny, because my Dad DOES NOT CARE about Father’s Day. I called him yesterday to ask if he wanted me to come in town, and he said he didn’t even know it was coming up.
Mine too, almost refuses to acknowledge it.
SAME! Everything about this is the same for me! I’m glad Father’s Day is so late this year. I actually got to celebrate my birthday.
would 100% read the article on crossbreeze optimization as i don’t have an air conditioner and i refuse to admit that i need one (aka: i want one but refuse to spend the money / pay a higher electric bill. it’s so hot in my house, guys. it’s so hot.)
My husband (we just got married and as an aside it’s SO WEIRD to say that) swears by two window fans, one blowing air in and one pushing air out. He is not a dad but has many of the same tendencies, including PROJECTS!
All dads have to start somewhere.
It works! I grew up in a place with no air conditioning and am now living in the muggiest place ever with insufficient AC. I put both of them to exhaust during the day and one of them to exhaust and one to intake at night.
We don’t DO air conditioning in homes in the UK, so all my windows are open.
I would also be interested in this article.
haha i was kind of thinking that about my car! I’m in Florida, so a/c in the house is a necessity (especially these newfangled buildings that don’t make use of traditional cooling techniques ON TOP of the insulation, etc.) but my car lost its a/c about 18 months ago and it’s like i’ve started to melt by the time i get home from work some days (15 minutes!)
I’ve taken to having amazing posture so that I get a breeze across my back, but I’m all up for more optimization suggestions.
in fact, last week my dad was like “for you birthday, and also for safety, I will pay to fix your a/c” (because nothing like Florida’s summertime apocalypses – daily at 4pm! – which involve blinding rains and also not being able to see out the windshield because the humidity has fogged it up, and you can’t keep wiping at it while driving). so at least it’s only a few more weeks to endure!
The thing with the two fans – one pushing, one pulling – is totally true, though. Just got to get it set up right, and you don’t necessarily need two, just one and also a big open door/window on the opposite side.
I had a car in FL that had no A/C for 2 years. My dad finally did the “at home” thing and it worked for like 3 months and then my hood started smoking if I turned the air on!! Florida cars with no A/C are the wooooooooooorst and I feel your pain keenly
Oh god it’s the worst because we can’t even figure out what the problem is if we wanted to fix it!
I rear-ended a gas tanker (it was a problem with my breaks + tiny taillights shining in the setting sun) in October of 2013 and a church friend of my sdad’s offered to do repairs for minimal labor cost (we think he was paying his guys under the table), and when I got the car back a week later, the a/c was overloading the engine. I’d be slowing for a stop at a light, for example, but suddenly the engine would rev and the car would jump forward. It would even do this while I was stopped! but if the a/c was off, it wouldn’t happen. And trying to get over a bridge with the a/c on was always interesting to see if i could keep up the momentum to get over the hump. Oh, and also too, it was blowing tepid air out, at best, on the highest setting.
So we went back to the guy and were like “WTF??” and he said NOPE NOT MY FAULT and basically treated me like an idiot girl who never noticed that these things were happening. But you’d kind of notice the jumping forward while breaking. Maybe its cooling efficiency was slowly dying, sure, but the other thing?!
And that’s why it’s so frustrating: I’m fairly certain that the issue is related to the accident OR to the guy’s crappy repair skills, but it’s prohibitively expensive to do an exploratory search for the problem. (But my dad and I have been googling and he has now offered to pay the fee, yay me!!!)
oh geeze that sounds like the same kind thing mine was doing for a while. It was a problem with my intake manifold. Basically it was sucking too much air in and then it would try maintain the right amount of air but then it would jump and eventually started stalling if I didn’t maintain speed. My mechanic (the best guy ever, he’s in Gainesville if you’re close) fixed it no problem. So it could be that your mechanic person accidentally punctured a hole while doing something to your A/C?? (disclaimer: I am by no means a mechanic it just sounds eerily similar to my sitc)
OH!
My mom thinks it’s the air intake valve, but someone said “no, that doesn’t sound right???” but your explanation seems to fit with her vague understanding, so I’ll be sure to mention it when we go to the shop. Thank you!!!!
My google results suggested it could be an MAF wire that needs to be grounded (it connects the air intake to the control panel, I think? and if it’s not grounded properly, it’s not able to transmit the signals that say what to do), which could have happened at several points in the repair process, and could easily be the intake manifold itself, if you’re describing the same issue.
Thank you again for the suggestion!
I don’t have many suggestions (aside from opening the driver’s side front and the passenger’s side rear windows to optimize crossbreeze), but I feel your pain. I got by on junkers before I got my current car (the first car I could afford to buy new, and one of the cheapest on the market), and they’d always lose their AC well before the car gave up the ghost, with the cost of fixing it well above the value of the car, so I’d carry a bar towel for myself and an OXO squeegee for the inside windows when they’d fog up.
UGH I got confused and typed the wrong response here!
I meant to say to you THANK YOU for the front-and-back window thing. I haven’t tried it yet. I’ve found that all 4 windows open tends to be a bit too violently windy, and doesn’t help when I’m stopped in traffic, but I haven’t tried the diagonal window. Gonna do that today 😀
Depending on what’s wrong with your car’s AC system (e.g., a slow leak), sometimes you can get by for a few months by recharging it with refrigerant stuff in a can. I did this many, many times on the various clunkers I’ve owned over the years, with various degrees of success.
It’s not too expensive to have it done in a shop, but it’s also not too hard to do yourself if you know where to attach the hose. (They sell cans that have hoses and meters attached).
I just got my first-ever new car with functioning AC this year and it’s been pretty life-changing, not gonna lie.
None of the cars my family had until I was at least 14 had any AC, so our remedy was to open all the windows and then frequently mist ourselves from a spray bottle. It was pretty effective, but only works if you are moving and not, say, stuck in slow traffic.
My sdad is a mail carrier and he used to have a little battery operated fan that he attached to the dashboard, and now they have them that spray water at the same time (I see them at the beach and stuff), and I’ve seriously considered copying him with one of the new versions.
But intentionally getting more wet when I’m already damp from humidity-sweat seems a little backwards. 😀
I have successfully avoided putting my air conditioner in yet this summer by using crossbreeze optimization. (Thanks, Dad!)
Me too! I mean, I also live in Massachusetts in a basement apartment that is built into a hill and therefore 50% cave, but still.
If possible, I recommend that you use a window on the shady side of the house for bringing air in. My bedroom window faces north, so if I open that window, keep the west-facing living room blinds closed, and pull air out with the kitchen fan, I can cool my apartment significantly. This is a method I only need employ about three days per year given that I live in Seattle, but still, I think the technique is solid.
I grew up without air conditioning until well into my adulthood, but I used to wonder how the Victorians got by with the outfits they’d wear in summer. For a while, I had a theory that they really wore these flowing silk kaftans (even the men) in summer and only wore the whalebone corsets and wool frock coats for formal portraits.
I can’t even imagine– I read someplace that the average woman’s clothes weighed about 25- 30 pounds back then!
TBH there’s a lot of people who visit the theme parks in Orlando while wearing modest dress and my heart goes out for them because it seems so miserably hot. I mean, I know that sometimes a t-shirt with sleeves is more comfortable than a tank top (less skin-on-skin, more fabric to wick the sweat away), but always long pants and multiple layers? I am someone who dislikes showing skin for many reasons (I didn’t own any clothing that revealed my knees for most of my 20s), and even I’ve given up and bought shorts and spaghetti strap tanks for theme park visits.
I can’t imagine how much worse the wool and corsets of 100 years ago was, when they didn’t even have A/C to help.
My boyfriend sometimes plays in a Victorian-costumed brass band for the 4th of July (at a Colonial Williamsburg-type place), and just looking at him in the heat in his wool suit makes me want to die.
why do people do this to themselves??????
(i ask while quietly ignoring the fact that i wore long jeans even in summer for years)
I volunteer at a living history farm during the summer and wear the full corset, petticoats, skirts, and shirtwaist. It’s surprisingly less hot than you’d expect. I mean, working in the garden in the sun, even with my wide brimmed hat is hotter than laying around in my basement in a tank top and boxers, but it’s not too bad. You’ve got some good ventilation with the skirt, and all the fabric is cotton, so it breaths really well.
$3.99: The Right Amount for a Dad to pay for a monthly magazine.
Especially with a subscription deal, negotiated annually for the low low price of $1.39 per issue – a nearly 65%* savings!
*I did not do the math.
Oh Lord I did not expect to have a Feels Explosion right here at my desk. Excuse me while I go to the washroom to cry for a few minutes because FAME does my father love a good cross breeze.
My late lamented father had a whole-house fan installed, perhaps simply for the pleasure of flicking the switch and hear the massive WHOOSH as all the hot air sucked out of the house and cool evening or morning air washed in, or perhaps for the pleasure of instructing everyone (and I mean everyone who stayed in the house on the precise window-opening/crossbreeze protocol for using the whole-house fan.
When I occasionally find myself reversing a fan my husband put in a window, turning it so it’s sucking hot air out (in the kitchen, for example), I often hear my father’s voice in my head, talking about optimal airflow.
I’ve suspected for some time now, but Cross Breeze Optimization confirms…. I am a Dad.
PROJECTS. I have mentioned in the comments here before that my dad has decided that he really likes helping my sister and I with our cosplay props, but I don’t think I showed y’all the SWORD he made for my sister’s Rose Quartz costume:
The handle is courtesy my sister, made of worbla, but the blade itself is made by my dad with a couple of dowels and leftover pine. It’s incredible. He now wants to try and make tentacles so she can have an Ursula the Sea Witch costume next year. Apparently when he was a young adult in the 60s, he won a costume contest with a homemade viking costume and has loved it ever since so he is like 5000% behind us.
A+ DADDING
That is excellent, good job Dad!
I am in awe of your Dad’s dadding capabilities. My kids didn’t luck out nearly so well, all I had on offer was ability and money enough to keep four franken-puters running so as to keep the whole family playing Diablo II together. *wry grin*
I did a skit for my German class in high school that was a translation of the Norse myth of Thrym and his theft of Thor’s hammer. Dad and I constructed a very large hammer with a light wood core, a thick layer of foam, and then duct tape + electrical tape for the criss-crossy bits on the handle. I still have it in my room.
YES I WANT SOME SNACKS!
i’m not even sure my dad really eats proper meals any more. on my recent visit , he was almost always in possession of his tiny plate with olives & cheese or crackers & dip or charcuterie & mini veggies. even breakfast was a bit of cold leftover salmon and a small piece of pie. what is that, even? the only time i saw him eat an actual composed meal was when he made dinner for everyone.
This is totally going to be me when I retire. Salmon + pie = A+ breakfast.
(Actually, I’m not far off from that now…)
I would love to be a person that always has a tiny plate of charcuterie in my hand but I cannot afford to keep buying new pants…
Oh man, y’all, I’m failing Father’s day so bad this year. Last month I sent mother’s day cards/gifts to my mom and future mother-in-law and they arrived EARLY but it is now three days before Father’s Day and I haven’t bought or sent ANYTHING to my stepdad or future father-in-law and even worse I don’t know what to get them. FIL gave up coffee and my stepdad is NOTORIOUSLY hard to buy for. Ughghghgh.
Same here! I might end up emailing gift certificates or something equally lame. Ugggh how do these things sneak up every year? I’M A BAD CHILD.
I mentioned this on the last Dad Magazine article, but have you considered a donation of a bomb-sniffing rat? For the Dad who has everything.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/opinion/sunday/…
I had not heard about this before, but now I am absolutely getting this for my dad!
Here’s a better link to the charity– https://www.apopo.org/en/
They’re also training the rats to detect tuberculosis now!
And in the same vein, there is always Heifer Project ( http://www.heifer.org/ ) because dads and goats… or chickens. I’m sure other peoples’ dads have Opinions on livestock…
Oh man, that is amazing! I ended up getting boring stuff like a wine aerator for my FIL and some Blu-rays (that my mom recommended) for my stepdad. I am DEFINITELY bookmarking the HeroRat page for future gift-giving.
Mallory won’t like hearing this, but my dad LOVES birds, so this year I made a donation to a bird sanctuary in his name. He’s feeding a duck for a year!
Oh my god, my dad has one of those anti-gravity chairs that can recline at terrifying angles, and he keeps it in his office to take naps in. He also has at least one regular fold-up outdoor chair in the back of his car, just in case he takes my sister (who is disabled and can’t stand/walk for long periods of time) somewhere, and she needs to sit.
Basically my dad is the sweetest human being.
No issue of this For Dads-By Dads publication has ever disappointed me in its dadliness and capacity to make me think about my own, deeply dad-like, dad. Who never let us use the central heat or AC, because suffering builds character and is cheaper on electrical bills.
We are going camping this weekend, full family camping, and my sister and I will be driving up together to bask in a full weekend of dadness. There will be esoteric political discussions tied to historical facts and hiking and thinking about fishing and naturefacts! and good beer.
And character builds hope, and hope does not disappoint.
exactly. 🙂 Actually, one of my favorite things about my dad is that he’s a lovely softhearted cynic and sort of does and doesn’t believe all kinds of things simultaneously. so he both would and would not agree here. Quantum dad.
Oh man, my dad’s the same! He’s a mushy, goopy Plains Lutheran stoic, who strongly believes both that suffering builds character and is good for the soul, and that Justification by Grace through Faith is the only valid doctrine. DADS ARE A RICH TAPESTRY.
mine’s a Jewish new yorker erstwhile hippie type, but i suspect a lot of Toasties grew up with a bit of quantum parenting…probably one of the reasons we commentarriat are so nice and such trolls simultaneously
I think it’s a fundamental characteristic of dads, particularly in relation to daughters. “Suffering builds character,” Dad grumbles, “but here’s $20 in case you need taxi fare.”
Is this the dadliest issue of Dad Magazine yet? I think it might be!
Projects!
Cross ventilation!
I think June really must be the dadest month even without Father’s Day- mowing! Outdoor cooking! Projects! Baseball! Golf!
My dad broke down and bought an air conditioning unit, but only for my parents room. The rest of us had to live with the cross breeze.
(to be fair, I was mostly out of the house and my sister in college, but it was still funny)
to be honest tho I’m still not convinced they ever use it
Crossbreezes. OMG. Every issue of Dad Magazine describes my partner to a T.
Uuuuuugh thanks for reminding me that I still need to write that godforsaken obsequious note my dad requests every Father’s Day, not that I really needed reminding what with the guilt trip my mom’s been laying on my brother and me as per usual re: how much he loves the obsequious notes and how hurt he’ll be if he doesn’t get one, they are too happily married and it is disgusting, why does he do this to us anyway, showing emotion is terrible and I wasn’t brought up to do it as he should know perfectly well
but lol at “sitting ovation”
Taking my dad with us to look at a possible wedding venue (because it’s up in wine country and he has wine he needs to pick up, anyway) counts as a Father’s Day present, right?
(I bought a wedding dress on Saturday and I feel bad about it because I had only intended to see how various silhouettes looked and was going to take my father to my first “real” dress-hunting appointment.)
Just bought a three-year subscription to This Old House magazine for my husband for Father’s Day, to go with his ritual of gathering our five year old and toddler to watch This Old House with him every Saturday night.
I have been banned from said screenings for my inability to watch This Old House without imagining every single scene as a prelude to porn. “That’s some nice mounting, Dave.” “Yep, that’s a nice long tool for the job.” And then they take off their clothes and make sweet Dad love to one another, complete with Boston-accented exclamations.
There’s a woodworking show I can sometimes catch on PBS, hosted by a fairly handsome younger Bostony dude, which I think is actually called “Rough Cut” but which I insist on calling “Rough Trade Woodworking” and now my husband won’t watch it with me anymore. I believe you and I are kindred spirits.
This. Is. Epic.
“complete with Boston-accented exclamations”
No you’re trying not to lose it at work
LOL Dads
I’ve been calling candy shops local to my parents in an attempt to have the fancy chocolates he likes delivered, and none of the shops will take my order because it’s too warm to ship chocolate. I already hit Peak Daughter when my brother and I surprised them on Xmas a few years ago, but I thought I could keep my game up with nostalgia chocolates from shops that they used to go to in their 20s, but alas. Then I was all, “Hey, they’re heading to Michigan this year (both are displaced Michiganders residing in NYS), I’ll call the fish shop near the cabin and get a gift certificate!” But the fish shop doesn’t really do that, because for WHATEVER REASON their day-to-day fishermen life doesn’t really allow for the possibility that crazy ladies from out-of-state would want to bestow smoked Lake Huron whitefish as a gift on anyone.
He will have to make-do with the weird “keep track of your golf game” notebooks I found on amazon instead. He’s such a Dad, with his golfing and woodwork and gardening and chicken-keeping.
My mom has decided she has to stop horsing, so she’s going to sell her sweet little mare (sweet little mare who got ornery and bucked her off last week), so I might get her something too, as consolation. My mom is 63 and has been pitched over the head of a horse three times in the last few years, miraculously with no broken bones or broken necks, and I think she figures she’s probably tested the universe as far as she should at this point.
(What I’m saying is that my wee, adorably bad-ass hobbit-style mom would be awesome for the cover of Mom Magazine, should one ever come to fruition).
(pouts) I would like a whitefish gift certificate.
I feel like I can tell from here your mother’s mare is a chestnut, and I send her some heartfelt fellow feeling since I too have parted company with a (red) horse too often in the last couple years. I have had remarkably good luck with geriatric Quarter horse geldings, non-chestnut, gray by preference…
Snacks! You can have some, but you gotta pay the Dad tax.
My mother was the one who claimed “Tax!” on all our ice cream cones and Halloween candy.
The Dad Tax is that you have to sit for 30 seconds and listen to puns.
“Sure, you can have some. If you give me a quarter.”
It was always the carrying charge in my household. Carrying charge tended to be several M&Ms out of the bag of trail mix that was being passed to me.
My Dad reminds me about Father’s Day by handing me his Dunkin Donuts rechargeable gift card a few weeks in advance, for me to put another $20 on. This has been going on for probably 8 or 9 years.
I think it started when I was in high school, so if you combine us I think it’s closer to 11.
Has DAD ever run a ‘how-to’ feature on making pancakes in the shape of letters and amusing creatures for your children? I feel as though this is the most Dad thing I do for my daughter, and it some how completely makes up for the time(s) I left the gate at the top of the stairs open. All Dads should have this skill.
Ok, I think “suggesting features for Dad Magazine in order to improve one’s own Dadding skills” is actual Peak Dadness. Go home, everybody, we have found the One True Dad.
MY dad does this too!! He always does our initials, and I have an “R” to start my name, which is really hard to do backwards in pancake batter so yay Dad (although I guess he named me so it is his fault). I named my daughter a name that has four letters that are all straight lines, super easy, so she gets her whole name every time he cooks her breakfast.
No, but when I was in the 5th grade, we had to watch a Tampax-sponsored video where a mom draws a diagram of the female reproductive system in pancake batter.
whaaaaat???
It was….. not helpful in answering my many questions.
Have you ever been able to find this online? I have a hard time convincing others that no, it was not a hideous fever dream.
My dad has decided to spend Father’s Day installing a new sink and toilet at my house. Which makes me feel guilty, but he seems to enjoy that kind of thing.
(I did insist on serving him brunch first, though).
(Also, the new sink and toilet are his birthday presents to me, which are very much appreciated).
He’s spending Father’s Day Dadding! That’s perfect!
🙂
He’s taking the next week off from work to go to a jazz festival, so at least he’ll have some post-toilet-installation relaxation.
Aw, after reading all these awesome comments, I’m aching for My Dad (he passed away from cancer approx. 13 years ago). I still have one of his projects: a hobby horse he built for me when I was fairly young. I loved it then and I love it now.
I’m very, very sorry about your Dad. He sounds like the best of Dads.
Thank you…he was, for me, the best of Dads. I still sob over him from time to time.
Sent from my iPad
I really enjoy these posts – as someone who has had a very fraught relationship with her dad (and sometimes still does) these are nice reminders of the times when having a dad is awesome.
Ohhh you guys, I miss my dad so much right now and I won’t get to see him until the fall, and this hilarious piece just made me inordinately weepy.
My dad does the Rule of Three Offers with snacks. First, a simple “you want a triscuit?” If I say no, he puts the box closer to my face. If I say no again, he wiggles the box about two inches from my nose. If I am still able to decline at that point, he sighs deeply and continues munching.
excellent choice of username
Triscuits are The Dad Cracker.
Yes! I had an ongoing Triscuits vs. Ritz debate with my dad when I was a kid, and while it has mostly died down, he still refers to Triscuits as “The World’s Best Snack Cracker” any time they come up in conversation.
Nooooo, you guys. Breezes lead to drafts, and drafts lead to all manner of illnesses and pains! You think you’re sniffling because of seasonal allergies? NO! You got a cold from unwittingly sitting in a draft. Hurt your knee jogging? THINK AGAIN, the pain is caused by the insidious draft!
What my dad wanted (and got) for Father’s Day: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I55VKM4?ref_=…
They’re sold out now, so sorry if the rest of you have dads who also wantedChocolate Vanilla Creme Pop Tarts for Father’s Day. It’s too late.
I observe that Cover Dad has on what is clearly his Chore Hat, which reminds me that my dad had a Chore Hat (the same color green, too, but with a bill).
In our family, potential residences are judged heavily by crossbreeze potential. “If you open up that door they turned into a closet…”
Projects, snacks, and crossbreezes?
I’m totally a dad. A lady dad without kids.
I like to email these to my dad. I also emailed him the Taken speech one, so he could admire my Wodehousian stylings. He asked me if my username referred to Aethelred I or II.
I sent my dad a slightly sappy Father’s Day card (a level of emotional display only acceptable because we live in different states and I won’t be there when he reads it). I also just sent him all of the benefits information for my new job to help me make decisions because I’ve never had actual benefits before, which is precisely the kind of dadding that he excels at.
I think Dad Magazine should include a book review – one Patrick O’Brian every month. Should keep them going for years.
Dear misandrist librarians,
Dad Magazine was discussed in the Globe and Mail! http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/fat…
Yours &c.,
Bucklemeswash
Projects!
I think my favorite part of my dad’s retirement is the time he has to devote to his projects. He designed and made this amazing set of card holders for a bridge club friend who has Parkinson’s and can’t hold them in her hand or use the standard type holders.
He made a custom set of shelves for my aunt’s kitchen that is an engineering marvel.
Projects!
I think my favorite part of my dad's retirement is the time he has to devote to his projects. He designed and made this amazing set of card holders for a bridge club friend who has Parkinson's and can't hold them in her hand or use the standard type holders.
He made a custom set of shelves for my aunt's kitchen that is an engineering marvel.
I’ve only just been introduced to the miracle that is Dad magazine and this has to be one of the best covers ever! I would like to mention the following:
-creating problems to create… Inventions!
-multiple thermometers in the same room
-homemade gifts (i.e., complicated beach chairs!)
-dads decorate (eg, the Salvador Dali clock you have to have, Home-made frames and blown up New Yorker cartoons on parchment paper, well there’s a blank space on that wall, sun catchers!)
-headsets: why God created phones
PS I’m a HUGE fan of DAD!