Funny Father's Day gifts for Dad

Father’s Day has a problem. He says he doesn’t want anything. He has said this every year since 1994, and every year it has been true in the way that “I’m just resting my eyes” is true.

So skip the tie. He has a tie. He wore it once, to a wedding, and complained about it at the reception.

I’m Just Resting My Eyes. is a dictionary of the things your dad says, decoded at last. It has 500 entries, from the driveway to the thermostat to the restaurant bill. Each one is a real dad sentence (“I know a shortcut.”) followed by what it actually means (“We are now completely lost.”). It’s illustrated, it’s full color, and it’s short enough that he will read it on the couch. Then he’ll read parts of it out loud to whoever is nearby.

It works as a gift from a son or daughter, from the whole family, or from his wife, who has heard all 500 of these personally. If he’s also a grandfather, the Grandpa book covers the long stories, the coffee cans of screws and the early-bird special.

It costs less than the tie, and he won’t have to wear it.