Belated birthday present for a notoriously hard to buy person
August 8, 2013 12:54 PM Subscribe
So my dad's (67th) birthday has come and gone. I remembered in time to call him on the day and have since sent out a card, but I am still failing at the present. My mom can't even come up with anything to get him, so I'm turning to MeFi.
My dad is retired engineer and tends to buy anything he wants which makes it hard to get him anything gift-wise, so I need something he may not realized he wants yet. His main hobby/entertainment is golfing (playing and watching, they live on a golf course), though they do kayak a bit as well. He likes reading, but tends to just get his books from the library. He mostly reads Tom Clancy and the like. He likes watching sports, but mostly watches Nascar. They live in Savannah and like going out to eat, but I can't get anything local because I don't live there. They occasionally go to the beach, but not very often. My mom does most of the cooking, but dad is in charge of the grill, though he doesn't have much besides the basics there. I'd prefer if the cost is under $50, but I might be able to do more if it is an awesome idea.
Any ideas?
My dad is retired engineer and tends to buy anything he wants which makes it hard to get him anything gift-wise, so I need something he may not realized he wants yet. His main hobby/entertainment is golfing (playing and watching, they live on a golf course), though they do kayak a bit as well. He likes reading, but tends to just get his books from the library. He mostly reads Tom Clancy and the like. He likes watching sports, but mostly watches Nascar. They live in Savannah and like going out to eat, but I can't get anything local because I don't live there. They occasionally go to the beach, but not very often. My mom does most of the cooking, but dad is in charge of the grill, though he doesn't have much besides the basics there. I'd prefer if the cost is under $50, but I might be able to do more if it is an awesome idea.
Any ideas?
How's his short game? Laser putters are fun, interesting, and useful for a sub-set of golfers. That is the highest-rated one on Amazon and the reviews do a good job with the best use case. I know they're gimmicky but, honestly, I'd enjoy spending time with one of these regardless!
posted by DarlingBri at 1:01 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by DarlingBri at 1:01 PM on August 8, 2013
My almost retired engineer dad who enjoys golf, grilling and kayaking and who gets dragged to the beach once a year has always appreciated the annual donation to Engineers Without Borders.
I'm glad you said he was going to be 67, because for a moment there I thought you were one of my sisters. My dad is going to be 70.
posted by Liesl at 1:14 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'm glad you said he was going to be 67, because for a moment there I thought you were one of my sisters. My dad is going to be 70.
posted by Liesl at 1:14 PM on August 8, 2013 [2 favorites]
Are there things that he enjoys but feels are a bit of a splurge so doesn't buy for himself? (For example, for me, that's stuff like cab rides, pedicures, etc.) Maybe you could pay caddie fees if he usually carries his own clubs, arrange to have a delicious breakfast delivered from Russ & Daughters or Williams-Sonoma, or send the wine or beer he loves but doesn't drink every day.
posted by payoto at 1:15 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by payoto at 1:15 PM on August 8, 2013
Does he have an eReader? I would like one of these and I'm 67 years old.
posted by Obscure Reference at 1:16 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by Obscure Reference at 1:16 PM on August 8, 2013
This is going to sound really random, but what about something like a quad copter? My retired engineer dad loves messing around with things like that, and figuring out how he can modify it to do new and cool tasks.
posted by melissasaurus at 1:16 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by melissasaurus at 1:16 PM on August 8, 2013
Things my dad (same age) loved: Netflix Subscription, Seltzer Machine, Tickets to a nearby performance, Beer of the Month club, Steaks, A nerf gun+WWII book.
posted by amoeba at 1:19 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by amoeba at 1:19 PM on August 8, 2013
I second the eReader. You can download an app to borrow ebooks from the library too.
posted by alvin545 at 1:23 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by alvin545 at 1:23 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Some grill suggestions: Dizzy Pig Seasonings, especially Dizzy Dust and Raging River.
Cedar planks for grilling fish or chicken
Mangrates (cast iron grates for grilling meat)
A good drybag for kayaking with a whistle and compass if he doesn't already have them
posted by brilliantine at 1:26 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Cedar planks for grilling fish or chicken
Mangrates (cast iron grates for grilling meat)
A good drybag for kayaking with a whistle and compass if he doesn't already have them
posted by brilliantine at 1:26 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
hunt down a local butcher you can get a gift certificate from so they can have some extra-fancy steaks to bbq?
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:28 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:28 PM on August 8, 2013
I just got my recently retired Dad tickets to see his favorite baseball team and that was a hit. Another recent big hit was special ordering in some blue crabs from Maryland for him. He retired to the West Coast so all he gets these days is Dungeness - poor sod;)
posted by rdnnyc at 1:33 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by rdnnyc at 1:33 PM on August 8, 2013
Does he like audiobooks? A set of Jack Reacher titles might be a ton of fun for him.
posted by jbickers at 1:40 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by jbickers at 1:40 PM on August 8, 2013
This probably runs a little higher than $50, but...has he ever been up in a glider?
posted by gnomeloaf at 1:47 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by gnomeloaf at 1:47 PM on August 8, 2013
My mother & stepfather are in Charleston with a similar lifestyle although older now. I've gotten them minor league season tickets before & one year I got them Bill Cosby tix because he was going to be in town. My SIL has gotten them symphony tickets, we've all done a ton of restaurant giftcards. My mother volunteers at a clinic so a few times I've given a donation in her name to the clinic.
posted by headnsouth at 1:52 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by headnsouth at 1:52 PM on August 8, 2013
Seconding the Netflix subscription. My parents (mom especially) claimed they didn't watch TV, but when I hooked them up with Netflix streaming, they immediately got suckered into TV nostalgia mode, and enjoy newer stuff as well they had no idea even existed. They didn't know they wanted it, but now they wouldn't be without it.
posted by cgg at 1:56 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by cgg at 1:56 PM on August 8, 2013
How about a trove of really bitchin' flavored nuts to eat while he watches NASCAR?
posted by oceanjesse at 2:45 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 2:45 PM on August 8, 2013
Seconding Jack Reacher. I read #9 (of, I think 17 books, maybe more now) following the recent movie, and then I started #1... I just finished #10. Addictive, and they feed the part of me that went hungry after I switched away from the techno-thriller (e.g. Tom Clancy) genre. The movie's not bad if you wanted to give him a taste of the character.
If you and your Mom can each pitch in $50, how about a $100 homebrew starter kit? If he decides he doesn't like it, then it's a gift that came and went (and he can give away the stuff) If he likes it, it's a new hobby that scales very well to your interest level (and beer-consumption level). My brother in law has been happy with using Williams Brewing (I guess these starter kits are more like $120+ship) while occasionally starting a new batch using their $25-$30 brew kits, but if you or your mom can buy from a homebrew store, such as Savannah Homebrew Shoppe where equipment kits start at $85 -- but he'll need a big 3-5 gallon pot for brewing in. If he likes brewing, you can punt on the occasional future gift by giving him a gift certificate to Savannah Homebrew. There's also an essential book for the process, Charlie Papazian's "Joy of Homebrewing."
This one will blow out the $50 budget, but: how about a motorized spit for his grill? It's not really advanced grilling to use one, but it is advanced gear to own. Alternately, a short smoker-- he can smoke fish, pork belly (read: homemade bacon), and improve his barbecue (the cuisine) technique greatly.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:02 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you and your Mom can each pitch in $50, how about a $100 homebrew starter kit? If he decides he doesn't like it, then it's a gift that came and went (and he can give away the stuff) If he likes it, it's a new hobby that scales very well to your interest level (and beer-consumption level). My brother in law has been happy with using Williams Brewing (I guess these starter kits are more like $120+ship) while occasionally starting a new batch using their $25-$30 brew kits, but if you or your mom can buy from a homebrew store, such as Savannah Homebrew Shoppe where equipment kits start at $85 -- but he'll need a big 3-5 gallon pot for brewing in. If he likes brewing, you can punt on the occasional future gift by giving him a gift certificate to Savannah Homebrew. There's also an essential book for the process, Charlie Papazian's "Joy of Homebrewing."
This one will blow out the $50 budget, but: how about a motorized spit for his grill? It's not really advanced grilling to use one, but it is advanced gear to own. Alternately, a short smoker-- he can smoke fish, pork belly (read: homemade bacon), and improve his barbecue (the cuisine) technique greatly.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:02 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
We got my FIL one of those chair covers that plugs in to the cigarette lighter and is heated, gives a massage, etc. I think we found it at Sears. My FIL said he had no idea he wanted one until he had it. It's good for a sore back, feels generally nice even when the back isn't sore, and just sits there and doesn't require anything from him other than choosing a setting periodically.
posted by Capri at 3:08 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by Capri at 3:08 PM on August 8, 2013
I'd check some decent restaurant guides and then call Savannah restaurants that make the cut to arrange a gift certificate for x amount off their bill when they visit. It's a rare restaurant that wouldn't work with you on that.
posted by bearwife at 3:49 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by bearwife at 3:49 PM on August 8, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for all the ideas. All the alcohol stuff won't work, and they already have an ereader in the house so if my dad wanted one, he'd have it by now. They have a DVR and don't watch TV on a computer so Netflix wouldn't help him much. Audiobooks might have worked back when he was driving a bunch, but now most of his driving is in the golf cart. And I'm leery to get him books because he's likely to have read everything. The problem getting gift certificates, etc, is that I don't live in Savannah so even if I could get someone else to get it I'd have no clue where to get it from. They already go to the local baseball team whenever they actually want to. If he wants fancy breakfast he gets it from the club and they went and bought steaks for his birthday already. See, difficult to buy for!
However, maybe I'll try some grill stuff. My brother uses a green egg to smoke them things when they come up, but I'm not sure I can get a worthwhile smoker for them on my budget so maybe I'll look into some awesome grill seasons as mentioned above. That or fancy nuts, he does like nuts.
posted by katers890 at 3:51 PM on August 8, 2013
However, maybe I'll try some grill stuff. My brother uses a green egg to smoke them things when they come up, but I'm not sure I can get a worthwhile smoker for them on my budget so maybe I'll look into some awesome grill seasons as mentioned above. That or fancy nuts, he does like nuts.
posted by katers890 at 3:51 PM on August 8, 2013
A classic golf book? Willie Park Jr.'s 1920 The Art of Putting.
Amazon has editions for $10.
What kind of engineer? Maybe something from Grand Illusions?
posted by at at 4:38 PM on August 8, 2013
Amazon has editions for $10.
What kind of engineer? Maybe something from Grand Illusions?
posted by at at 4:38 PM on August 8, 2013
If I can't come up with a good idea for a gift I don't give one or say let's do something special when we are together next. If I'm the recipient I'd rather get nothing than a something I don't want. With that said, is there something local you can send that is unique? If all else fails how about a pair of alpaca socks?
posted by RoadScholar at 6:08 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by RoadScholar at 6:08 PM on August 8, 2013
How about a Some Food of the Month Club thing?
posted by DMelanogaster at 7:41 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by DMelanogaster at 7:41 PM on August 8, 2013
If you haven't gone with the grill stuff yet, GET THE QUADCOPTER as melissasaurus says. Really an excellent toy for an aging engineer! I'm a little older and would love one. My work colleague is having such fun with his - it's not just a one-time-wonder (he got a little "keychain" video spycam for a few dollars to fly on his quad) and it makes hanging out with other people fun too.
posted by anadem at 8:30 PM on August 8, 2013
posted by anadem at 8:30 PM on August 8, 2013
i like the idea of grill items.
as for netflix there are gadgets you buy to hook it up to your tv. just go here to see options. if you search amazon there are fairly inexpensive gadgets that work to hook it all up. here's one for under $60.
posted by wildflower at 8:54 PM on August 8, 2013
as for netflix there are gadgets you buy to hook it up to your tv. just go here to see options. if you search amazon there are fairly inexpensive gadgets that work to hook it all up. here's one for under $60.
posted by wildflower at 8:54 PM on August 8, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by tilde at 1:00 PM on August 8, 2013