Readers Offer Their Gift Ideas For Dad

Fri., June 18, 1999

Tom Skierka Correspondent

I got a few hits on my inquiry about what men really want for Father’s Day. My point in asking was that most men do not want ties or tools, and feel that gifts such as those are about as romantic as buying a blender for a mom on Mother’s Day. Among the suggestions I received were tickets to the Spokane Indians’ games, golf dates made in advance, real massages and joint custody. One call was for the service of a topless house-cleaning company.

Another simple and less expensive request was best amplified by Todd Bogart of the Spokane Valley who called and stated, “I want a six-pack of beer, the remote control and my wife to take the kids out while the ball game is on.”

In case you are wondering, the only thing I want is to be with my wonderful kids and my perfect wife all day and the opportunity to get some of those “honey-do’s” done (I bet I also get to sleep in, and that tee time, too!).

But, just in case…

I did get a few letters from dads who wanted me to know that tools are a pretty cool gift. They felt getting one tool is always a good excuse to go get more. So to be fair, I do have a great gift idea. It’s the rolling workshop by Stanley. If there are others like me, doing an improvement takes a lot longer because of endless trips back to the work bench because I didn’t remember this or that, even if I did bring my tool box. The rolling workshop boasts three storage areas in one: a large heavy-duty toolbox, drawer organizers, and a deep storage bin. All three stack together to form a complete system. It also has a 50-foot extension cord so you will always have power. This handyman’s new best friend retails for about $60.

Safety tip

It may seem like a simple task, but it could send you across the room and give you a incandescent taste if you’re not careful. When changing the outlet plate covers, turn off the power just in case. While taking the screw out or screwing it back in, your driver could slip and plunge into the outlet. This could ruin a day, or spark endless teasing by unsympathetic friends because you didn’t take two seconds to throw the power switch. Just thought I would pass some wisdom gained through experience.

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