There may be no cooler Dad on the planet, than my Dad. His resume ticks off all the key elements of Cool-Dad-dom:

Race car driver (in Southern California in the 1950's, no less)

Drag car driver

Motorcycle racer (raced on the Isle of Man on a BSA in 1965)

Pyrotechnican (who gave me his book of fireworks formulas, and encouraged me to make my own fireworks before I was 10 years old)

Devoted husband to one woman for 51 years

Tank commander in the US Army Reserves (almost deployed... and then I came along)

Ferrari collector

Plays Santa Claus at Christmas

Taught me to hunt birds with a shotgun before I was a teenager

Collects single malt whisky

Gold Miner

Built a go-kart with me

Taught me to use power tools well

Worked hard at progressively better jobs

Provided well for his family

Never raised a hand to his children

Never took shit from his children

Made sure his kids took responsibility for their actions

Took me fishing in Alaska

Took his family to Europe for a month. Twice.

Has friends on every continent on the planet

Got me into numerous places I shouldn't have been able to get in to.

Has the most amazing Parking Karma any human has ever possessed.

But, in the end, and most of all, he's my friend.

Not many people rank their parents as their best friends. I do. Absolutely. And that may be their greatest achievement of all... a loving and supportive family, who choose to spend as much time together as possible.