STORIES FOR DADS, ABOUT DADS.

I’ll provide the funny stories. All you have to do is read ’em and laugh. It’s OK. I’ll wait for the game to end.

Why do dads need to laugh? In case you haven’t noticed, today’s dads are often marginalized in popular media. Watch any TV commercial. We’re usually portrayed as bumbling doofuses. In my case, it’s probably true, but I doubt it’s entirely accurate in your situation. You work hard to provide for your family and set a loving example for your children. It’s OK to relax and laugh every once in a while, right? Dads of the world unite! (Right after loading the dishwasher…)

MARK’S BOOKS

Blow the Man Down

In the 1970s, Mark Johnson was a gangly North Carolina farm boy with a big imagination. An avid reader of Doc Savage pulp novels and Hardy Boys mysteries, Johnson knew he wanted adventure in his life. He just had no idea where to get it or how to escape the Christmas tree fields of the Appalachians. As a teenager, Johnson discovered music. Then, girls. These epiphanies would lead to an adventure even Johnson’s wild imagination couldn’t have predicted.

Follow along as Johnson navigates a heart-pounding and often hilarious odyssey through the 1980s and ‘90s music industry as a songwriter and club musician, both in fickle Nashville and the mysterious Caribbean island of ill repute St. Croix. Johnson reveals both the seductions and the hard truths of life in the world of entertainment.

Go to the book page or order your copy now!

TAKE ME TO THE BOOK PAGE!

Mr. Ledbetter’s Boots

A 95-YEAR-OLD TUSKEGEE AIRMAN intends to become the oldest known person to complete the iconic 40-mile trek to EVEREST BASE CAMP.

After narrowly surviving the crash of his P-51 Mustang into the Austrian Alps during WWII, then-18-year-old Raymond’s escape from certain death became a thing of legend and launched his 75-year obsession with mountaineering. Now, in defiance of the laws of aging, his sights are set on fulfilling a life-long dream — experiencing Mt. Everest with his own eyes and via his own two feet.

Hiking alongside Raymond through Nepal’s mystical Khumbu is young journalist Joe Vogler, who hopes to make his mark in the world of social-justice news. Little does Joe know that Raymond’s old hiking boots hold a historical secret that will turn the adventure on its head.

Get it on Amazon HERE.

Read about Doofus Dad himself

Go now

Latest Blog Post

9 things that are better now than in the ’70s and ’80s, Pt. 2

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Welcome to Part 2 of this list. If you haven’t yet read Part 1, go read it first. Really! Don’t go any further because there’s a monster at the end of this sentence! Oh, never mind, that’s just me. Anyway, go read Part 1. I’ll wait. (Twiddling thumbs, whistling a song that isn’t really a […]

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Lists

My top 9 best things about being gainfully unemployed

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There are definite advantages to being gainfully unemployed if you look hard enough and make several of them up.

My Top 12 Reasons Why I Hate CrossFit, Version 2.0

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This is the podcast version of my most popular blog post to date, written seven years ago this month. I've updated it to reflect my current situation, but all the good stuff is still there. If you either love CrossFit, love to make fun of CrossFit, or just love to make fun of anything, you'll enjoy it.

My Top 10 Areas Where American Common Sense has Gone AWOL

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The Meriam-Webster dictionary defines common sense as, quote, “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts” unquote. OK. That’s pretty good but let me amend that with an even simpler definition: Common sense means not being a dumbass. Not being a dumbass is in short supply these days. Here's what your Great-Grandpa and I think about things.

Health and fitness stuff? Boom.

Along the ‘Elephant Skin’ Trail to Thukla

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As we topped a wide slope, the vista before us revealed our task: we would be walking along a gently rising ridge situated adjacent to a massif of snowy peaks with a valley in between.

The Fiery Gizzard Trail: Certa Mors.

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Last weekend, upon the suggestions of trek member Luis, we brazenly decided to tackle the Fiery Gizzard Trail, known as one of the Top 25 hikes in the nation. The full trail is around 12.5 miles long and is rated "strenuous," which in Latin, means "certa mors," which then translated back into English, means "certain death." Not knowing this, I just assumed it actually meant "strenuous," which is kind of a nebulous word and not to be taken too seriously.

The Top 10 Reasons I Might Not Work Out Today

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People have all kinds of excuses for not working out. I mean, there are thousands of them, take your pick. They are usually weak, baseless, transparent, laughable, and just plain ol' lame. In fact, I wrote a blog about them a while back. (Read…

Children and parenting? Here you go.

Holding Out Hope

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Most parents aren't professional child-rearing experts with advanced degrees in child psychology. Parents are just people. And just when you think parenting can’t get any more difficult or confusing, it does.

My Top 10 Dad Tips for Incoming College Freshmen

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In a few short weeks, our youngest son, Pete, will be heading off to college. It’s one of those huge milestones in the life of both child and parent, and everybody is just a little freaked out. My do-gooder wife, Holly, is freaked out over…

The Top 10 Awkward Pre-School Moments for Dads

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Fatherhood is a lot easier in theory than in practice. Prior to actually meeting and interacting with their first kid, most first-time fathers imagine themselves as a combination of Sheriff Andy Taylor from “The Andy Griffith Show” and…