I'm so proud of you? Congrats?

My father called me this Friday. This is normal.

He "just wanted to say hi" since we had not talked in a few days. This is normal. Both the "just wanting to say hi" and the fact that we had not talked in a few days.

However, the tone of his voice was more than he was "just calling to say hi". He was giddy and I could tell there was a huge smile plastered on his face (Bigger than what it should be talking to his faaaaaavorite...only daughter). There was something up..I knew it. He called for more than that. Excuse me mister, I've known you for 23 years and you are up to something.

"I did it". That's all he said. You did it? Really dad? You did what? Bought a new car? Cut down the rest of the tree that the tornado a couple of weeks took half of? Got a hole-in-one? Ran a marathon (this thought was not really one of them, for he thinks running is silly...along with most of the country)? Got plugs? God, I hope not.

After trying to guess silently to myself and after about 20 seconds of him sitting on the phone...I'm sure enjoying the fact that he was leaving me in the dust and knowing me well enough to know that I was getting frustrated I finally asked "YOU DID WHAT?"

Retired.

Immediate response: Oh, cool dad.

Our conversation went on and I could still tell he was excited...but I didn't know what to say. Retired? My dad is not old enough to retire. I hadn't planned what to say to someone when they tell me this. I'm so proud of you? You made it 25 years of teaching middle school hellions...I'm so proud that you got out while you could? I'm so glad you still have some hair? Congratulations on surviving? Congratulations on being done with work forever? Can I be [proud of my dad? Is that allowed? I didn't know what to say! We ended our phone chat kinda on that note. But the longer I have thought about it, I am pretty sure that retirement deserves more than a "oh, cool dad". Ooops.

So, now I am searching the world wide web looking for retirement gifts. However, I don't know how father-daughter retirement gifts go these days. Or ever. I still don't completely know what retirement is. You just stop working? What do you do all day? Aren't you bored? Hell, I have not even STARTED a job yet. I am going to be 90 before I can retire and then play all the golf (ha) I want with my artificial hips (that I invented, and then installed on myself....duh).

Open to "retirement for dad" gift suggestions....is there such a thing?