| Ah, men and their manly hobbies. Most are | | | | enjoyment out of watching their daddy make a |
| expensive, time consuming and ultimate | | | | huge mess slopping plaster of paris about, or |
| relationship killers. Here's jus t a few my ex | | | | gluing his fingers together putting together little |
| decide he just had to try... | | | | plastic train station buildings, but I let him do it in |
| Beekeeping... Even though my ex is deathly allergic | | | | hopes of him finally succeeding at something, at |
| to bees, and most other insects for that matter, | | | | anything. |
| he decided to try beekeeping. Said we could retire | | | | It wasn't until he shocked himself while trying to |
| on the money made from the honey. It didn't | | | | wire one of his little houses that I thought the |
| matter to him at the time that we did not have | | | | kids could be in actual danger and I prohibited |
| health insurance and lived in an apartment that | | | | them from spending time "helping daddy". What I |
| didn't allow you to keep pets. | | | | originally thought was plaster of paris was actually |
| After several "bee sting" trips to the hospital and | | | | flour and water, to cut cost, and soon began to |
| complaints from the neighbors, we had to pay an | | | | mold down in our damp basement. The smell was |
| exterminator to humanely remove the bees. He | | | | awful and we had to pay a couple of teenagers |
| made a fortune selling them to a breeder and we | | | | to yank the thing out and throw it away. |
| still have several law suits pending in circuit court | | | | The kids never did get to see the trains run like |
| for medical bills, both ours and from the neighbors | | | | their daddy had promised. Be careful what you tell |
| whose children were in the wrong place at the | | | | your kids, their memories are a lot better than |
| wrong time. Definitely pays to know what you | | | | yours and they hold you to EVERYTHING! |
| are doing! | | | | Next Up Was Bonsai Gardening... No, I have no |
| Next Came Fly Fishing... Or more accurately, fly | | | | idea where he came up with the notion that I |
| tying. After my ex came out of his anaphylactic | | | | would actually enjoy this type of thing and that it |
| shock induced coma from the bee stings, he had | | | | would strengthen our relationship if we were to |
| some down time and thought he could make his | | | | do it together. Said we could also make a killing |
| fortune tying flies and selling them to local | | | | selling these little "money" trees on ebay. |
| fishermen. Only problem was his poor eyesight ( | | | | Just because your father fought the Japanese in |
| couldn't afford glasses, no insurance remember?) | | | | World War II, doesn't mean you have a gift for |
| and the fact that the nearest body of water with | | | | Bonsai gardening. At least that's what I told my |
| even the remotest possibility of having any fish in | | | | ex. I can see the therapeutic value and serenity |
| it was more than 100 miles away. | | | | one could achieve IF they had the patience for |
| We spent a fortune on band aids for the obvious | | | | such a thing. Which, of course he did not. |
| fish hook mishaps and aspirin for the migraines he | | | | This was by far his shortest lived hobby. Secretly, |
| developed from squinting all day...flys are terribly | | | | however, I took up the art of Bonsai sculpture |
| tiny and he didn't realize or think to use any of | | | | and get many hours of enjoyment every week. |
| the hundreds of magnifying glasses available for | | | | He was absolutely right about them being |
| the sole purpose of tying flies. He never got | | | | "money" trees also. I've made a good chunk of |
| around to actually selling or using any of the | | | | change selling them at fairs and on the Internet. |
| darned things. He stuck a few in his "fishing hat" | | | | You can to! |
| and sold it at a garage sale for a dollar so he | | | | Okay, Here's The One That Stuck... Beer making. |
| counts this venture as somewhat of a success. | | | | It saved us an absolute fortune! I figured that |
| Then There Was Backpacking... As my ex began | | | | anything someone drinks by the gallon has to be |
| to recover feeling in his lower extremities (see | | | | less expensive to produce yourself than to buy at |
| proceeding comments about beekeeping accident) | | | | the supermarket... and it was. Although drinking |
| he though it best if he get himself in peak physical | | | | beer is not necessarily a hobby I would choose |
| condition for his next conquest. Now you would | | | | for my husband, I can't argue the fact that |
| think that backpacking would have been the least | | | | brewing it is a fun and rewarding thing to do. For |
| expensive of his endless string of hobbies, but in | | | | about six dollars a gallon, you can make wonderful |
| fact, it was the most expensive. There were the | | | | tasting beer right in your own home, and make |
| hiking shoes, the designer backpack, the camping | | | | some money doing it. |
| gear, pocket knife, compass and other necessary | | | | My ex was always too drunk to follow through |
| odds and ends. | | | | with any type of business plan and drank most of |
| By the time he had packed everything he needed | | | | what would have been the profits anyway, but |
| to go hiking in his backpack, he couldn't even lift | | | | anyone with a bit of self control can make an |
| the darned thing. So, he bought a dog to carry it | | | | absolute killing selling your own beer. |
| for him. Well, actually it was a $600 dollar Alaskan | | | | Make sure you check with local, state and federal |
| Malamute puppy. It took six months and hundreds | | | | laws before doing so though. |
| of dollars in food and chewed furniture before the | | | | And there you have it. Is it any wonder at all we |
| dog was strong enough to carry such a heavy | | | | are still not together? Can you blame me? |
| load. He ran away the night before my husbands | | | | I have nothing against these hobbies, and in fact, I |
| long awaited hiking expedition..I don't blame him! | | | | encourage you to try them. But do your research |
| Model Trains?... The kids will love them, he argued. | | | | and learn everything you can before wasting your |
| I wasn't sure how a one year old or even our | | | | hard earned money and countless hours in |
| three year old daughter was supposed to get any | | | | fruitless pursuit. |