Can You Ever Have Enough Tools?

Okay, if I wasn't sure before, I am sure now.  I have a very bad habit of buying tools for my hobbies.  I went to the hobby store, planning strongly to resist any purchasing of tools and magazines.  I even took a friend--you know, don't go swimming without a buddy, hoping that they would help me be the voice of reason, or at least restraint.

No such luck.

I don't mean to blame my friend.  They would have restrained me if I had asked.  I just didn't ask and proceeded to the checkout very quickly.  I am my own worst enemy....I guess.

On the bright side, I do think I made a good purchase.  I have a lot of train buildings to assemble and not one of them has a square edge.  What?  That's right.  I have to assemble about 20 buildings for my train layout, and not one of them has a straight edge.  You see, to facilitate the manufacturing process, the moulds all have "draft" edges, so they will pop out of the machine easily.  Hmmmm?  You'd think with today's technology there would be another way around this--but what do I know of injection moulding?  In the end, I have to sand the edges until they are 90 degrees.

You might remember a post where I created my own sanding board.  That worked well, but provided no way to evaluate my work.  This tool should do the same thing, and allow me to be a bit more uniform.

My friend, and several people at the shop, said I was making a wise purchase.  They explained that while I didn't need the tools, the proper tools make things go so much easier.

Any thoughts.

New Year...... New Plans

 

Today, it looks like I am going to the hobby store.  What kind of danger will I get myself into.  Hmmmm?

I really have to many hobbies, but I am sure there might be a bargain or two.  Will I be able to resist?

Lately, I have been strong, but I feel like I might weaken today.  Why?  I just have that itch to try a new model kit.  It might be an airplane, or it might be ship.  Really, it might be a dream 32 Highboy Roadster or a very detailed 67 Mustang Fastback.  I just don't know.  If it were summertime, it might be a remote control helicopter or rocket kit.

I do know that they hobby store is a fun place to go.  I'll be taking a friend, so perhaps he will be the voice of reason.  Or more likely, he'll fuel the shopping trip.  My biggest goal is not to come back with any magazines.

Updates tomorrow.

Boxing Day Buys

Boxing day and a trip to the hobby store can be a wonderful and terrible combination.  Wonderful in that there are always things to buy and I am usually in a shopping kind of mood.  I have the desire to spend money and even the hobby store seems to be offering a discount.  I should also mention that after all that giving I feel like giving to myself.  Terrible in that the credit card cycle of Christmas is not yet over and adding to that already mountainous bill is probably not a good idea.

There is a TV commercial that made a big impression upon me.  Two women were discussing their significant others.  One said (in a mocking impression of her husband) "Do you really need all those shoes?"  She smiled and answered her own question.  "Need has nothing to do with it."

I kind of feel like that about hobby things.  If I really analyzed it, I really don't need anything.  Being somewhat logical, I can rein myself in usually and pass up things because I don't need them.  Unfortunately, I can't always stop myself from wanting things.  Maybe it's part of my collection obsession. 

On my latest trip to the hobby store I came across a some cars that I thought looked really cool.  They don't fit the theme of my train collection because I am trying to build a vast array of rolling stock that you would see in Canada.  However, I am also swayed by what looks interesting.  Someday, I will put up my train display case....someday.  And if I don't run these cars all that often, they will still look good in the case.  I am sure anybody who visits my train layout will comment on them.

Of course, some people might comment by asking me, "just how many cars to you need to run this layout?"  I guess those people probably won't be staying long.

Rummaging Through The Bookstore

I had a chance to look around the bookstore yesterday and I have a few observations I want to share with all you hobby people out there.  And, whereas I might whine about them gearing up for Christmas on my other blog, this will be a more positive blog.

The Gift of Literacy

I have to admit, shopping at a bookstore is one of my favourite things.  I don't do it as much as I used to because I generally take advantage of the wonderful library system we have in Ontario.  While I used to love having a whole library of books, I have moved so many times that I really don't need that huge library any longer.

Oddly enough, I have met so many interesting people in the bookstore over the years.  This includes my university bookstore, Kinokuniya in Japan, and the soon to be closed World's Largest Bookstore in Toronto.  Just yesterday, I met someone very interesting... but I digress.

I just wanted to say that books and things you can buy at the bookstore make fantastic gifts.

Just for Christmas

I noticed that there are a lot of interesting gift packs for Christmas.  I came across a catapult kit, a boomerang kit (I was sorely tempted....but then I would have to wait until spring.....but I am still tempted.  Besides it's orange.  I might be able to find it in the snow.  Besides, it might come back to me......) learn guitar kit.  The list is endless.

Add to that, there are so many interesting book sets.  The complete Calvin and Hobbes is now on sale in paperback for those of you who couldn't justify getting the hardcover version.  I saw so many interesting things that I want to go back today and spend more time looking around.  Maybe I will.  Maybe I will pick up the whole Ender's Game series just so I can watch the movie and not look like a complete newb.

If you're shopping, the bookstore is a good place.  Sadly, hobby books for trains, model cars and the like don't seem to get much shelf space in these stores.  I guess the hobby shops have sewn up that market, but that really isn't fair.  I would think that it would be easier for the hobby inclined to send anyone wanting to buy them a gift to the bookshop rather than the hobby shop.  For some, the hobby shop is a little intimidating.

Sorry for rambling, but I roamed around the bookstore, and now you've roamed around my thought process..... I am off to the bookstore to look around some more.

Get an Early Jump on Christmas

 

 

Though I might complain about Christmas being foisted on us way too early, I still think Christmas is important to the hobbyist.  This is the chance to prod someone (gently or not so gently) into getting us what we want.  We can also do our best to try and entice someone into a hobby by selecting a gift that might start a lifetime of hobbying (I will touch on this in a later post).  And if all else fails, we can always justify a bigger expense by telling ourselves (and who ever else we might have to justify the expense to) that this is a Christmas present.

If your special someone is an efficient shopper, they might already be looking for your gift.  You might need to start dropping hints as early as tonight's dinner.  Some of you might need to start working on that list.  Some of you (the indecisive type) should start making decisions as to what you want.  If you don't, maybe there won't be anything under the tree.

If your someone special is a last minute panic shopper, well then you've got time.  Lucky you.  Of course if you aren't around at the moment of that last minute panic, and don't have your list on your smartphone when they call..... well then, too bad.

The funny thing I find is that whenever you ask people what they want, they often don't know.  I know this is not true.  If I asked you for ten things you would buy right now if I set you free in a hobby shop with a $50 (or whatever amount) gift card, and said you had ten minutes to get something or the car would expire....I am sure you could get something.  The problem is that people thing a gift has to be something different.  It doesn't.  A gift is something free.

I know, a gift should be something "you wouldn't buy for yourself."  What a silly idea.  If I wouldn't buy it for myself, I wouldn't want it.  A gift is something that you want, but can't justify spending your own money on.  When it's someone else's money, it should be easy.

My advice, write down everything you want.  Just that you want it, not that you would or wouldn't spend the money on it, not that you are or are not going to buy it.  When you're done, look it over.  Wouldn't it be nice if someone gave you anything from that list?  If you're smart, before letting a loved one look over the list you might want to organize it by price, or bundle a bunch of things together that might fit their budget.  Either way, now you've got something to tell them to get you.

Discontinuations

Goodbye Polly Scale

 

I made up a word....I'm an English teacher, I do that all the time.  Besides, it really fits the topic of this blog.  As a hobbyist, you have lots to cope with.  Of course those things include time, money, frustrations, small parts, and delays in delivery.  The one that seems to bother me the most are discontinuations.

Discontinuations refer to products you want to buy no longer being sold, and there being almost no way to get them.  It's like going to a Japanese convenience store.  You continually buy a product, only to discover one day that it is gone, and it's not coming back.  You thought by buying them that you'd send a message to the manufacturer that they should keep making it, but you were wrong.

This happens to TV shows that you love.  You think it's great, but you might be the only one.  I loved Firefly, and though I know I am not the only one, they killed it.  I loved an 80's TV show called Shell Game, but it didn't live past five episodes.

For the hobbyist, what usually happens follows two patterns.  In pattern one, the hobbyist waits to buy something.  Maybe they don't have the money (usually my case) or they are hoping to score a better deal somewhere down the line, or they just put some other item ahead of it in the queue.  Regardless, when they finally decide to make the purchase, it's gone.  Lone gone.  They scour the internet and every hobby shop they can find, but to no avail.

The other pattern is that the hobbyist uses something religiously.  They come to depend on it, perhaps even take its availability for granted.  Then one day, it is gone.  The manufacturer has discontinued it.  There were probably warning signs.  There might have been announcement in the various magazines that cater to the hobby.  Perhaps someone had remarked on it in an internet bulletin board.  Had they taken the news to heart they would probably have known about it and stocked up.

Recently, the paint that I have been using for my model train buildings has been discontinued.  What does that mean?  It means that I will have to use something else.  I really shouldn't worry because there are lots of paint manufacturers out there.  Any day now, that same company will probably announce a replacement.  Even if it doesn't, the hobby store will have to find a new supplier, because paint is an integral part of the hobby store.

The uncertainty is frustrating.  When will it happen?  When will it be resolved.  I am not a great enough painter that I have such a detailed understanding of paint or the different characteristics of paint.  I buy what they tell me is good at the hobby shop or they talk about in the magazines.  It's just a minor annoyance.  However, there are hobbyists who have mastered the characteristics of a particular paint brand and are probably going to be frustrated.  They are going to flood the hobby chat rooms and bulletin boards, announcing Armageddon.    I will quietly sympathize, and hope that my paint supply doesn't run out soon.

Lamenting the Lost

I happened to pass this building today, and felt a little melancholy.  Another hobby business packed up and left.  I don't know what happened really.  Maybe they moved somewhere else, or maybe the idea just didn't fly.  A lot of hobby related businesses just don't succeed and whenever they close, I feel a sling twinge (or pang) of sadness.

While out for a walk I came across this

 

I cannot really say I was part of the solution.  I avoided going into the store because I didn't really want to start another hobby, and this one seemed really tempting.  Lego and robotics..... Had I gone in, my paycheque might have been a memory.  Despite having some advertising on this sight, I am a long way from having it generate any kind of hobby budget.

We live in a great time for hobbyists, but perhaps not such a great time for people running a large hobby business.  I would guess that running a home hobby business (I imagine somebody making flatcar loads at home, or building train layouts, or designing replica buildings) would be possible.  It would require a great website, a great idea, a spare room or two and probably easy access to a post office.  Running a business with a store location would require the same things, but would also mean renting out a store--and I imagine that it would cost a lot of money.  I am impressed by anyone who does it because it must be hard.  Taking that risk must be pretty scary.

I would hope that Lego had a stake in this enterprise, and therefore nobody lost their shirt trying to run this business.  However, a short portrait in the very local newspaper seems to indicate otherwise.  A brief bit of googling hasn't brought me any answers.  If you know something about it, please post it here; for my curiosity and others.  I would also appreciate any thoughts on how your local hobby stores are doing.

On a side note, at the bookstore, there still seem to be quite a large number of magazines about hobbies still being published.  Flipping through some of them, I can see that they are making an effort to go digital, but still seem to be publishing.  Feel free to comment on this as well.

To Buy or Not to Buy....

 

Going to a hobby shop can be such a wonderful experience.  You get to see lots of new stuff, talk to people who are interested in some of the same things as you, and get inspired to tackle a hobby project.  Why is it then, that every time I leave a hobby shop I have a moment of doubt about what I purchased?

Sometimes, it isn't about what I purchased, but rather that I spent any money at all.  It is more than likely that, in the car or in the parking lot or at some point before I entered the store,  I promised myself I would just look and not spend any money.  Funny how that rarely works out.

I think the cause goes back to my childhood.  I went to lots of garage sales and flea markets in my youth.  I would spend a long time trolling the various aisles or digging through piles.  I was the Indiana Jones of the used junk world.  The point is, I rarely came home empty handed.

The rationale goes something like this....I'm here.  I spent the gas money.  I won't be back this way for a long time.  If I get it now, I'll have it for later.  The rationalization isn't nearly as hard as you think it will be when you're in the parking lot.

I guess the only way to remove temptation is to actually remove temptation.  Then again, who's kidding who?  If I couldn't keep the first promise I mentioned, how in the world could I keep that one.

An Easy Place to Have a Conversation

I don't spend a lot of time talking to random people in public.  I am friendly, just not that outgoing.  I don't really want to bother people.  The funny thing is, that usually doesn't apply to visits to the hobby store.  In the hobby store, or at hobby shows, I find myself drawn into all kinds of conversations--sometimes not even about hobbies.

 

 

If I had to guess, I would say that there is something special about hobby shops.  The atmosphere lends itself to conversations that you might not otherwise have.  This is true of other hobby related shops as well.  I have had some rather interesting conversations at comic books stores...but since everyone has seen episodes of The Big Bang Theory, this is no longer a nerd only shared mystery.  Some people might think that the show is an exaggeration.....how wrong they would be.

The hobby shop, or comic book shop, or some other specialist shop, is an easy place to have a conversation.  Most people have too much knowledge to contain within themselves for too long, so they have to let it out.  Most of the time the advice I have received has been wonderful and amazing.  Some times I took it, and sometimes I didn't--sometimes that was a smart move, and sometimes I regret not taking it....such is life.

The most interesting of these times for me were in Japan.  Hobby nerd that I am --I wish I could say hobby professional, but until this blog is seen by thousands I day, I can't really do that..... but I digress.  Hobby nerd that I am, I have been to hobby shops in Japan.  I have been to model shops, train shops, electronic shops.  Yes, I have been to the nerd Mecca of Akihabara.  My Japanese is pretty good, but I always feel better when I can strike up a conversation in a hobby shop.  I come away feeling pretty good about my skills, and I have usually picked up quite a few words to add to my vocabulary.

For those of you who are even less outgoing than myself, but still want to strike up a conversation, I suggest wondering something out loud.  It should work like a charm.

New Trains

 

 

A trip to the hobby store is a little like letting a drug addict open up a drug store.  Okay, it isn't that bad, but think about it.  When was the last time you went to a hobby shop and came home empty handed?  When?  Think about it?

 

See what I mean?  Walking the aisles in a hobby shop conjures up new ideas, makes you think of hobbies or sub hobbies that you've never heard of or thought of.  I know it's true.  I started this blog because I have been bitten while "just looking" at my local hobby store.  I wasn't supposed to come home with anything....but it just didn't happen that way.

This past weekend was no different.  I went to look and ..... well, you can see the pictures.

The Post Christmas Hobby Blues

January seemed to fly by.  Before you know it we will be in February.  Yes, we have the spectacular Groundhog Day to look forward to, but .... things seem to be moving too fast.

I realized, perhaps too late, that I had fallen victim to "the post Christmas hobby blues."  It happens every year, or almost every year.  Christmas brings on many hobby opportunities, some self indulgent hobby spending, and some very ambitious plans for the upcoming year.  January sees all of these things fall by the wayside.

What is it about January?  Is it the worry that I should be in the gym like every other resolution maker (and breaker) or is it the amount of snow I should be shovelling?  Is it sobering reflection on that aforementioned self indulgent spending?  Is it that there won't be any new nanoblock releases for a few months?  In truth, I am not really sure what it is.  I know it's real, but I don't know the cause.

I would love to hear from the rest of the hobby world.  Are any of you experiencing the post Christmas hobby blues?

Ghosts of Christmas Past (part three)

 

Another great educational gift I received came from Radio Shack.  If their service were better, and their prices comparable to my local hobby shop, I would probably have given them quite a few of my hobby dollars.  As it stands, they only got a couple from my Mom and my Grandparents--and I did my best to recoup some of these expenditures where "battery club" was concerned.

The gift was a 75 in one Electronics Kit.  It was pretty cool, well organized and fun to put together.  I completed pretty much all the projects in the kit (there are bound to be a few that just didn't excite me) and got my full value out of the toy.  I have seen modern versions of the toy, but it just doesn't fill me with any great warmth--maybe it seems too easy.

Sadly, it did not imbue me with a great love for electronics and that is one thing that holding back my progress on my railroad.  I solder only when I have to, and there isn't anything overly fancy or complex on my railroad.

As I have written, I received lots of educational toys and enjoyed most of them.  These days I have to go to stores that specialize in this kind of thing.  I find them fun and I encourage all of you parents out there to do the same.  There are lots of great educational toys--but they work best when you get involved in doing/building/experimenting with your children.

A Day Out

the stuff I bought today....though I wasn't going to buy anything.

Isn't it amazing that when you go to a hobby shop, and have no intention of buying anything, you always come home with stuff.  I wish I could lie and say the stuff just followed me home, but that just wouldn't be true.

Today I went to three different hobby shops.  Although I primarily went to look at train stuff, I managed to look at paint, car models, plane models, slot cars, magazines, science fiction models, tools, and lots of equipment.  All in all it was a good day.

If you need a day out, a trip to your local hobby shop would be a great idea.  You could go an just talk to people and share ideas on your hobby.  You don't have to buy anything.  Really.  You don't have to buy anything.  Of course, that is what I told myself before I left for the shops today.

Finally!!!

Finally.

6 months of saving up the money

One tense night of deciding

One moment of courage to make the decision

Relief when one package arrived

Anticipation for the final package

Disappointment when the package failed to arrive

Numerous emails to correct the problem

Frantic checking of the UPS number

7 weeks waiting in total

Finally it has all arrived

 

My N scale Scenic Ridge Layout kit is now in my possession.  I picked up the last overdue piece from the post office today.  It was quite the struggle to wait, but it is finally here.

I have already chronicled why I cam to buy this kit, and I have not wavered in that decision since I bravely completed the order form.  I am sad that what was supposed to be my vacation project has now become a weekend project, but that is just the way it has to be.

I will take time to write about my progress and include my pictures.  Hopefully you will enjoy it.

A Choice of Scales

As the jack of all hobbies I often find myself trying to spur others onto a hobby.  I have already related my efforts to get people to blog  and to find a hobby for my friend so as to keep him from other more dangerous hobbies.  Unfortunately my friend has not taken to blogging, and fortunately he hasn't resorted to mind altering chemicals.  Neither of these things has deterred me from sticking my nose in and trying to raise interest in a hobby with a colleague of mine.

My colleague is a very good military modeller--prize winning in fact.  He is also far more disciplined than I--he actually completes most of the projects he starts.  We have been discussing his entry into the world of model trains.  Thanks to the internet he has done a lot of research and is pretty secure in his choice of era and subject matter.  My contribution has been mostly to act as a sounding board.  His only question is scale.

In Model trains there are several scales.  HO (as I have been told) is the most popular.  There are bigger trains: G, O and S and there are smaller scales.  These are N and Z.

My colleague is considering the two smallest scales.  He is fascinated by miniaturization and is currently leaning toward Z.  Of course he has never seen a Z scale train up close, let alone the buildings and landscape material.  We will probably have to travel to a couple of hobby shops (LHS--local hobby shop in the parlance of the model railroad crowd)  to get to see a good cross section of what is available.

When I started in trains I quickly gravitated toward N scale.  I had dreams of running 100 car freight trains all across my basement.  As unrealistic as that dream has shown itself to be, I can't get that image out of my head.  Someday, probably when I join an N-track club, I will make that a reality.

something very Canadian

Choosing scales is a tough choice.  HO offers the biggest variety of equipment and accessories, and benefits from the volume of sales.  It's biggest drawback is that it takes up a lot of room.  N which is not exactly half as big offers a slightly less wide variety but thanks to advanced manufacturing techniques doesn't suffer from a lack of detail.

Z scale is the smallest, and perhaps hardest to find.  The biggest advantage of this is that you can pack a whole heck of a lot of railroad into a small space.  I have seen a lot of great creations involving tiny spaces and highly detailed Z scale layouts.  The biggest drawback is that there just isn't as much stuff being produced in Z scale.  There aren't walls of trains and building kits.  Sometimes there isn't even a corner, just a small shelf or tiny display case.

I didn't mention the difficulty you might encounter if your eyesight is not quite perfect--hoping of course that it was obvious.

the battery is to give you an idea of scale (AA)

Should you find yourself wanting to take up trains, get yourself to a hobby shop and see it up close before you go online and plunk down a lot of money.

I just thought that I would add some pictures of my collection of freight cars.  I haven't included my Japanese trains, but someday (if people want that) I will put my pictures of them up on this blog.

Early September Progress

Progress in any hobby is well earned.  I have been working on a few projects lately--multitasking you might call it.  The weather has been good, so I really haven't wanted to spend much time indoors doing hobby things, but I have managed to make some progress.

a shot of the kit and body parts
 

Here are some Wheels from Jacques Villeneuve's ride.  They turned out pretty good.  I have not always had really good luck with tires.  They don't always fit well, but these were awesome.

This kit is relatively easy to build.   It cries out for some super detailing, but I am not really up to the job.  In addition, this kit is a decal nightmare.  There are so many decals that I will have dishwasher hands by the time I do them all.

 

I am also working on my train buildings.  Not having made one before, it is a bit slow going.  I am not sure I chose the right colours, but I am satisfied with the first attempt.  I certainly learned the necessity of masking when doing this project.  As you you might be able to see, some areas did not turn out perfectly.  As it is an N scale building, this is quite small.  I probably should have put something beside this so you would have gotten a better idea of the scale.

I still need to do something to highlight the grout a little.  I should probably do something to make the widow frames stand out as well.  Of course it still needs windows, a view block, and general assembly.

looks okay from a distance

You can also see my progress on the 289 Cobra.  I had finished most of this a long time ago, but hit a stumbling block.  I had originally painted the body blue, but had to use oven cleaner to get that paint job off.  I decided on black because it was much more forgiving.  Overall this one has not turned out as good as I hoped, but it is nearing completion.

I am a big fan of the cobra.  It represents, my top five car model dreams.  In no particular order I want to someday build really nice examples of

1966 Mustang Fastback

1957 T-bird

Cobra (289 or 427)

32 Ford Roadster (with complete photo etched parts)

Alain Prost's McLaren from a championship season.

 

Of course, I have lots of other model dreams that don't involve cars.  They involve trains, planes, boats, castles, and a whole host of other things.  I may not get to do them all, but now my optimism is quite high, and I believe I am going to try.

Now you know where things stand.



Stress, thy name is anticipation

Hobby stress--yes, you heard me, hobby stress (and yes, I know hobbies are supposed to alleviate stress) comes from many places.  If you don't believe me, through several of these blogs (because explaining more than one kind of hobby stress would be..... stressful) I will educate you.

For today, stress, thy name is anticipation.  For a hobbyist anytime you are waiting on something, whether to be released to the market, or to appear at your hobby shop, or to arrive at your home because you ordered it online, it feels like Christmas to a five year old.  Maybe that is why some of us hobbyists have been accused of never having grown up.

I took the plunge about one month ago and ordered a train kit.  Having been frustrated with my lack of progress on the train front I decided to basically start again, albeit with greater restraint.  Most people who like trains envision a grand plan that takes up a lot of space in the home, perhaps more than one room.  This is wonderful, and though costly, certainly will occupy a large amount of time (and money).  Unfortunately, this kind of ambitious planning can be a drawback if you lack the skill or determination to realize this dream.  Looking at myself, I have to admit both of these are true,  I was getting nowhere with my train layout, so it is back to square one.  So, to compliment my skill level, I bought a complete kit, layout, buildings, the whole thing in a box--actually three boxes, three kits.  Actually, ordered would be a better word.

That was a month ago.  I received two of the kits (buildings and track) but have yet to receive the layout part.  That's right, the part that starts the whole thing off is missing.  I have contacted the seller, and apparently a replacement for my lost products is on the way.

Since my contact with the seller, I have waited patiently, or at least as patiently as a man child like myself can wait.  I don't wake up every morning hoping my package mysteriously, wondrously appeared under my tree (it's still only the end of August), but I have eagerly come home from work hoping to find the box or at the very least a note from the post office.

That was a month ago.

Can you understand the torture a hobbyist goes through now.  What can I do?

Okay, actually, like many hobbyists, I have a whack load of projects I could do.  There are models to build, house walls to paint, grass to cut, yo-yo tricks to practice, Dexter to watch, YouTube to watch and many others,  The problem is these are things I  could do, but not necessarily things I want to do.

So, here I sit, hoping against hope that the courier will arrive tomorrow with my much wanted box.  Only then will the waiting be over.

Goodbye Zellers--thanks for the 1000 pieces of frustration

Needing a few Lego blocks (I needed a customizable right angle to ensure that a railroad building I am working on is actually square) I headed off to my local Zellers, only to discover that it is closing.

Farewell Zellers.  You've gone the way of Towers, Bargain Harold's, The BiWay and other Canadian retailers.  I will miss you.  When I got back into model cars after years away from the hobby it was Zellers that had that provided that car.  It was Zellers that supplied my first collection of paints and paintbrushes.  Come to think of it, I have bought more than my share of hobby paraphernalia there.  Puzzles, board games, camping gear, sports equipment, stuff with the Maple Leaf logo on it--all of them were bought at Zellers.

My trip there was not really nostalgic, nor fruitful.  The 30% sale ensured that there was very little Lego left.  I could have bought a huge box of Microblocks (not to be confused with Nanoblocks, but bearing more than a passing resemblance to Lego) but I really only needed about a dozen blocks.  In fact, there was quite a bit missing from the store, and I expect most of it to be gone by the end of the weekend.

I, of course, was not immune to the lure of a good sale and I bought some stuff.  As concerns this blog, I bought myself a jigsaw puzzle--1000 pieces of pure frustration--okay, not exactly true.  I imagine pure puzzle frustration to be something like a 5000 piece puzzle entitled whiteout.  I have started the puzzle, and I guess I am about 50% done.

maybe 50% done

This is not one of the deluxe Japanese puzzles I wrote about earlier.  However, at less than four dollars, it isn't a bad timewaster.  I looked at some other jigsaw puzzles of trains when I was at the train shop the other day, so I am sure I was influenced by that.  I thought about buying one that day, but it really wasn't in the budget and the subject matter was good because it was about trains, but not specifically the subject I was looking for.  I wish my Zellers purchase had been a train picture, but this was the best of the lot.

The remarkable thing I find about doing puzzles is how quickly you learn to spot patterns and minor differences between pieces.  In a couple of days this skill has been sharpened considerably.  The other remarkable thing is how much time can disappear when you are doing a puzzle.  The other night I decided to put in a "couple of pieces" before I went to bed.  Those couple of pieces turned into more than and hour and a half.  Good thing I am a night owl.

Living Large

Today was a day of hobbies.  I went to the Japanese store to practice a little Nihongo and eat some Tonkatsu.  I followed that up with a financially draining visit to the train store, a complicated search for and tour of a  plastic model shop, and a quick visit to the store that sells the Nanoblocks.
Some would call it self indulgence, others would call it what I call it, a classic start to my vacation.  Living life to the fullest includes doing your hobbies.