If you don’t think that this a statement of fact, let me present you with Exhibit “E” as in Eddie—-Amazon’s favorite consumer. The old ladies that sit at home and call into QVC have nothing on “Fast Eddie”. Dubbed Fast Eddie by our neighbor, Melody, whose dogs bark every time there is a delivery truck/car/van in the area. They bark a lot. In the Stone Age, before Eddie retired, and Amazon and the internet made shopping a recliner chair activity, Eddie hated shopping. The traffic, the parking, the crowds, the going from one store to the next...all of it. If he wanted a specific item, I would do the old school research-recon, friend network, Consumer Reports, Library. I would then determine where I could find the best price (cause that is my favorite part of the hunt), then take Eddie there, park close to the door, guide him to the choices, and he would then pull the trigger and purchase whatever item it might be—-electronics, sporting equipment, clothing, books, hobby items. So, given that it took some time to accomplish this, expenditures were small and our collection of toys were relatively controlled. Then, Eddie retired and began “developing” his hobbies. Simultaneously, internet shopping and two day delivery began it’s accession to the only way to shop. All of the sudden, the world’s candy store of hobby related items was at his finger tips. Yikes! As Eddie’s hobbies expanded, the expenditure and space need to store his hobbies did, too. Which leads us to our last acquisition of a hobby....fly fishing.
Do I have hobbies, not really. I am more of a short term project kind of girl. Are there activities I enjoy, yes, absolutely. Do I buy or want everything to do with a particular activity...no. I am careful not share with Eddie that I like/enjoy a particular thing, because I am hard to shop for, and he wants to get me something I like...and lots of it for gift giving times. If a little is good, a lot be more better...I like to use what I have, make do, repurpose...yeah, on the cheap. Back to fly fishing. I am a casual fisher person...my momma made sure that I was taught how to fish as it was my Dad’s favorite thing in the world...that and cars. (He had lots of toys for fishing for 1950’s) I like to Lake, sea, and fly fish...it is my time to clear the cobwebs in my brain...deep mediation and reflection time...also, Girl time if I am Bay fishing...my personal favorite. Eddie was never much of a fisher person. When we first married he would take me fishing in the lakes of Pennsylvania and Virginia...we would abuse the fly rods, reels and homemade flies from my dad....he would catch tree fish, I would randomly hook a fish or him. Hey, we were young and did not have much money...it was a day of entertainment on all levels. Fast forward to Jackson Hole and The destination wedding of Michele and Adam...and a particular fly float trip on the Snake river...that was the seed. Water it with Drew’s love of all things fishy, and top with a 500 pound custom built fly tying desk for Drew made by our little woodworker....Eddie was bitten with the fly bug.
Since Harvey with the assortment of worker bees and strangers on the street, Eddie downloaded apps from the Postal Service, FedEx and UPS to keep an active eye in packages that were expected. He has never deleted them. I kinda realized he was in the acquisition stage of his new found hobby, I pay the bills and reconcile the charge statements. Several times a day, he would disappear outside...little did I know that it coincided with said delivery services.
The smaller stuff (and with fly fishing there is a mountain of small stuff) went to his side of our bedroom cabinet. The larger items got hidden in the “shop”—-home to Eddie’s wood working shop and the collection of every power tool, hand tool known to modern man—-toys. As summer approached and our blast off for North Carolina loomed (side bar NC is Home to some of the best trout fishing east of the Mississippi along with cooler temps) the cabinet and shop were about to burst with all of the boxes and unopened littles. He had to come clean about the quantity (and yes, quality) of his new hobby. That and he need some fly fishing boots fitted to go with his fancy new waders. Not to be confused with the heavy ugly rubber waders that I wore out of the house when we walked out during Harvey...which in my mind would have been just dandy for this first fly fishing trip. I had casually mentioned the store owned by Russell Gordy and his sons on Waugh—-it is an Orvis store on steroids. Ole Fast Eddie did the research on determined the particular boots were $10 less at Gordy’s. As field trip was in order. After 43 years there are a few places Eddie needs a chaperone-kitchen stores, hardware stores, high end grocery, liquor stores and now Gordy and sons. We left with a few fancy fishing shirts and the boots...which look like Frankenstein boots...think snow ski boots for water. Good grief. The week before our departure, his tackle box arrived-I have two and a half ...one that got in high school and one that Lauren decoupaged me along with one from the Dollar Store that holds my Bay house/salt water stuff...they live in the deck boxes outside. Eddie purchased a box that could hold Eli. It is massive. But this is Eddie, go big or go home. This box and all the new shiny things lives in our bedroom...both in Texas and here in North Carolina. Fly fishing has changed in the 60+ years since my Dad’s time...the reels are manual take ups...the rods and holders are lots fancier than the cardboard tube with screw tops my Dad’s rod was. Yeah, I brought my rod and reel...old school, Dad’s reel with new line (thanks, Drew) and a rod that Ed purchased for me the Christmas after returned from Jackson Hole. Kinda a combination hint,hint new hobby alert and a kid buying his mom a new baseball mitt for Christmas because that is what the kid wanted.
My next post will be all about this his fly fishing trip....grab your Depends, this is a snicker fest. Ahh, men and the toys...watching the play with them is the best.
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