I think the whole point is that it is just a Hobby, anything else is just so much Bull Shit! I had a life before I got into this hobby, and I may have one again if I get out.
If any of you have anything other than its a hobby in mind, do the rest of us a favor and get the hell out now!
Sue and I had a serrious discussion yesterday when I mentioned tearing out the layout and putting most of the goodies up for sale. Her comments to me were “What are you going to do for relaxation?”
My response was do you think that being out 100 degree weather in the summer and below freezing in the winter is relaxation?
Having folks show up at open houses and trash the yard and then bad mouth my choice of beer, and complain about the cater when all I get at their house is a boiled hot dog and the cheapist beer that Wal-Mart sells?
Help a guy repair a locomotive that he messed up doing something he had no skills to do and then have him think it has a life time warranty when he never offered to pay for the repair in the first place?
Use my discount to help a guy get something that he otherwise could not afford then have him go tell the local hobby shop how stuipd they were for charging what they charge?
Or worse yet change his mind so that I get stuck with both the locomtive and the freight?
Guys I am sure that most of us, see ourselves in anyone of the above. We do this because we really have an interest in both the hobby and helping others. These forums are a way to help others, not try and destroy them. I can see the need for differnt camps or web sites, but I really at time think that all of them are counter productive to the hobby in general. N scale started just a few years before large scale and it grew by leaps and bounds without web sites. Maybe large scale would be even bigger without them!
My daughter has a gay couple living next to her and her husband and other than their lifestyle they are church going salt of the earth people, they were over here for an open house and one of them made the remark to my son-in-law that he never saw gays squabble as much as train people. I just about wet myself laughing. If outsiders can see that, what does everyone else think of us?
Sue suggested that I get rid of the internet service, she may have a point, but personally I am glad that I saved all of those train boxes. The attic over the garage is full of them. I have been looking at ride on trains, something that I can enjoy with the grandchildren, What ever I can get for close to 1800 feet of track and 80+turnouts some of the track and switchs which have not been used, plus close to 90 locomotives and 300 plus cars may go a short ways to buying a ride on starter set.
But what the heck at 60 I am too old to start another hobby. I think I am just going to get rid of this stuff and do some voluenteering at the local VA hospital.
Ron
, but to answer your question in my case when I sit at the 'puter doing layout design or whatever else I need to do on the 'puter then I take a 10 minute break every hour to stretch and relax. During those ten minutes I also find the time to check the posts on three fora. 