Ok, this thread is largely inspired by a comment Gary Bunk made regarding a possible delivery address snafu.
I was told a bit back “we don’t need any more torches…” I have found it convenient that some PayPal deliveries default to my dads house (because I’m to quick to hit confirm) this is usefull.
My latest cunning plan is for me and my stepson to have some “projects” in the new year. It was inspired by some electronic projects available from maplin, a UK based store. However I did point out, soldering is a usefull skill for a man to have, so on my next few torch mods, I would include my stepson, teach him to solder and about use of a meter etc. This was approved, as both a bonding exercise and me and Dylan spending some quality time together, plus Dylan gets to learn some in my opinion usefull practical skills. This was all discussed Sunday night whilst we wrapped some presents.
Since then, I’ve ordered :-
An intloutdoor order including an edc18650 host for toni.
Now, its important to point out, these are not flashlights, they are educational tools for my stepson. We’re also going to fit a nw xp-g and nanjg 5*7135 driver in my t2, stacking one 7135.
Fit the cw xp-g and a nanjg 4*7135 in his 3aaa light and change the driver in my c8 q5 for a 6*7135. Again, this is education, not messing with torches. :bigsmile:
So, what excuses/explanations have you come up with?
I have a built in excuse. My son is a civilian consultant to the Qatar Air Force. He flies as a flight engineer on the C-17 transports for them. He needs lights for pre-flight inspections and maintenance.
So I send him lights (but I get to keep quite a few of them). The first reply was “Dad I have a problem with wire color codes”. So then it was a couple of NW lights then some high CRI lights. Of course for every one he gets I need one to test.
It all works out very well for me and not too many questions from the wife.
My wife has asked “How many does he need?”. Little does she know that I have at least twice as many as our son. Long term tests are very important, at least for me! My son just wants lights that work for his job.
Yes, that’s why the long term tests are important… :bigsmile: I have found, tugging the heart strings is usefull, she didn’t complain when I turned out a 4aaa xm-l light for my stepsons camping trip with scouts. :bigsmile:
I don’t really an excuse because it’s my money. I spend my money on whatever I want, my wife spends her money and we split the bills. As long as we each pay our half, the rest of our money is for whatever we want.
We shared the bills before we got married and just kept doing it since we never fought about money and didn’t see the point in fixing a situation that was working for us.
We both earn roughly the same and don’t have kids so that makes things easy. If one of us earn a lot less than the other 50/50 split wouldn’t be totally fair. If we had kids, we would have to pool the money for them.
I love the arrangement we have. It has eliminated the #1 cause of marital disputes, money issues. The best thing is, I don’t have to ask permission to buy something like a child. I couldn’t live that way. When I moved out of my mother’s house, I wasn’t looking for another mommy.
I just had to look for Wigan on google maps. It brought back memories from the late ’70’s.
I was driving from Liverpool to Leeds on the M62 one winter night and stopped for a meal and fuel somewhere in the mountains. I headed back to the motorway and found it closed due to snow. In a rental car, no flashlight and no shovel and stuck on secondary roads with no maps. Two local residents got stuck in the snow less than a hundred yards from me. We pushed and dug out each each others vehicles to get to their parents house where I spent a delightful and warm evening until the motorway opened.
I make good money… So does my wife. She pays the bills, I provide entertainment. If she wants something, she gets it. As do I. So there is really no issue. Being that I buy lights more frequently than she buys. When she wants something… I put the lights on hold go get her what she wants. Then continue on my light spree. :bigsmile:
Great story, I can actually picture roughly where you were too. Wigans a bit north and east of Liverpool, its also the pie eating capital of the world. :bigsmile:
Back in ’64-’67 my father was stationed at RAF Lakenheath(flight surgeon, anestheseology) my brothers went to school on the base but for some reason I was packed off to Eriswell. Used to love the enormous fields of poppies and Taps playing in the evening .
In general, my sweetie doesn't give me crap about my excess collection of and endless obsession with flashlights. She figures it's a safe hobby, keeps me happy, and when I am able to sell a light it helps fund my obsession. On the rare times I have gotten any grief over it I remind her that there are worse things I could be doing with my time and our money. A reminder that I could be gambling, drinking for hours at the bars, or collecting younger vag with my willie is ever all I've needed to get her endorsement of my flashlight addiction. :bigsmile:
My money issues are my own conscience. Since we are on a fixed income, the flashlight budget gets smaller as inflation goes up. That's the number one reason why I sell off anything I make.
Unfortunately, as I sit here and add up costs and sales of 2012, I come to the realization that the only lights I ever broke even or made a little on, were the 2AA lights. Now I need to formulate my 2013 plans if I want to continue, since the flashlights ended up in the red and the wife's hospital stay ended up being a giant killer. I decided to make a PayPal account just for flashlights, so that will be the only source of money for them in 2013. What I sell, goes into it and what I buy, comes out of it. That way it's a sink or swim deal and won't affect the household. Boy, that's gonna hurt, LOL. It's also going to mean that I will have to sell lights for what the "real costs" are, but it's about time I did that anyhow isn't it?
My wife never says much about flashlights, so it's my own doing if I stop or continue. Sometimes that's the hardest part, monitoring and checking myself when it comes to this hobby.
So, for all y'all with wives that complain about your lights, give 'em a kiss from me, cause you probably need them (your wives), more than you think.
He he he! Nice post Gords! I just haven't yet confessed my obsession with my wife. She's now a Licensed Professional Counselor and will feel the need to provide counseling and therapy!
I do keep my budget low and only spend when we have the extra money. I do t go after expensive lights either. I've desperately needed a new hobby and this has worked out pretty well.
I didn’t run in any financial problems with my flashlight adiction yet. It seems I have some kind of build-in natural regulation. I don’t feel the need to buy every specimen that is hyped here in the forum. I buy only those I still want to own after some longer evaluation or if the reviews convinced me. I must admit sometimes the build-in reguation fails. That explains why I own some lights that I’m not so proud of. |(
I’m in a similar situation to you Gary, kids etc, that edc+ host is my single most expensive torch related purchase, whilst I can have it up and running when I get it, I want to fit an mt-g2…which will nearly double the price, that’s one package that will definitely go to my dads.
I really can’t justify a $100 light as $10 light do the job at work, and that’s my only justifiable purchase…
Hence the thread, an armoury of justifiable excuses is usefull to us on the pinch. :bigsmile:
So far my excuse (when busted for little things) was that I'm evaluating lights for my underground co-workers. That's what started this whole obsession.
