Piccolo and the gossip

Someone the other day asked me about my EXPENSIVE ham radio hobby. They actually said it!

"How's that expensive ham radio hobby of yours coming along?" he asked.

"Expensive?" I asked. "I went on the air with an army surplus radio and a chunk of wire I hung in a tree."

"I don't understand. Didn't you have to set up a tower with a big antenna on it?" he asked.

"No," I said simply.

"But someone told me you talk to people from all over the world. You can't do that with a piece of wire, can you?" He looked confused.

"Tell that to the guy in Kuwait I was talking to or the Austrian I just got a QSL card from," I shot back.

He looked confused. "I thought all of that stuff was expensive," he said.

"Hobbies are just like anything else. You can put as much or as little into them as you want. While we're at it, let's clear the air. You've been a snippy little gossip over the past couple of years and I'm tired of it," I said.

"The expensive sports car cost me $1200 and I rebuilt it with my hands which was free labor. I scrounged parts from Craigslist and worked in my garage. It cost me little to turn it into a nice little racer/runabout," I said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. 'While we're at it, let's talk about the $75 sailboat you were telling everyone about. Or my trip to Atlantic City."

He started to look uncomfortable.

"I was in Philly and a crewman's car broke down. He lives near Atlantic City so I dropped him off. I didn't go to AC to gamble.He actually gave me $50 for the favor. I made money on that one. As for the sailboat, I gave a guy $75 for it. It was about seven feet long and had a beer logo on the sail. Incidentally, he wanted it back so I got my $75 back and a case of Coors for my trouble."

He looked a little foolish now.

"Let's talk about Camp Perry and my shooting at the Nationals," I went on. My Garand was a gift. The Springfield was a deal I got from a buddy and the carbine was a loaner. Barracks bunks are $10 a night. Match fees generally run $25 or $30 and generally they include ammo. I bring a lot of my own chow, beer and whatever. It's a lot cheaper than you think."

"I didn't know..." he said, looking a little shocked.

"That's right. You didn't know. You ran off at the mouth before you got your facts straight," I shot back. "I get by, and damned well, on working man's wages and the leavings and cast-asides of an affluent society!"

"Huh?"

"I decided when I was rebuilding the Mazda to see of I could do it all for free," I said. "I started scrounging scrap metal. Remember when you remodeled? I asked you if I could raid your dumpster for stuff?"

"Yes, I remember that," he said. "I did a lot of the tear-out myself to save money."

"Well, thank you very much," I snapped. "You threw about $400 worth of copper and aluminum into that roll-away. I dug it out and scrapped it. It paid for the shocks and the sway bars I put on the Mazda. I appreciate that."

He looked stunned.

"Now stop gossiping like an old lady or I'll tell everyone how dumb you are."







To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY