Hobbies, Amusements, Diversions, and Pastimes

I cursed the transition from Winter to Spring; not for the weather, but for the clothes. Buying men’s clothes, as I’m sure I ranted about in the past, is a nightmare. I’ve spent many months losing weight, which meant I had to replace clothes that no longer fit. With every slight drop in measurements, my clothes became unusable. And new ones were labeled by the manufacturer with random sizes, mostly designed for very tall, very thin men who have hips. One of my chief complaints about men’s pants is that they assume every man has a pronounced butt to hold up that paints. Not so. I actually know other men whose pants are baggy in the butt because they, like I, can find nothing that fits all over.  The industry apparently claims the sizes they affix to clothing are legitimate, but to find even one measurement (out of those for waist size, collar length, chest size, sleeve length, cuff size, hip size, inseam size, narrowest (and widest) length of below-knee sleeve length. From company to company and even within companies, labeling is grossly inaccurate. I want to to remind you that my complaints remain valid (the failure to standardize clothing sizes should be a crime…punishable by public flogging and a lifetime of looking for a pair of men’s jeans that fit me and that are medium-washed). However, I may have been (and probably continue to be) more harsh in my assessment of the industry than I should have been. Considering what I’m after—off-the-wrack, hand-made clothing. Custom. Bespoke. There may be good reasons for manufacturers to limit sizing selection decisions to a range of sizes that feedback has verified as customer preferred. BUT WHY DON’T THE MFRs AT LEAST STANDARDIZE CLOTHING SIZES AMONG  THEMSELVES??!! And, really, I’m not making unreasonable demands—I won’t be asking for a custom piece of apparel, a codpiece that conceals my sword or my cane.  Enough said.

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I just returned from my post-chemotherapy injection, something to fight infections because my body cannot do that very well the day after my chemo. For today, while I am feeling decent and not nearly as tired as I have lately, I will pretend to be human. I will plan to go tomorrow to a remembrance service for a fellow church member who died after a years-long battle with cancer. And if I am in a cooperative mental frame of mind and physical condition Sunday, I will plan on going to church again.

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Beginning several years ago, I started thinking about creating some new magazines. Over time, my thoughts materialized to the extent that I wrote descriptive sales pitches for advertisers and readers. Despite the idea taking up far too much of what could have been productive time, it kept my creative juices flowing…a little bit. And now I’m back to it.

Auto Theft Today, targeted toward the professional who finds it increasingly difficult to keep pace with technological developments in automotive theft deterrent systems;
Home Invasion Today, a magazine for the discerning criminal who needs to know the latest tips and tricks for avoiding occupied dwellings during his or her professional undertakings;
Mugging Today, aimed at the more violent offender who wishes to keep abreast of current practices in illicit crimes against persons;
Bank Robbery Today, a hard-hitting practical how-to guide that features monthly interviews with professionals who have retired from their careers (they got caught) and with some of the more astute players who continue to astonish the critics;
White Collar Crime Today, a must-read periodical for white collar criminals confronting a topsy-turvy world in which successful white collar criminals must also be politicians, and vice-versa, WCCT features interviews with well-known white collar criminals whose political connections spared them the indignities of prison;
Identity Theft Today, designed for the sophisticated identity theft professional who understands the need to keep abreast of fast-developing new deterrent and facilitation technologies.

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It’s approaching 10:30 a.m. where I am, physically. Mentally, the local clocks will register 4:30 p.m. in a few minutes. Forecasters say the temperature where I dream I am will drop to 48°F (9°C) tonight. Nice temperatures for layered sweaters and jackets. Rain chances are slight this evening, but increase considerably tomorrow, so the best plans for the day are to take an umbrella, walk to a nearby pub, and spend the day chatting with a few folks who seem amiable and interesting. A bar with large windows overlooking the bay. This particular spot is in Lerwick, Shetland Islands’ largest town, population roughly 7,500. That constitutes one-third of the Islands’ entire population—so there’s plenty of emptiness around and about. I know very little about what it might take to go there, buy a remote but reachable place on the seaside (either Atlantic Ocean or North Sea or one of many bays), and live in peace for as long as I might want. I have done enough research over the years to know there are very few places…other countries…to which emigration is relatively easy. Watching Shetland on television convinced me the town and environs are beautiful. But learning about the massive influx of tourists unloading from cruise ships concern me; 285,616 passengers reported unloaded in Lerwick in 2023, according to The Shetland News. I would have to live in a non-touristy area of Lerwick or go out into the countryside, possible on one of Shetland’s many islands, some of which must be nearly uninhabited but readily accessible by ferry.

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I suppose it is too late in life and condition to make huge changes. But it was nearly as late within the last four years, too. So, maybe it’s not too late to do something big and chancy. A new house, a new environment, an additional set of friends (and a place for current friends to visit), and a clearing of the mind…eliminating constrains imposed by self-doubts or fear. What, exactly, would that look like? Mi novia might take a lot of convincing…maybe more than I can muster, so that dream would have to be modified or replaced. Hobbies, I think, have the ability to clear the mind of troublesome thoughts or insurmountable obstacles. I should get one; or get back to some that once captivated me.

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This day is flying by at the speed of light. Almost all of them do.