Bicycles and Brussels Sprouts
September 27th, 2010
My husband has a thing for expensive hobbies. Particularly cycling and hockey. In fact, he’s currently off playing with his new toy…a ‘10 Specialized Tarmac. Those words don’t really mean anything to me, but it’s all I’ve been hearing since Friday when I gave to “ok” to sink our nest egg on a bicycle.
I jest.
But he did really buy a new bike and he is really riding it right now (9 pm, people…on a high school track), and his hobbies really are overtaking our tiny apartment. Our “guest room” is currently inhabited by hockey equipment and sticks, golf clubs, workout stuff and FOUR road bikes.
I wish I had some kind of high-maintenance hobby. I mean really, I run and blog. I’m seriously as quiet as a mouse in this place. I don’t even watch TV! Mainly because I’d risk the loss of my right hand if I tried to change the channel from ESPN.
Although in Dave’s opinion there are moments when my love of “strange” (read: healthy) vegetables becomes an inconvenience.
Like tonight, for example, I came home with fresh brussels sprouts to make Julie’s maple roasted brussels sprouts. When he learned of this, his expression was comparable to my expression when he told me how much the bike cost. Consider it payback, David.
I made those little suckers and Dave claimed that they were “just alright” yet went back for seconds…and thirds. I think I softened the blow by serving them with burgers…black bean burgers, which he also claims are “just alright” yet requests them over beef.
I think he’s putting up with my “hobbies” in hopes that one day I’ll consider cycling “just alright”.
Don’t hold your breath.
Well, you might have to, because the combination of black beans and brussels sprouts do a number on your digestive system.
I’d kick Dave on the couch after a dinner like that, but tonight I’ll be the one sleeping there. After all, there isn’t any room in our bed for me, Dave AND the new bike.
What’s the hobby that’s overtaking your spare room??
P.S. Don’t forget to enter my Operation Beautiful giveaway!! It ends tonight!
Categories: Uncategorized
So glad you guys liked them!
And… Dave and Dan should talk. Because Dan also has 4 bikes.
They were super yummy! I will definitely make them again!
This post cracked me up. Mainly because I completely understand your pain. Like you, I run and blog. My husband? He mountain bikes and is a software engineer. As a result, he currently has three bikes — downsize from eight (thank goodness we have a basement) and a computer room. Like I said, I feel your pain.
It’s unbelievable how much stuff men accumulate! Dave is a civil engineer, but thankfully there is no “bridge room”!
ohhhhhh the specialized tarmac is beeeeeautiful bike! tell dave congrats on the new toy!!
what a good wife you are to not have lost your mind when you saw the price tag of that baby! I don’t even tell my parents how much my bikes really cost…
I would love to say I’m with you on this one but I gotta say— that bike is incredible!!! (and for the cost it should basically ride itself!!)
Haha he keeps calling it “sexy”, and it cracks me up! He did get a good deal on it, so I had to say yes!
Aww you guys are so cute. Currently, we are in a smaller apt than our previous house. Therefore, we couldn’t bring as much stuff… except I HAD to bring all my scrapbook stuff.. so there might be a nice pile of organized “pretty” boxes of extra stuff that wouldn’t fit on the scrapbook/craft book shelf — ooops!
Haha scrapbooking is a hobby I will never understand. Your husband must be a very understanding man!
my husbands hobbie (aka JOB) takes over our whole condo. Yes, I hear ya! But those brussel sprouts would make up for it any day.
I can’t even imagine the amount of gear in your place! It would blow my mind!
Yes…. knew he had to like ‘em!
I’m glad that we were both brave enough to try them!
Abby, it only gets worse! I run, and I blog. That’s it for me too. Greg fishes, hunts, plays in a band…I could go on an on, but what gets me the most is that his hobbies are always ALL DAY (or all night) affairs. We have a sizeable home, so the fact that our gameroom has animals in varying forms all over the walls (ew, right? but it’s ok, because it’s his room) and the fact that his toys (a.k.a boat, 10,000 fishing rods, special guns, etc) cost an arm and a leg don’t bother me all that much. What bothers me is that when I need a moment away from the kids and the hassels of my life, that’s just what I get – a moment. If I want to go away for a whole day, I have to plan, write notes, set out clothing and appropriate snacks for the kids, etc. When he wants to play, he just goes…for a whole day, gone. No planning, no child care worries, no notes (except to say where he is). I need a hobby that takes all day! Or maybe I just need to forget the stuff at home and go along with him!
Oh Koelle, I am so scared. His archery stuff is already in the spare room. It is just a matter of time before all of his hunting gear gets out here!
My husband and I both adventure race, which means that our entire house is overflowing with gear. We’ve got bikes (seven, I think, between the two of us), we’ve got canoes, we’ve got more dry bags and compasses and headlamps and paddles than any two people could possibly need… At least that’s what I think until we visit our teammates houses – and then I realize that we’re sort of small potatoes as far as gear goes.
It’s just absurd.
Oh wow! I hope my husband didn’t see this comment because he is going to want to become an adventure racer too!
You gotta support the hubby in his hobbies!
Wow, those brussel sprouts look delicious!
Haha I try to support him…and it’s usually pretty easy to because I get so much amusement out of it all!
LOL -”he is really riding it right now (9 pm, people…on a high school track)” Hilarious!! Haahaa.
My boyfriend is also obsessed with biking (hockey too), he has a separate room in his apartment just for his bikes. But, isn’t it wonderful that they have such healthy hobbies? We are lucky ladies
So true! Just wish they were cheaper!
I love roasted brussels sprouts!
Our guest bedroom is covered with my husband’s messy desk – and his 2 computers. He loves playing computer games…
But to be honest, the bedroom also contains all my scrapbook crap – I have quite the collection.
Haha sounds to me that you might have a bit more of a measure hobby than your hubs!
Ohmygosh, I totally know how you feel! We only have one spare room in our house and Jason has his bike constantly set up on the trainer and it takes up most of the room! (Nevermind that I have two bookcases
) We went out and bought a shed to put our road bikes in, but then he claims he’s going to ride it and doesn’t want to put it in there….2 months later, it’s gathering dust. Men. I’m not sure I will ever understand them
That’s so funny! Dave swore that he needed a trainer, got one, and never uses it! Men!
LOL, Chris has expensive hobbies too!!! His latest is putting together this huge set of skis + gear so he can do back country skiing. This includes a bunch of AVALANCHE gear, new skis, bindings, boots, avalanche classes, this breathing tube that lets you live longer, etc. Oh man. He did however find really good deals on slightly used equipment. So I can’t complain too much. And, we have you beat with bikes. There are SIX in our garage. 2 road bikes, 1 mountain bike, 2 single speeds, and a fixed gear. Chris is selling his mountain + fixed gear though. We just got the single speeds for riding around town. Super excited! We also both have snowboards, a set of golf clubs each, and a SLEW of camping gear. It’s INsane.
<3
They would be best friends! All of daves snowboarding gear is in our downstairs storage (thankfully). It’s only a matter of time before it makes its way into the spare room for the season. Oh help!
I forgot to mention a slew of beer brewing equipment too…lol
Hahahahaha. He looks so proud in that picture.
Bahah oh man I’m glad Matt doesn’t have any hobbies that take up a lot of space. He likes golf, but his clubs nicely fit in the closet. And he really likes his car, but that stays parked outside.
books and book shelves and more books…..that’s what it is like at my house. We need to be more active!!!
hahahhaa. I wish I had bicycles to take up space in my house!
Currently lots of books and a million different flours are taking over my house!