Wow!

(Source)

My son, The Naviguesser, sent me a couple of links the other day. The links are to the iModeler website, which I had never heard of before Tuesday. Now I think I'll be spending some time over there.

The model, yes, that's a scale model, in the opening photo was done by a Korean fellow. As you might be able to tell, the guy is an absolutely amazing modeler. You can see more of his stuff by visiting here.

Another angle of the same diorama, same source as above.

As you can see, the U-Boat has already suffered a fatal hull breech, and another torpedo is inbound. I'd say those sailors are doomed. Though the boat is pretty shallow, she's going to fill up fast.

I have put together the odd model kit from time to time, last one I built was in Omaha in the late-80s. It was a French heavy cavalryman and his horse at the time of Waterloo. The model came out very well. He survived the move to Germany and the move to Little Rhody. He did not survive one of The Missus Herself's dusting operations.

She wasn't trying to destroy it, but stuff happens when you're moving things around to get the fragile stuff out of harm's way. He's reparable but I haven't got around to it yet, what with the half-million other irons I've got in the fire.

Seems that most of the models I've built over the years have come to a sad end.

There was the 1/25 scale Tiger I tank that I built before joining the Air Force, it and a rather large number of 1/35 scale kits (all World War II German kits by Tamiya) all vanished into the maw of the ancestral dwelling where, no doubt, they met their demise at the hands of The Olde Vermonter and his frau when they bought the place. (I don't even want to think of all the countless model aircraft, from WWI to Vietnam, that I lost.)

I was overseas, they needed the space, so a lot of stuff got thrown out. It pains me to think of it but hey, what are ya gonna do?

The one that probably hurt the most was a huge scale model of the USS Constitution. She was still under construction when it was time to move from Korea to Colorado. I had spent hours upon the rigging, standing and running (those who know, know) and she was coming along nicely. The Missus Herself had even commissioned a large case for her to live in (the ship, not my wife) when she "came off the ways" and was in all respects ready for sea.

I anticipated completion a few months into our assignment to Denver. Alas, it was not to be.

The movers came to pack our stuff and things seemed to be going rather smoothly and quickly, Koreans are hard workers, thorough as well. The Missus Herself had explained that the model ship was to be packed in the case she had commissioned for it. She didn't really go into details, but then again it was pretty obvious to even a casual observer that the ship was a most delicate beastie, what with her tall tapering masts and yard upon yard of carefully (and laboriously) applied rigging.

So naturally, they let the stupidest guy on the crew pack the ship in its case. I guess he understood that the case was fragile, very fragile as it was made of glass. The Missus Herself had specified plexiglas, so they were close. There was also not enough time to get it done correctly. She assured me that she let the guy know in no uncertain terms that he screwed up and there had better be a discount from the negotiated price as he had not net the specifications as given. Yup, 50% off. Didn't save the ship however. The guy doing the packing obviously missed the point of the ship being the key thing, and also very fragile.

As I walked into the courtyard of our dwelling, I saw the guy cramming wads of newspaper into the glass case which was to hold Old Ironsides. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the ship was in the freaking case!!

Screaming in rage and frustration I inquired of the Korean chap destroying my ship whether or not he actually had two brain cells to rub together and really, had his parents had any children who had survived to adulthood. As I had yet to muster enough Korean to go after the lad in his native tongue (I was berating him in rather loud English which could no doubt be heard all the way over in Japan), the love of my life came on scene, shooed me away and lambasted the poor dumbass Korean-style. That is politely, no doubt with respects to his sainted ancestors and wouldn't they be absolutely appalled at the ignorance and utter stupidity he had demonstrated on that day?

The glass case survived the trip to Colorado, didn't survive college though, one of the progeny managed to drop a heavy object upon the top which pretty much put paid to that. Fortunately no one was injured. The ship, or what was left of it, wasn't in the case at the time. She was kept in a closet, out of sight, out of mind, in a cardboard box. She looked rather like someone had driven her into a category 4 hurricane without bothering to shorten sail. Her top masts were all snapped off, clinging to the wreck by the rigging strung with care so many months before.

Finally, when we left Omaha, The Missus Herself beheld the box containing the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald USS Constitution and inquired as to whether or not I had plans of effecting repairs or just planned on lugging the poor thing from duty station to duty station until such time as the sea yielded up her dead, etc., etc.

As we drove off to temporary housing, our house on the base having been emptied and standing ready for the next occupants, I beheld the box containing my ship for the last time. Out by the curb with the other flotsam and jetsam of our tour at Offutt AFB. 'Twas a bitter day I tell ye.

But I've moved on. Haven't built a model in years, when I mentioned that website above to the love of my life, she casually mentioned that the drum kit was enough, I wasn't to bring home anymore hobbies.

Well, alrighty then, she has spoken.

Someday though, I'll spring all the kits I have stowed in the upstairs closet on her and point out that they were purchased prior to her announced embargo on "new" hobbies.

No, I don't think that will fly either.

Worth a shot though...