Snow Monsters

Last Saturday we had a good day for N, L and I to go out in the snow and play.  C took N and L out in the snow earlier in the week while I was at work, but this was my first time getting to see L's reaction to the snow.  While he seemed to enjoy the new experience, the frustration of bulky snow clothes, and boots and gloves he hasn't quite gown into yet quickly sent him back inside.  N and I stayed outside, and had a fun time playing.  It was too cold to get the snow to pack for a snowman, but we enjoyed jumping in the snow drifts along the creek, and building a snow fort. 

It occurred to me that I titled my blog "DDT Workshop", and hadn't talked about the workshop at all yet. That certainly is not because there hasn't been any activity in the workshop.  Since mid-October my workbench has been occupied with a steady stream of custom monster truck projects.  It all started this time last year when N (with maybe just a little help) got interested in playing with the Hot Wheels monster trucks.  I decided I wanted replicas of the trucks that were my childhood favorites to use when we played together.  So, I dusted off my toy customizing skills and created Bearfoot and Bigfoot replicas sporting their original paint schemes.  They turned out pretty well, so I expanded my fleet with a few more 80's trucks.  About the time I got that batch done, N's interest in monster trucks started to wane, so the trucks didn't get much use.  This fall, when Ebay season hit, I decided to put a few of the custom trucks up for sale.  Apparently I'm not the only one nostalgic for those old, original monster trucks.  It didn't take long before I sold the whole batch, and started working on some more.  It's been fun remembering all the old trucks I watched on TV, and I've enjoyed the challenge of creating the replicas.  Having some very loyal repeat customers doesn't hurt either.  As with any project like this, it's only worth your time if it is fun, and I can already feel the thrill starting to fade.  I'm hoping over Christmas break to finish up my current batch, and to start thinking about what the next project is going to be.