As I said yesterday, Rich and I went down to The Valley on Saturday...I was riding along as he had some fun errands to do, and I desperately needed a break from town (lately Rich and I haven't had the same days off, or if we do, we're both too exhausted to go anywhere...so, this was the perfect day for a trip)Now, Rich is a HAM radio person, which I did not know before I met him, and doesn't make too much difference to me now (you know? Just in case I was supposed to be scared or weirded out or something?) The Ham Radio Outlet was the first stop on our little journey (Followed by the Mac store, REI, and Whole Foods...all drool worthy to me) so he could pick up some supplies that he doesn't have in AZ with him. The store was full of gadgets and things I've never seen before, or if I have, I didn't pay any attention to because I had no idea what I was looking at.
Everyone in the store was super nice, but it was like they were speaking some strange language that I've never heard before, pointing at things (expensive things) and jabbering on and on...I would like to say that I learned a lot, but honestly? It was more complicated than that...at one point Rich and the man who was helping us introduced themselves to each other using all sorts of numbers and letters...with big smiles on their faces and lots of shaking of hands.
I could not help but join all the smiling because of the sheer enthusiasm of the people both shopping in the store, and the salespeople (yet, in the back of my mind, I did wonder to myself how many girls with knee socks and skirts and glittery lip gloss they see in their establishment?)
And, as Rich had to run out to the car and get his radio at one point our salesman leaned over the counter and whispered conspiratorially to me, "it's so nice you support him in this..." and gave me a little wink...and I'm sure if he'd been standing closer to me, I would have received a little elbow nudge as well...
I smiled nervously, rolled my eyes internally and thought, "do I have a choice?"
This hobby of his is something he was into before he met me...I figure it's grandfathered in to his whole personality. Plus? I know how it feels to have a hobby that I totally love...the feeling I get when it takes over my mind...how good it makes me feel and how much I smile...then want to tell everyone about it! I also love to see those around me totally taken with their own hobbies...it makes me happy (especially when Rich tells me if we're out on our long far-away drives we'll always be able to be connected...even if we have no cell reception...can you hear me now? Yup.) Even if it meant that Rich went on for some blocks as we drove away, about all sorts of things and I hardly had any idea what he was talking about...(There seems to be a ton you need to know to be a HAM radio operator)
But...It was worth watching him bounce up and down on the car seat in total bliss...
6 comments:
My sweetie pie was major into ham radio before I met him but his interest in it has died off a bit. I'll still show him the outlet picture though because I've got a feeling his eyes will light up :)
Good for you! :D
You know, I'm a HUGE fan of Ham radio operators. When the storm hit in December, all the county's communication was down for days. Including 911 and cell phones. The Ham radio guys kept all the government officials notified as to what was happening and they WERE the communication for the relief effort. I cannot imagine what would have happened without them--as we went 6 days with no way into or out of the county and no way to phone, text, or email anyone.
my hubs was never into the ham radio stuff, but was using CB radios (a different thing, right?) when I met him (WAAAY back in the '70's!), used to crack me up 'cause he would get into that CB way of talkin' on that thing...funny! No more CB...now he's into golf...I go occasionally, just for the walk (I took lessons, just not my "thing"). He LOVES it, just glazes over when he gets a new club, new box of golf balls....hobbies are so wonderful!
So, did he HAM it up for you???
I went with a guy once who was all over his CB Radio more than he was all over me. And I wonder why it didn't work out.
Are Ham Radios and CB Radios different?
Yup, HAM radio is different than CB. You need to take a test and get a license from the FCC. How the radio works, how repeaters work, in some cases Morse Code, etc.
But, you can talk across the world with you radio. Arizona to Australia? No problem. Or AZ to NM? Yup, that too.
HAM radio is really where the cell phone world started. That's why I got into it, I used to work in the cellular industry, and wanted to understand what our Radio Frequency Engineers were doing, so I got my license. :)
Oh, and HAMs are the first on the spot with communications in any disaster. Normally they practices once a week with ARES groups (Amateur Radio Emergency Services). They're usually super helpful folks!
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