Sunday morning homily XIX

For the past week or so, coinciding with a shared spring break with Colin, I've wrestled with a continuation of this hobby. While it's been a real hoot adding to our collections, it's become more of a job than fun lately.

Between the sorting of cards and pucks, the cost of said items, the countless hours spent waiting for the scribbles (sadly, that's what most have become) during 30-plus hounding trips, and the 365-plus posts (since last September, mind you) of this blog, I'm beginning to question the return on my time and effort.

That's not to say, though, that I've collected my last autograph. No, that's not what it means. I fully intend to close out this season, including the playoffs (should the Lightning hang on), and chronicle the noteworthy events -- good and bad -- of each hounding adventure.

What it does mean is hounding will take a lower priority.

Now that Colin is older and getting involved in school and sports, it's more important to further support those efforts -- in time and in money. It's not that we've ignored those efforts to date, but so much of the past few years has revolved around hockey. And we all know there's more to life than hockey.

Going forward, it's hard to predict what will happen. There's a sizable mound of pucks, the result of my optimistic miscalculations of players willing to sign, that awaits signatures. The Tampa Bay Lightning certainly aren't heading anywhere. And, perhaps, the offseason, should it start next week or in June, will cast this hobby in a different light.

Until then, I'll be thankful that this is a hobby, not an occupation.