Be Careful What You're Not Even Wishing For

I made the mistake of showing an interest in Hick's hoard. Not so much showing an actual interest, as asking for details about the random picture he sent me from the BARn when he first used The Pony's Christmas present to put together his shelves.

This little faux pas was akin to asking an old person, "How are you?" Now I have more information than I wanted. Today, Hick sent me FOUR pictures. He's proud of his BARn collections. Yeah. I told him the other day he was a hoarder, and he said haughtily, "Val. I'm a COLLECTOR!" Which is just another name for a hoarder, if I remember correctly.

Anyhoo...now I must share my good fortune with you, and show you more BARn shots. Ironically, you would probably be unable to have a shot at the bar in Hick's BARn now, because all the space is taken up with his...collections.

This one is my favorite of the four new photos. Those boards at the top? That was Hick's Friday night project. He took them to work so he could use a machine there (a mill, he says, to which I said, "What?" and he said a milling machine) to cut the notches for hanging his goblets. Or schooners. Or whatever those beer glasses are called. The bucket collection started with a couple he found in my stuff right after we got married. Or probably before. Hick is a well-known snoop. Anyhoo, I had attended a couple of St. Louis Strassenfests during my checkered-past college years, and everybody knows that you have to drink your beer out of a bucket there. So sad it's no longer a thing. The Strassenfest. Not beer drinking. I like Hick's collection of trays, culled from assorted flea markets and Goodwills and received as an occasional Christmas give from Val herself. Hick's pretty easy to buy for. Because he collects a little bit of everything.

This looks like a hodgepodge area, though I guess he will eventually refine it with a more specific theme. Those giant bottles are BEER! I'd never heard of such a thing. I asked if it was champagne. Nope. Beer. He said they were made by Anheuser Busch, and were sold in a kit. Of course I questioned him on that, because to me, a kit is something you make for yourself out of parts. But he described more of a gift set, like the bottle with four glasses. Yes. They still have the beer in them. They are for collection purposes only in Hick's BARn.

Don't try to drink one of Hick's Cokes, either!

This collection here is a bit contentious. It's Hick's Rams Table. Hick says he can't find as many Rams collectibles now that they are gone, baby, gone from St. Louis. He can, though find jerseys at Goodwill, but he doesn't collect them. I say EFF THE RAMS! I was a loyal fan of the football Cardinals until Arizona stole them. And I was a loyal fan of the Rams, even back in the Rich Brooks days. And especially during the Cryin' Dick Vermeil era. I gave Mike Martz a year, but his vision was not mine. Still. I was fairly neutral on the subject. But now? NOW? EFF THE RAMS!

Sorry. I forgot my purpose for a moment.

Yes. Hick has a lot of junk. But it's HIS junk, and he's quite proud of it. I try to be tolerant. By his own account, Hick had NOTHING growing up. Not even an indoor toilet to pee in. So if he wants to have stuff now, who am I to deny him? He's worked hard all his life. He can afford it. I am not going to destroy his dream of owning one of every single item in the universe.

He's off to a good start.