Wildwillalaska
Lil-Rokslider
Step 1. After some secret planning, get caught making arrangements for your 2018 sheep hunt during what was supposed to be your 10th anniversary trip. Granted I thought I was in the clear after making such a logical argument and securing agreement to advance our anniversary trip by a couple months since we wanted to return to Yosemite and this time earlier so all the waterfalls were flowing with snow melt. In my lovely bride's logical brain my suggestion made complete sense and was almost romantic--but looking back, her brain viewed the motive to accommodate my sheep hunt with less enthusiasm.
Step 2. In quick succession to step 1, talk to Stid about how awesome his 95mm ATX makes his trips, from saving time going after animals that aren't what your really looking for to passing time enjoying the entertainment of other wildlife fund throughout the trip.
Step 3. Talk yourself into the absolute need, i mean must-have, life/death need, for an overly expensive redundant spotter.
Step 4. After taking your 80mm ATS with 25-50 eyepiece to the local Sportsmans Warehouse just to compare side-by-side size and in hand weight comparison of the ATX 65mm and 95mm, and fully documenting the differences with handy iphone pics for reference later in the evening before making final decision and ordering--forget that your iPhone is on wifi which of course then uploads those darn photos to our family's photostream (I.e. The lovely bride's iPad as wel).
So of course after step 4, I field some obvious questions, where I can tell the adult female brain is asking me incriminating questions it absutely already knows the answer to--I smartly recognize it--so start down the path of how she ruined her birthday surprise, but had to ad lib a little as I could tell by her look she recalled the Swaro bino's I gave her the night before we left for this last hunting trip was her early birthday gift--I swiftly dance towards it being a peace offering to cover for Step 1. Still not buying it, I abandon my not so cleverness and admit my true motives of trying to help save her time by ordering my own birthday present. Luckily we are only 3-days apart, and she knows one of my favorite gifts is most often asking for forgiveness for things I should have asked permission.
Long story short--with last year's bear rug coming due within a month, deposit on flight service, deposit on this year's moose shoulder mount and antler mount on last year's moose, the Dakota 300wm that somehow found its way home last month, then spending most of this month happily in the wilds and away from work--I did decide it smart to confirm and share my change of heart that this new 95mm ATX wasn't going to be a redundant spotter after all, and that I would part with my current glass once the new me arrives.
Also decided maybe it wasn't the right time yet to tell her how easily I could convert it to a super sleek packable 65mm version by the other objective that I will clearly convince myself is a absolute must have just before next year's sheep hunt. As I type this, thinking maybe if I have her carry it most of our summer hikes, then maybe casually show her the 65mm in passing one day, she'll come to the notion herself and sell me on the idea? I could happen.
Step 2. In quick succession to step 1, talk to Stid about how awesome his 95mm ATX makes his trips, from saving time going after animals that aren't what your really looking for to passing time enjoying the entertainment of other wildlife fund throughout the trip.
Step 3. Talk yourself into the absolute need, i mean must-have, life/death need, for an overly expensive redundant spotter.
Step 4. After taking your 80mm ATS with 25-50 eyepiece to the local Sportsmans Warehouse just to compare side-by-side size and in hand weight comparison of the ATX 65mm and 95mm, and fully documenting the differences with handy iphone pics for reference later in the evening before making final decision and ordering--forget that your iPhone is on wifi which of course then uploads those darn photos to our family's photostream (I.e. The lovely bride's iPad as wel).
So of course after step 4, I field some obvious questions, where I can tell the adult female brain is asking me incriminating questions it absutely already knows the answer to--I smartly recognize it--so start down the path of how she ruined her birthday surprise, but had to ad lib a little as I could tell by her look she recalled the Swaro bino's I gave her the night before we left for this last hunting trip was her early birthday gift--I swiftly dance towards it being a peace offering to cover for Step 1. Still not buying it, I abandon my not so cleverness and admit my true motives of trying to help save her time by ordering my own birthday present. Luckily we are only 3-days apart, and she knows one of my favorite gifts is most often asking for forgiveness for things I should have asked permission.
Long story short--with last year's bear rug coming due within a month, deposit on flight service, deposit on this year's moose shoulder mount and antler mount on last year's moose, the Dakota 300wm that somehow found its way home last month, then spending most of this month happily in the wilds and away from work--I did decide it smart to confirm and share my change of heart that this new 95mm ATX wasn't going to be a redundant spotter after all, and that I would part with my current glass once the new me arrives.
Also decided maybe it wasn't the right time yet to tell her how easily I could convert it to a super sleek packable 65mm version by the other objective that I will clearly convince myself is a absolute must have just before next year's sheep hunt. As I type this, thinking maybe if I have her carry it most of our summer hikes, then maybe casually show her the 65mm in passing one day, she'll come to the notion herself and sell me on the idea? I could happen.
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