Actually, I do it with cooking, too. I have spent $75.00 on ingredients for spaghetti sauce; turned out the best spaghetti sauce I’ve ever tried, and promptly lose my appetite for it.
Luckily, my brother is always around to capitalize on my fickleness. By the time it’s gone, I’ve had the tablespoon or two that I tasted while I was cooking it, and that’s about it.
I’ve been working on an obsession since 1965: a complete Beatles record collection (together and solo). That’s every album they made, in mono and stereo, plus every unique compilation from different countries, every EP, every single, every variation in label and/or jacket layout. And every bootleg of their concerts, radio and TV appearances and studio outtakes.
I’m only close on the last part. Over 500 bootlegs, many of which have sound upgrades over previous issues, and so are technically repeats. There isn’t anything they ever recorded, or that someone recorded of them, of which I don’t have at least one example.
No, I don’t have the “Yesterday And Today” butcher cover. I have excellent reproductions of it, from the negatives, though.
Am I the only one who does it with food? I don’t exactly mean cooking, like TellMe, but with eating.
Last month it was artichokes. I had artichokes for dinner several times a week. I stuffed myself on them. Lately it’s avocados with balsalmic vinegar, and I’ve had those for dinner at least five times in the last two weeks. I’m probably due to switch to soup soon, because I roasted a turkey just so I could make stock. I am incapable of freezing some of it for later; instead, I’ll eat it for lunch and dinner for five days straight, perfectly happy.
I suppose it adds up to a balanced diet in the long run, but I sure do obsess about things one at a time.
Oh, yeah. I’m glad to see I’m not alone with the serial obsession thing.
I will immerse myself in whatever it is that catches my fancy at the moment; lately these have been knitting, the TV show “House,” hockey (specifically hockey gear), guitar and bass gear, and Shadowrun (which is my ongoing obsession).
One of two things will happen: either the interest will “stick,” the obsession will die down, and the thing or activity will become part of my life, or the interest will get oversaturated and wither while I move on to the next one and wonder what the heck I got so would up about it for in the first place. 
The Shield
Battlestar Gallactica
The obsessions last only as long as the seasons do.
I have many obsessions.
I get these too. They always lead one to the other. They last a few months and then suddenly I lose interest. Going backwards in time let’s see what’s been going on with me. I had a film noir obsession that was caused by a Gloria Grahame obsession. She had an obsession with her own lips and making them look nicer and that really got me interested in every single thing about her. She was sort of interesting. I still have the interest in her but I’ve run out of resources. The way I found her was from my Joan Crawford obsession when I saw her in Sudden Fear. The Joan Crawford obsession was caused by a book about Max Factor. I have a makeup obsession that comes and goes.
I had a Lemony Snicket obsession but it was gone by the time the movie came out. I read all the books, read his other novels, and sadly, I had a little notebook where I kept clues about who was who in the VFD. One night I found myself emailing with a 12 year old who had some very insightful ideas about the VFD! That was kind of when my obsession started to embarass me a little.
Right now I’m obsessed with the Apprentice. I even read Carolyn’s book and I’m ashamed to say, some of Amy and Bill’s even thought they are horrible and unreadable. I can spend an insane amount of time pondering a show like that.
I went through a bowling phase back in the early 1990s. I got my own ball and shoes for Christmas (still have them by the way, just not used as much, and the shoes hardly fit anymore). I’d record pro bowling every Saturday while I was at work and watch it first thing upon getting home. I was in a few bowling leagues here and there, but most of the time I played solo. I’d go bowling early Sunday morning to get in some practice. I don’t remember what brought on the waning interest, other than perhaps the realization that I’d never break 200.
I also went through a classical music phase. I gave up rock for Rachmaninoff (sp) and Motley Crue for Mozart. I became fairly well-versed in my understanding and knowledge of classical music. I was out of the loop during the height of the grunge era. Once my classical period faded I realized how much “catching up” I had to do. For a few years I couldn’t tell a Pearl Jam song from Red Hot Chili Peppers. I don’t remember what brought me back to rock music, but it’s probably been over 10 years since I’ve played a classical CD.
I’ve managed to keep my obsessions under control due to lack of spare money for such things and the potential for returning to my packrat ways. The only ongoing things are collecting certain Star Trek ship models, 1:18 diecast cars, and almost any type of air cooled VW models (damn you, eBay!)
Once in a great while, I’ll find an interesting ELO item on eBay, but I’ve pretty much collected what I want in that area.
Tomatoes for me, too.
Stupice
Matina
Druzba
Big Rainbow
Black from Tula
Black Krim
Black Cherry
Cherokee Purple
Old German
Hawaiian Pineapple
Sandol Moldovan
Supersweet 100
If I don’t drown in tomatoes this year, it won’t be for lack of trying!
I am picturing you as one of those monks that were walking around smacking there head with a bible while chanting from Monty Python, that about right?
I have what I consider ongoing obsessions. These go on for years and years.
Then I have what I guess you could call secondary obsessions. These go on for perhaps many months at a time. Some are recurring, others are not. This is best exemplified by music: I go through certain periods where I listen to a wealth of music by one band, and then stop, and then some time later, go back to that band, and become utterly consumed by them until I get sick of them. Some recur more often, like Stereolab, about every nine months. Others, less often, like Legendary Pink Dots, who I get very serious about every few years. And then I seem to forget about them, and then suddenly get reminded about them, and the obsession comes rushing back.
Then I have the little obsessions which arise generally for a few months at a time. One time I was really really serious about collecting Hanna-Barbera stuff, which lasted for a few months, and then went away, never to return. (I still love Hanna-Barbera cartoons but I don’t care about the memorabilia – though I do care about my Hanna-Barbera records, perhaps because they’re hard to find.) Or this works with, say TV shows. Some TV shows I can get really into for a short time and then just give up on and never return (and wonder, why did I used to watch Xena for that one period of time anyway? I have no interest in that show whatsoever. What’s wrong with me?)
Some obsessions start out small and become ongoing. My interest in polar exploration just won’t go away, apparently.
This month I’m dealing with the recurrence of a secondary obsession, which is pancakes! And it comes with a little obsession, which is maple syrup. (I found a great little maple farm with a website which sells syrup in maple leaf-shaped bottles!)
I checked this thread a couple of days ago, but didn’t respond because Mr. Blue Sky spoiled my joke with his first sentence:
But yeah, I have some obsessions. I think everyone can tell I’m obsessed with British cars. I’m also obsessed with filmmaking equipment. How the hell did I wind up with so many cameras? There’s helicopters, of course; but my current situation does not allow me to indulge that particular obsession. I used to be obsessed with firearms, and built quite a collection. Reality has set in though, and I’ve realised I’ll never have a house where I can have an amory/museum with my collection displayed on the walls with little placards with historical notes on them; so I need to think about selling some of my collection. But each one has some significance.
But the hantise du jour is cars.
Yeah, I’m like a lot of you.
Some of them are useful, some not. Let’s go back to my second year in grad school.
Yes, basically Prob & Stats became my obsession. About this time, I also started running. All I did was run and study. Between November and January that year, I ran a marathon (pretty fast, 3:23) and was one of only two people in my class to pass all 3 qualifying exams.
Basically, after exams that year I stopped studying and running. I started playing poker. Played every week, played free online, read (and bought) tons of books about poker. Developed my own theories and strategies, took notes, got good. Played in casinos, played online for real money, a lot. I was obsessed for a few years.
That kind of cooled off when I got into sports betting. . .again, online research, online action, creating my own theories, taking notes, meticulous records, etc. etc.
After one particular football betting season, I needed something to do so I got into chess. I bought software, I bought books, I bought a nice set, I bought a CHESS SHOP! I played in tournaments, played online, studied the game.
Anyway, the latest obsession is cycling. I picked it up last summer because my knee wasn’t really allowing me to run. Can’t just ride a bike though. . .joined a club, bought a couple books about training, learned about racing, joined a racing team and this year will be my first year of racing. In some ways, I feel like bike riding will stick with me. I have always been in decent shape, and it’s so much better than running.
I’m also still somewhat involved in chess.
Other things I’ve farted around with to a lesser extent:
Bonsai
Flute playing (actually over several years until it was established that without a doubt, I have no musical talent)
Furniture upholstery (very briefly. . .didn’t even complete a project, but I was into it)
Sculpting
Rock climbing
Lately I’ve sort of been reading a lot about finance.
We need to start a support group. Can we somehow make it involve buying equipment?
HA! I often tell people that my “official job” as a professional crafter is nothing more than a cover for my REAL job, which is collecting craft supplies.