Hijacker

I have a confession. I like to hijack other people's hobbies and talents. I see what other people are doing and it gets me interested, so I dabble a little in it myself. Sometimes I don't necessarily take up the hobby, but I learn about it through the other person.

For example, my neighbor next door raises canaries. I have lived next to her for 11 years, and over the years have learned alot about her canaries. She raises Spanish Timbrados. She used to have American singers, but has pretty much switched over to the timbrados. She has a couple of water sluggers, but isn't too happy with their song, so keeps them (and the American singers) isolated from the other birds so the Timbrados won't learn the slugger song. Sometimes she even plays recordings for the Timbrados so that they will learn notes they haven't learned yet. She takes them to competitions, and this past weekend her three teams placed first, second and third in the competition here in California. This morning she left very early for another competition in Florida.

In the spring, when it is breeding season, she gives vigilant care to the new babies. She makes special nesting food for them and makes sure that all of them are thriving. When she has to go away for the weekend, I become the surrogate grandmother. I say grandmother because the mother birds do the actual feeding, I just provide them with nesting food and fresh water several times a day. The little canaries are kind of ugly at first, but also kind of cute..in an ugly way. My neighbor has a cockatiel too, and I have also taken care of him while she is away on vacation. He's a brat, but he has learned to like me. I don't think I really ever want a bird of my own, but it has been kind of fun to test drive them through my neighbor.

Sometimes I have gotten interested in a hobby and have taken it up permanently. An example of this is rubber stamping. This for me was a fun new medium, and it kind of took over until now I have supplies coming out my ears. I use them though, so they don't just sit there. I guess that is the test of a true hobby...if you actually do it or not.
I always think of myself as a jack of all trades and master of none. I get interested in something and only get to a certain level of proficiency before another interest takes hold. Maybe that should be "hijacker of all trades and master of none".