Dear Rex: I'm worried about my husband. Since he turned forty last November, he's become obsessed with the hobbies of his youth. He spends almost every weekend at a baseball card show, spending the money we'd been saving for our kids' college fund. And when he's not trading baseball cards, he's out in the garage with his model trains. He's built a huge scale model town out there with a mountain and a waterfall and I don't know what all. I have to park my car in the driveway! I'm at the end of my rope. Can you help? -- Frustrated in Fargo.
Dear Frustrated: I can understand your concern but I don't think you have anything to worry about. He's just experiencing, I suspect, a mid-life crisis. I went through much the same thing when I turned forty. Suddenly, I was intent upon chasing my tail. And not for just a few minutes at a time, either. I spent hours on end, running in circles. And when I wasn't chasing my tail, I was out in the yard barking at birds, digging up long-buried bones, you name it. Admittedly, my indulgences didn't drain the family bank account but that's just the luck of the draw. Let's face it, dog chews are cheaper than Mickey Mantle rookie cards. The point is, your hubby will grow tired of this child's play soon enough and return to normal. I did. And he'll thank you for indulging him a bit while he works through this difficult time.
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