Obsessions

From time to time, I become obsessed with something or other. I’ve probably always been that way, but it was noticeably different in the Covid lockdown era, but then it morphed again, turning into something different and quite useful. But noticed that change only recently.

I should explain what I mean by “obsession”. I don’t mean that in the way that online influencers use the word to describe their focus on the latest trends in fashion, home decor, food, skincare, whatever. On the other hand, what I’m talking about is about a kind of hyperfocus on things, but mine is about stuff for my personal life and usually it isn’t remotely connected to anything trendy.

That out of the way, what I become obsessed with usually refers to things for projects or to solve some problem or other in my home. Like lamps, for example.

During the first Covid lockdown I became obsessed/hyperfocused/whatever with lamps to put on the nightstands either side of the guest bed. This was odd because during lockdowns I couldn’t have guest, so bedside lamps were irrelevant. I ended up ordering a couple inexpensive ones from a discount chain rather than the ones I actually liked because I wanted to see those in person, which I couldn’t do, obviously.

I think the reason I was so obsessed with lamps was because at that time we were all powerless against a disease that we still had no vaccine against. Maybe it gave me a feeling of some control at a time when we had very little of that.

I still have those lamps, so ordering them wasn’t a terrible decision. However, there was one other purchase born of obsession that was a huge mistake: A garden shed I bought online in February 2021. In the weeks that followed, I eventually realised that it was a mistake. In 2022, I sold it at loss just to be rid of it.

That shed debacle was both a low point and a turning point: Since then, I’ve never ordered something expensive merely because I was obsessed about something. I’ve ordered a few things I ended up regretting, but none of them were the result of an obsession, nor were they expensive.

As time has gone on, there’s been a change. I may become obsessed with something and do hours of research to to find the best option—and then I stop without buying anything. I saw a YouTube video in which the person described that sort of thing as enjoying the shopping without actually spending any money. I think that’s true, but it’s also true that doing all the research can make me realise I don’t want the solution I thought I did, but sometimes I realise I already have a usable solution.

The photo up top shows a grill named after a famour boxer. Nigel and I bought it many years ago, and we’d also had an early version of the grill (which was quite large). We used it mostly for making things like Rueben sandwiches, though we also sometimes used it to grill meat. We used it less often as time went on, and I think I may have used it only once since shifting to Kirikiriroa-Hamilton, though my lack of use was mainly because it was hard to get out of the cupboard (I had to get down on the floor and reach into the back of the cupboard).

I recently became obsessed with buying a sandwich press (this Google search shows examples). It’s a kitchen device for making toasted sandwiches, like Reubens and what Americans call “grilled cheese” (called a “cheese toastie” in New Zealand). I wanted to get one years ago, and Nigel didn’t want me to, though he never said why.

I don’t know why, precisely, I became obsessed with getting a sandwich maker, but I was. And then I remembered the red grill I already had. We used it as sandwich press, so I knew it was suitable for that. Last week, I used it to make ham and cheese toasties (using what the supermarket called "ciabatta pockets" instead of regular bread). At first I used the two ribbed grill plates, but then I remembered there was a smooth one for the top grill and switched to that. I think it worked better for the later sandwiches (like what's pictured).

I’ve also realised that the grill would be the best way for me to make burgers. I have a “grill pan”, which has ridges so the grease can drain. However, there’s often a lot of water added to the raw beef mince (aka “ground beef”), and that means the burger is steamed as much as fried. The grill machine has angled grill plates, which allows the grease (and added water…) to drain out. The thing is, I can’t remember if we ever used it for that, but we may not have because we used to have cheeseburgers and melted the cheese on the burger in the pan, so I may need to experiment a bit.

There have been times that similar things happened, but this particular reuse of something I already have is the most recent. I like that I’m getting use out of stuff I already own even more than that I'm not spending money I don’t need to. That’s what’s changed the most for me—and it's so thrifty, too!

Seriously, though, it really is satisfying to come up with solutions for my home using stuff I already have. Sure, I still sometimes spend a lot of time researching options to buy, and sometimes I still buy things, too. As long as it’s not a garden shed, I’m okay with that.