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Original poster

I've just deliberately sent my husband on a wild goose chase

532 replies

GooseyGooseyWander · 01/09/2021 22:29

I may or may not have changed some details of said hobby and equipment.

He has a 'hobby' that he is obsessed with. Let's call it wild goose chasing. He watches YouTube videos about wild goose chasing, he reads magazines about wild goose chasing, he has all the gear ('infrared', 'thermal imaging' etc) and likes to go out wild goose chasing on a regular basis.

Recently he hasn't been wild goose chasing due to some disillusionment with his level of success in wild goose chasing and the lack of presence of gooses in the local area. This means every night, for many hours he has talked to me about wild goose chasing. Reads out bits from magazines to me. Talks endlessly. Listens to goose chasing videos in bed and comments on goose chasing techniques.

Tonight I went out on a run and happened to see a wild goose in an unusual location.

Nonchalantly told DH about it and would you know it, off his own back he's excitedly gone out to chase said wild goose.

I've now had two hours of mumsnetting and watching MAFS UK without someone talking about gooses through it. I expect DH is still delightedly crawling around on his hands and knees with his thermal imaging goggles looking for said wild goose.

Only I didn't see a wild goose.

AIBU?

AIBU to see it again tomorrow?

OP posts:
bamboocat · 02/09/2021 14:00

Nocturnal hobby. Hmm....

Well it's got to be something that comes out at night then, that's unusual & isn't easily spotted all the time, so that rules out badgers, moths, bats, foxes, owls, muntjac deer, hedgehogs, stargazing, dogging and spying on drug dealers and people who don't pick up after their pooch.

Molecatching - that's it.

Or UFO's.

theemmadilemma · 02/09/2021 13:49

Your description of a man and his hobbies is devastatingly accurate.

Wild Goose Hunting might be more interesting than what I have going on here.

VickyEadieofThigh · 02/09/2021 13:40

is it bats?

iwannascream · 02/09/2021 13:38

I've got to say that I have laughed so much at your evil genius, its brilliant and I am so going to use it when the time is right.
I too have a DH that likes to tell me all about his boring hobby, but I usually wait till we are in bed when I can't sleep and ask him a few questions to get him started and within 5 minutes i'm in dream land.

ElvisPresleyHadABaby · 02/09/2021 13:28

This is honestly the best laugh I've had all week. I have a DP that likes badgers, but not THAT much. And he would take the children for night time badger walks. Is it Owls? Weasels? Foxes?

Zilla1 · 02/09/2021 13:27

From your update, OP, I suspect you are a blackbelt in a mysterious martial art where you use your opponent's moves against them. You run later. He doesn't get the DC to sleep. You counter with a wild goose. He must settle the DC before he can goose (if that is a verb). He gooses (UFOs) and you get the rest. Let's hope grasshopper doesn't learn quickly.

Carboncheque · 02/09/2021 13:20

You’re my hero.

ShuddaBeenMe · 02/09/2021 13:06

Geo catching.

Herecomesthesun70 · 02/09/2021 13:00

Love this Grin

Concernedaboutgranny · 02/09/2021 12:51

My guess is looking for big cats.

Squiz81 · 02/09/2021 12:46

If beavers was a “warm” guess I’m going with Otter spotting.

godmum56 · 02/09/2021 12:44

@TheChiefJo

I think you're a meany, OP. But not for the goosey business. I think you're a meany for not telling us what this hobby is. Is it nature photography of some kind?
Is that a euphemism?
offyougotwantychops · 02/09/2021 12:41

Just popping in for a gander to see if the hobby has been revealed!

FireworkParrot · 02/09/2021 12:34

At first I thought badgers or bats, then spotting something like shooting stars but with the children being too noisy comment I'm back to thinking it's an animal. I'm going to punt for otters or red squirrels.

Comefromaway · 02/09/2021 12:31

Foraging for unusual mushrooms?!!!

CryptoWidow · 02/09/2021 12:29

OP, I think you might be my hero

LunaAndHerMoonDragons · 02/09/2021 12:26

Something you chase.... aliens, crop circles, Yeties, Big foot.....

ILoveFlumps · 02/09/2021 12:23

OP. You. Are. A. Genius.
Can we be besties please?

LunaAndHerMoonDragons · 02/09/2021 12:23

@Ekofisk

Maybe not tomorrow night, I’d give it a few days.

Otherwise DH is going to rope you in as Wild Goose Spotter In Chief and you’ll become an integral part of his hobby.

Love it OP, but I'd be careful not to see too many wild geese for fear of the above...
TheChiefJo · 02/09/2021 12:20

I think you're a meany, OP. But not for the goosey business. I think you're a meany for not telling us what this hobby is. Is it nature photography of some kind?

Elliania · 02/09/2021 12:18

OP - is your husband one of the British population who firmly believes there are wild big cats in the UK so he heads off to chase up reported sightings?

youvegottenminuteslynn · 02/09/2021 12:12

I want it to be ghosts so much Grin

Original poster
GooseyGooseyWander · 02/09/2021 12:12

@whynotwhatknot

I thinik its funny but why did he tell kids they could stay up late so he could dump childcare on you?
Sigh. Backstory alert.

My run yesterday evening was deliberately later than usual as my darling husband has fallen into the habit of being Unavailable At Bedtime.

This leaves muggins here to wrestle the spirited children into bed.

So last night I went for a run with instructions for the delightful fruits of our loins to be in bed by the time I got back. Strict instructions.

They weren't. Because; spurious reasons. Basically he couldn't be arsed and let them stay up until I got back so I didn't miss out on the joy of putting them to bed.

However

We have a hard and fast rule due to previous goosing related Unavailability At Bedtime that he can't go out goosing unless the children are in bed.

So two gooses with one stone - despite him thinking he had managed to successfully Avoid Doing Bedtime he now had to do bed time in order to go out goose chasing AND in doing said goose chasing also means I get the evening off from listening about goose chasing.

If that makes me a meanie pants I've already made my peace with it.

OP posts:
3luckystars · 02/09/2021 12:07

It’s actually us on the wild goose hunt isn’t it?

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 02/09/2021 12:03

He's either a twitcher or a stalker.

I reckon twitching as you can't just up and off and shoot a deer without proper prep.