We have odd hobbies in our house.

The KingofHearts teaches Japanese swordfighting to church ladies (no joke there - just ask).

I have a keen interest in criminal profiling and have taken classes in forensic investigation just for fun. Once, we got into an argument over dinner over the formula to determine how long a body had been dead -- the missionaries who were eating with us at the time just stared at us, mouths agape. (Of course that paled in comparison to the time those same missionaries were eating at our Bishop's house and in the dinner prayer he asked God to bless Britney Spears' boobs, that they might stop flying out of her shirt so often. So I don't actually win the Making a Missionary Uncomfortable Prize. Better luck next year.)

A common, favorite road trip of mine is to drive hours and hours to tour houses built by Frank Lloyd Wright. If they are not public buildings, I have either talked my way in anyway or just stood outside the person's home taking pictures. Sure that's not creepy and weird -- unless you're living in the house. Then you might be inclined to contact the authorities.

The KoH crochets. Once, when we were dating, he made me a scarf during his work breaks - that went over well with all the other macho military types.

One Valentines' Day, I got a glass blowing class as a gift from my husband. It was one my favorite gifts ever. I made three misshapen glasses and two paperweights. I still have them proudly displayed in my kitchen.

A few years ago, Monica, the KoH, and I left work on a Friday afternoon, drove eighteen hours to Chicago (first detouring several hours into Ohio to pick up a friend) and were back by Monday -- why? To inspect cows.

I often wonder whether we really enjoy stuff like this or if subconsciously we just do it to make friends and neighbors raise their eyebrows at us, only to return their glance and say, "What?"

Several years ago when the KoH was working a construction job, he picked up a truckload of bricks that were going to be discarded. He brought them home and built a ginormous permanent barbecue in the back yard. We busted on him a lot for the speed of his masonry skills. My dad was out visiting at the time and decided to take time lapse photos of the project -- in some cases the series looks like the photos are going backwards because KoH ended up taking a row off every so often to fix mistakes. While Dad was taking pictures, Monica and I sat on the deck and yelling "One! One brick! Wha ha ha ha." a la Count von Count. We teased him unmercifully but the truth is when he was done we had a very nice barbeque on which you can cook for an army and it only cost us a couple of $20 bags of Portland cement.

The latest and greatest in the world of Underground Hobbies is Blacksmithing. Our friend Matt and the KoH turned that ginormous barbecue into a forge a year or so ago. They each made a knife that would make Crocodile Dundee nod his head -- you call that a knife? THIS is a knife.

This weekend, they decided to make a sword out of the leaf springs from a car's suspension. As a public service, I thought I'd let everyone in on the gear you need to actually open a smithy shop in your backyard. It's quite cheap and hopefully if he ever loses his job, he'll be able to make a living shoeing horses or something. Until then, who needs a Wii when you've got fire?