Like most of us, I remember building with my Dad when was young, probably at the age of five. I joined TCAH in 1996, shortly after I moved back up to Minnesota from my last duty station, Jacksonville Florida. Tom Norrbohm introduced me to TCAH. Thanks Tom... I'm pretty sure it was either an Aurora SNJ or Cougar. Specifically, I remember building it with my father. They were those kits with closed cockpits, with half a pilot sticking up into the canopy, and had decal registration marks molded on the parts. I remember finding the parts at the bottom of the toy box later in my youth, after my father had died. I guess I had played with it, and enjoyed it. I just finished the Tamiya P-47 razorback. Like a lot of us, losing interest in a model happens often. I find that new kits generate the desire to finish the project, more than some of the fine kits I have on the shelf, waiting their turn. By the way, the P-47 is a beautiful kit. Perhaps the best 1/48th kit to date. I like the markings I selected for it. Mine is one of the 325th fighter group, the "Checkertail Clan". I used an out of production Aeromaster special decal sheet. No, I really don't. I find those in the club that limit their interest to one or two areas or scales to be pretty sad. I had really never seen that before. I generally like any kit that is well produced, be it a jet, monster, car or tank. Of course I like the history behind a subject, but it is the process of building the kit that is the result I enjoy most, not necessarily the final model. The journey, not the destination. If anything I guess I limit myself to good kits. I'd really have to love a subject to beat myself up over a poor kit. I admire those who can do that, but it's not for me. I don't really know. I hadn't really thought about it because there are many that I like for different reasons, but when pushed, I guess I'd pick the Mosquito. Being a retire Navy RIO, I like it's night fighter role. As a pathfinder and bomber it was outstanding. Couldn't it carry the same weight bomb load as a B-17 ? A great recce aircraft, it was a real wonder plane. It doesn't hurt that it has some beautiful lines. After all that, I haven't built one since the old Monogram kit over twenty-five years ago. I have a few Tamiya kits waiting for me, in both 1/48th and 1/72nd scale. Usually it is the last one I finished, in this case the Tamiya P-47. A beautiful model that practically fell together. I enjoyed the 1/32nd scale Zero I built two years ago. I really came, for the first time, to see the beauty of the Zero with gear up. For other reasons I generally like my Luftwaffe subjects (I'm working on the 1/32nd scale Hasegawa Fw 190 D-9 right now) because I love the paint schemes they offer the modeler. Probably about a hundred or so. Of course, with kids and marriage, my model building has slowed down of late. My model corner is my refuge from life's little problems. I counted them up last year at over 600. More since then. They take up half a wall of my two car garage. I really enjoy this new age of modeling. I think I'm especially fortunate to be living here in the Twin Cities. While I still miss Florida, I've really been impressed by the depth of modeling skill and aviation knowledge held by the TCAH membership. Every meeting brings new wonders, and personal challenges to me. When I see the great stuff our members build, I'm spurred on to try newer projects and go further in my model building endeavors. I enjoy all sorts of activities, but especially photography, competitive rifle target shooting, book collecting (and reading, especially history), hunting and fishing and ham radio. I either run out of time or money. Isn't that always the case...