OT: What hobby keeps you busy ? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

OT: What hobby keeps you busy ?

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I retired a few months ago, and I'm already going nuts with all this free time.

What's your favorite hobby? Any plans for beginning something new?
I've been working with Habitat for Humanity for about 10 months now. It's fun. You get to use power tools and build houses alongside other mostly retired men and women. There's a wide range of skills among volunteers. Most are easy to work with and willing to help.
 
Me? I dream of doing absolutely nothing. I could be content having no aim or purpose and seeing what each day brings with no other constraints other than what I feel like doing that exact moment.

I think many go into retirement with that attitude. The problem is that doing nothing gets old.
 
I have been retired for almost nine years .
I was probably a workaholic ,so predictions of my impending doom were many and
since I also moved from Ct to AZ that compounded the problem.
I moved to an active adult community that had its own golf course,as well an incredible community center. I also had my son "AZHuskie"who preceded me here.
Plus his son now 8 ,AZHuskiePup by current partner in crime.
I bought an annual membership and golfed almost every day for the first five years.
I went from a 30 handicap to a 12. The trick to success in golf is to be 3 strokes better than your handicap so I preferred playing at at 14 or 15. Sandbagging is a necessary skill. That game was critical to transition from employed to retired.
The more important thing is the early group became an organized daily game with 20-30 guys . It also enabled me to make many friends becoming a part of a different group The socialization would continue long after the game ended. Once a month we had a scramble with prizes and either had a potluck at someone's house ( my wife's potato salad was always a hit)
Nothing like old men solving the world's problems to pass the day. That eclectic cast of characters was interesting. Mostly Midwesterners and Pacific Northwesterners
Some like Motown Mark too colorful for words.
Since the daily game was the only money I earned ,I listed professional golfer as my occupation.
I'm also an amateur genealogist ,my goal in retirement was to complete a family history written anecdotally. Although I am a Storyteller and decent speaker ,
It quickly became apparent my ability to write sucked.
Enter the Boneyard , I've written thousands of posts in an effort to gain skills usually deleting most. I 'm still working on the book. It's fate is dubious at best
Since Troon management destroyed our group my interest in golf has waned.
I still golf occasionally,but mostly reading(I read about 100 books a year) , Traveling , and physical exercise ( I go to gym 5 times a week) occupy my time
swimming ,lifting weights ,but mostly walking .I walk about 2,000 miles a year ,I Don't watch TV ,except UConn games ,or read a newspaper.
What's the point when I have 100 news sources with the original stories unheadlined available to me.
I love research and Im a student of history.
I'm currently toying with the ideas of getting an on line degree in philosophy as the metaphysical sciences intrigues me.
In summation keep busy ,if your married stay out of your wife's way ,your the intruder.
 
I think many go into retirement with that attitude. The problem is that doing nothing gets old.

I mean I guess I understand that, I just want a crack at it to see for myself :-)

And the thing is what is "doing nothing" really? Im sure it has an ultra wide definition depending on the person. To some people, waking up making a cup of coffee and taking the dog for a walk and doing nothing else structured for the rest of the day qualifies as "doing something". To others Im sure it would bring about the height of boredom.
 
Know anything about Daisy BB guns? I've been looking for one to help persuade a groundhog to leave my garden alone. I hit him with paintballs, and he don't even acknowledge he's been hit.

I'd like to get a nice vintage one like the one I had as a kid. I think it was made in the 40's or 50's.
He'll laugh at a bb gun. Heck a pellet gun won't disuade him. Woodchucks are the supermen of garden pests.
 
He'll laugh at a bb gun. Heck a pellet gun won't disuade him. Woodchucks are the supermen of garden pests.

That's what I gather from my past attempts. I've been kinda hoping he'd leave so high he'd try to hump a coyote, or maybe a fisher, but no luck so far. I just can't kill an animal. Don't have it in me. But I'm ok with nature getting the job done outside of my garden.
 
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I have been retired for almost nine years .
I was probably a workaholic ,so predictions of my impending doom were many and
since I also moved from Ct to AZ that compounded the problem.
I moved to an active adult community that had its own golf course,as well an incredible community center. I also had my son "AZHuskie"who preceded me here.
Plus his son now 8 ,AZHuskiePup by current partner in crime.
I bought an annual membership and golfed almost every day for the first five years.
I went from a 30 handicap to a 12. The trick to success in golf is to be 3 strokes better than your handicap so I preferred playing at at 14 or 15. Sandbagging is a necessary skill. That game was critical to transition from employed to retired.
The more important thing is the early group became an organized daily game with 20-30 guys . It also enabled me to make many friends becoming a part of a different group The socialization would continue long after the game ended. Once a month we had a scramble with prizes and either had a potluck at someone's house ( my wife's potato salad was always a hit)
Nothing like old men solving the world's problems to pass the day. That eclectic cast of characters was interesting. Mostly Midwesterners and Pacific Northwesterners
Some like Motown Mark too colorful for words.
Since the daily game was the only money I earned ,I listed professional golfer as my occupation.
I'm also an amateur genealogist ,my goal in retirement was to complete a family history written anecdotally. Although I am a Storyteller and decent speaker ,
It quickly became apparent my ability to write sucked.
Enter the Boneyard , I've written thousands of posts in an effort to gain skills usually deleting most. I 'm still working on the book. It's fate is dubious at best
Since Troon management destroyed our group my interest in golf has waned.
I still golf occasionally,but mostly reading(I read about 100 books a year) , Traveling , and physical exercise ( I go to gym 5 times a week) occupy my time
swimming ,lifting weights ,but mostly walking .I walk about 2,000 miles a year ,I Don't watch TV ,except UConn games ,or read a newspaper.
What's the point when I have 100 news sources with the original stories unheadlined available to me.
I love research and Im a student of history.
I'm currently toying with the ideas of getting an on line degree in philosophy as the metaphysical sciences intrigues me.
In summation keep busy ,if your married stay out of your wife's way ,your the intruder.
Wow! Your post simultaneously exhausted/inspired me! You must be one cool cat to have a drink with.
 
I enjoy cooking all types of things! I want a killer out door kitchen for when i retire. I could spend days in my back yard baking pizza in my pizza oven, smoking different things in my smoker and grilling different things on my grill. When not doing that I'd be making different cocktails and working on little projects just for the fun of it... Id love to have all day every day to plan out a workout schedule that i dont have to rush through because of the rigors of work life. Also dont know why, but i want a boat!
 
Spirituality/social activism, gym, forests, cities, shores, sporting events, photography, collectibles and of course, the internet. The internet is quite a useful tool.

Been disabled/"retired" for 20 years.
 
That's what I gather from my past attempts. I've been kinda hoping he'd leave so high he'd try to hump a coyote, or maybe a fisher, but no luck so far. I just can't kill an animal. Don't have it in me. But I'm ok with nature getting the job done outside of my garden.
e8aef82f-b4ca-42fc-bc3a-fac7f7150b22_400.jpg
 
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Weed, everything is better with weed. (Except operating a motor vehicle or dangerous equipment)

That said have you considered Coursera or any of the other on-line learning sites? I use the digital image processing course to initiate the postdocs to image processing, it's OK. It's a good way to pass time if you are interested in the subject.

As for physical activities, growing weed is pretty fun.

What about hunting anddd weed? Go red team go.
 
I'm not looking to kill it. Just tap it in the ass to get its attention.
I do believe that that might be effective.

Hypothetically, suppose someone was a little fed up with deer browsing all his (or her) landscaping and further assume that this kind individual was an exceptionally kind and decent person, so he (or she) decided to use adverse stimulae to have said deer have a negative association with said landscaping. Further assume that the method of choice that this suburban Mother Theresa used, might have been an airsoft gun, a pretty good one, theoretically. And let us assume that this truly kind soul is a pretty decent shot. Might he (or she) not shoot at the only thing kind of looks like a target on the back side of said deer? Oh he (or she) might, he (or she) just might. And hypothetically let's say that said airsoft projectile might have hit said target like a heat seeking missile. Well this hypothetical individual may have seen deer jump before, but never quite that high or enthusiastically.

Hypothetically, the deer studiously avoided said backyard, from that day forward.
 
When I retire, I plan on tasting every craft beer in the US. That will keep me busy

Why wait until then? According to Untappd, I've tried 675 unique beers in the last 3 years or so.
 
For me it's golf, drinking/tying new craft beers, but I'm not retired yet. I'd really love to get into skeet and trap shooting, and bought a shotgun, but I haven't had the time and feel like I need a teacher/buddy to get me started. Tried learning guitar and failed. Anyone want to buy a guitar?
 
I'm a bit embarrassed for this board. Three pages in and no one has mentioned masturbation.
 
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Tried learning guitar and failed. Anyone want to buy a guitar?
If it's a Gretsch Electromatic 5120 black with a white pick guard I might. Like Malcolm Gladwell said it takes 10,000 hours to get good at it. I've been playing since '68 and I'm getting there.
 
I have kids. No time for hobbies...Is cleaning my car a hobby?
 
I'm a bit embarrassed for this board. Three pages in and no one has mentioned masturbation.
I was going to say Internet p0rn but it doesn't take up much of my time, just 5 minutes here and there.
 
If you heat with wood, firewood is a hobby. The search for wood, where are the tree crews cutting and can you beat the other wood ticks to the supply? Good exercise, you are outside a lot and the wife is happy when you bring in wood before a big winter storm.
 
I looked into volunteering at a rescue shelter, but I'm told it can be a bit depressing connecting with animals that may ultimately be euthanized.

I foster dogs for a small local rescue until we get them adopted. Takes some work but it's pretty cool. We pull them from the local shelters, get them checked out at the vet, then I do what I can to get them ready to be adopted. I'm sure you have some in your area. If you can't foster, there are other ways to help (centered mostly around fundraising).
Plus, a dog should be able to get rid of your groundhog. P>)
 
Doh...feeling my post was stinging and downright insensitively horrific, I deleted it. Without knowing you replied.

God, I hate myself.

his reply was hilarious tho.
 
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I got ripped for this in an earlier thread, but scambaiting is a hobby I have had for years, and in addition to providing hours of enjoyment is a hobby that really helps people. I have not kept track of the scammer bank accounts I have closed down, but I know it is well over 50. In some cases it is the bank account of the scammer, and in other cases it is the bank account of a "mule" being used by the scammer. Visit 419eater.com if you want to learn more. These are crimes that law enforcement really doesn't give a snow about, and if you learn how to bait well you can provide a really valuable service.
 
I got ripped for this in an earlier thread, but scambaiting is a hobby I have had for years.

I get two or three robocalls a day. I pressed the number, saying I was interested. When I get a call back, it's usually from a local company. I've been filing complaints with the Mass Secretsry of State.

The robocall are just marketing firms. Yesterday's call was for power washing. The marketing firm contacts local companies, and sells the guaranteed referral.

The local companies can't be prosecuted, I'm told, because I did say I was interested. They don't know this, and they've been giving up the telemarketers within minutes.

You're right ... It's getting fun.
 
^^^ But these are criminals, and if they have your real life name and address you should stop. Rule #1 is to bait safely, meaning use phony email addresses and names. Rule #2 is see rule #1.

I was interviewed a few years back by a local television station, and during the piece they had the head of the Real Estate bureau on and she said that on average she would get a call a week from someone that was the victim of a rental scam.

Now if you want some real fun try getting one of these scumbuckets to get a tattoo of your church and travel thousands of miles to get money. It's rare, but the really exceptional baiters can get it done. Hell, there was one baiter that got his lad to travel over 11k miles over 5 years. Included in that time was 6 months he spent in an Egyptian jail. This lad was a first class P.O.S. and deserved everything he got and more. Sign up and give it a try Tom. They are a good group of people. They even set up an "Eater University" where you can learn the ABC's of baiting, and you can request an mentor to help you out on your baits.
 
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