So let's talk about other hobbies...

[ishtat]

I do Crosswords. Not the American ones which are usually based on General knowledge, but the British style Cryptic Crosswords. I started with the Daily Telegraph puzzle as a student before graduating in difficulty to the Times then the Guardian before eventually arriving at the fiendishly difficult Listener Crossword. Despite the fact that the Listener magazine ceased publication in 1990 or thereabouts, its offspring the Listener Crossword is still published weekly. Eventually after years of trying, our family team got all 52 solutions correct in a calendar year which meant I got an invite to the annual dinner. I felt very smug until I was informed that the lady on my right had seven years without a blemish and her first language was not even English. Humble pie time.

I was told once that Bill Clinton became a keen crossworder during his brief time at Oxford but don't know whether he kept it up.

 

[SimonDoom]

Okay, you got me going on hiking too. I’ve hiked several peaks on the great divide in Colorado but my favorite mountain top experience was spending several nights on Half Dome in Yosemite. You aren’t allowed to spend the night up there anymore due to many lightning storm casualties but back in the day when I had a chance I would drive up to the park too late in the day to get any closer camping permits so I would carry my pack from the valley floor and pitch my tent on top shortly before sunset. Unless it was likely to rain I’d sleep outside, and unlike other camping spots, there are no bears up there. The horizons are vast and incredible, the only visible lights are from far below, it feels like you’re up among the stars.

I’d go on day hikes from there and climb back up every evening. Half Dome is too far for most of the tourists but there are enough people around that there are still resources incase of emergencies for a solo hiker.

That sounds amazing!

 

[mildlyaroused]

It’s not a creative thing, but I’m a gamer. At various times a couple decades ago, I was ranked in the top 500 in the world in a couple of first-person shooters, and was in the top 250 in North America of a collectible card game a few years back. I mostly play single player stuff these days; having kids doesn’t really lend itself to the time required to keep either twitch skills or meta knowledge at the required level. I approach single player games with the same intensity, albeit with more of a sense of humor and over a longer timeline for “success.” I’ve already beaten Hades 2 on 32 fear, as a measure for comparison, for the folks who understand what that means.

I've been enjoying games too recently. I dabble in multiplayer with a few friends, but mainly play adventure titles. Subnautica is my favourite to date looking forward to the third one.

Anyways, I play the piano, and have done since I was 8 or 9. That's my main "unwinding" hobby, since I find it uses a different kind of brainpower to most things. I can still play when I'm tired or burnt out. At the moment I'm working through a songbook of Radiohead covers by a guy called Josh Cohen.

I also read. Love a jigsaw. Play some football (soccer to Americans). I was just watching the Champions League this morning which was fun. Alcohol probably shouldn't count as a hobby, but alcohol-adventure-time might.

 

[SimonDoom]

Most mornings, I play Wordle. I've flailed on a few, much to my consternation, but my average is to get it in about 3.6 tries. I always pick a different starting word.

 

[Bramblethorn]

My partner and I play a lot of Heardle together. Very satisfying when I can pick a song from the first note.

The usual nerd hobbies, and I have a kind of nerdy creative outlet which unfortunately would be way too identifying if I shared it here.

 

[RoperTrace]

I do Crosswords. Not the American ones which are usually based on General knowledge, but the British style Cryptic Crosswords. I started with the Daily Telegraph puzzle as a student before graduating in difficulty to the Times then the Guardian before eventually arriving at the fiendishly difficult Listener Crossword. Despite the fact that the Listener magazine ceased publication in 1990 or thereabouts, its offspring the Listener Crossword is still published weekly. Eventually after years of trying, our family team got all 52 solutions correct in a calendar year which meant I got an invite to the annual dinner. I felt very smug until I was informed that the lady on my right had seven years without a blemish and her first language was not even English. Humble pie time.

I was told once that Bill Clinton became a keen crossworder during his brief time at Oxford but don't know whether he kept it up.

As was JFK.

 

[NoTalentHack]

I've been enjoying games too recently. I dabble in multiplayer with a few friends, but mainly play adventure titles. Subnautica is my favourite to date looking forward to the third one.

I still need to finish the second one! I got into it in Early Access, and then they changed the entire story halfway through, and I never went back to try it out again.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I'm a hobby writer. I've never claimed to be anything else. But I also have other interests. I don't think anyone here allows writing to be their only hobby or creative outlet.

So this is partly inspired by the "Anti-boasting" thread. I wanna' hear some boasting about other things ya'll do for hobbies. I'll start. I was a welder/fabricator/mechanic for much of my working career. Now I do it in the hobby realm. Recently I needed a new ditching bucket for the backhoe I use on my tractor. When I checked the price it was a "you want what for that????" kinda' thing. I had a pile of metal, tools, a welder and the know-how to put them to use. I ended up with this:

View attachment 2352797
Yeah I'm a little bit proud of the final product.

Okay, your turn. let's see some brag-worthy hobby end products.

Comshaw

I'm a musician,
Play in several bands. I'm also a songwriter... Recording an album at the moment....
I raced motorcycles for a while... Now I just ride for fun....
I ride a mountain bike and hit the mountain trails around where I live...

cagivagurl

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Board games is the main one I'll admit to. Doing lots of Azul and Dominion atm, plus various Ticket to Ride versions - the India/Switzerland board is great on both sides for 2 players.

 

[dawn_of_night]

Like you, we have a “farm.”
We also do tons of gardening at our house.

https://imgur.com/a/38wE7PT

I have tons of other hobbies.

I like your picture... I wanted to share mine...
https://64.media.tumblr.com/681bba5.../3db005b086cdb38eb3fdd1a5397e804b4973519f.jpg

 

[mildlyaroused]

I still need to finish the second one! I got into it in Early Access, and then they changed the entire story halfway through, and I never went back to try it out again.

The second one is pretty good. I think it's levels below the first, but the first was a high bar to meet. Probably still worth it for more of the same underwater experience, but the story and gameplay do have issues.

 

[alohadave]

I spin wool into yarn and I take sweaters that I find at thrift stores and pull them apart for the yarn.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Board games is the main one I'll admit to. Doing lots of Azul and Dominion atm, plus various Ticket to Ride versions - the India/Switzerland board is great on both sides for 2 players.

Board games, yes indeed. I think I got a "wood for sheep" reference into one of my stories here.

 

[Wonderer67]

I like your picture... I wanted to share mine...
https://64.media.tumblr.com/681bba5.../3db005b086cdb38eb3fdd1a5397e804b4973519f.jpg

Thank you!

What kind of plants are those in the pic?

 

[dawn_of_night]

Thank you!

What kind of plants are those in the pic?

I'm sure they have a scientific name, but I've never known them as more than "hens and chickens" they're a succulent kinda?

 

[zysmith]

I bake, mostly breads

 

[Comshaw]

I'm a musician,
Play in several bands. I'm also a songwriter... Recording an album at the moment....
I raced motorcycles for a while... Now I just ride for fun....
I ride a mountain bike and hit the mountain trails around where I live...

cagivagurl

I don't wanna pickle, I just wanna ride on my motorcykle...Arlo Guthrie

I've never raced but I've been riding motorcycles since I bought my first one (a 1964 CL77 Honda 305 scrambler) back in 1967. At last count I had 450,000 miles on them. There is nothing that can calm my soul like a long solo ride on my bike.

Comshaw

 

[Comshaw]

I bake, mostly breads

Mmmm...that is some tasty-looking baking right there!

Comshaw

 

[zysmith]

View attachment 2352897View attachment 2352898
Mmmm...that is some tasty-looking baking right there!

Comshaw

Thank you

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I've hybridized daylilies (Hemerocallis) and have even registered one with the American Hemerocallis Society. I've also dabbled with hybridizing Chinese tree peonies (Paeoniaceae) but haven't had much luck.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I don't wanna pickle, I just wanna ride on my motorcykle...Arlo Guthrie

I've never raced but I've been riding motorcycles since I bought my first one (a 1964 CL77 Honda 305 scrambler) back in 1967. At last count I had 450,000 miles on them. There is nothing that can calm my soul like a long solo ride on my bike.

Comshaw

I have a little collection. I have a GSXR 600 track bike, which I don't use much any more. It's just too expensive. Six hundred bucks for a half decent tyre. Which will only last for 3,000 KM...
I have had several bikes over the years. My current road bike is a Cagiva Raptor 1,000 V twin... Much like a Ducati Monster.

These days I spend more time up in the mountains riding my mountain bike with a group of friends.
Or in my home recoding studio recording my own songs.

I know what you say abour riding though. There's nothing better than the wind in your face. The sun on your back and the evil sound of a Vtwin screaming in your ears.
It's music of a different kind.
Music though is my first love. The thing that takes away all the noise.

Life, it ain't a rehearsal. You only get one shot at it...

Cagivagurl

 

[Comshaw]

I have a little collection. I have a GSXR 600 track bike, which I don't use much any more. It's just too expensive. Six hundred bucks for a half decent tyre. Which will only last for 3,000 KM...
I have had several bikes over the years. My current road bike is a Cagiva Raptor 1,000 V twin... Much like a Ducati Monster.

These days I spend more time up in the mountains riding my mountain bike with a group of friends.
Or in my home recoding studio recording my own songs.

I know what you say abour riding though. There's nothing better than the wind in your face. The sun on your back and the evil sound of a Vtwin screaming in your ears.
It's music of a different kind.
Music though is my first love. The thing that takes away all the noise.

Life, it ain't a rehearsal. You only get one shot at it...

Cagivagurl

I have four right at the moment. My main ride is a 2016 Triumph Trophy se. I love the sound of that 3 cylinder engine. I also have a 1999 Triumph Legend with a Kenna sidecar. My grocery-getter. If I need to ride off into the woods I've got a 1981 Yamaha MX175 I use for cow trailing. And if I'm in the mood to be an old-school badass, my son gave me a 1985 Yamaha VMax. It had a whole 9000 miles on it when he found it.

Yes, we have one shot. Enjoy it while we can.

"You can't live in fear." Johnny Blaze.

Comshaw

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

I play a lot of Contract Bridge. All my bridge friends are twice my age...

 

[mildlyaroused]

Board games, yes indeed. I think I got a "wood for sheep" reference into one of my stories here.

I can't play that game with my family. It caused too many arguments.

(by the way, I usually won in the end)

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Board games, yes indeed. I think I got a "wood for sheep" reference into one of my stories here.

I can't play that game with my family. It caused too many arguments.

(by the way, I usually won in the end)

My Geek Pride story last year was "Submissives of Catan" - the plot is basically 'i'll trade you a brick for a sheep, a wheat and a blow job', followed by over 50 terrible board-gaming puns...

I may have played through all the online Catan scenarios and campaigns.

Trying to organise an online game of Diplomacy.