So, I’m interested in what everyone else does for fun around here, aside of anything having to do with bass.
For instance, I’m a bicycle guy… I grew up racing BMX, got out of BMX and into road cycling, got hit by a car, got out of road cycling, got into “big wheel” BMX, wrecked myself doing stupid BMX tricks old guys shouldn’t be doing, got out of BMX again, and am currently toying around with cross-country mountain biking (essentially… off-road road cycling, LOL).
I’m also a huge “fantasy/swords & sorcery” nerd… you know, Lord of the Rings, Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, all that dorky stuff.
I’m an avid chef (even went to culinary school) and have lots of top rated cookware and cutlery in my kitchen. I’m not big on kitchen gadgets, I’m more of an “old school” home chef.
Also, I’m a woodworker. I have a decent amount of woodworking gear in my shop, and have made exquisite tables and chairs, exotic bed frames and a few other things.
I used to be an avid motorcyclist. I rode for 40 years and always did my own work on my bikes. Back problems caused me to hang up my riding boots a few years ago.
P.S. When I find myself getting frustrated trying to learn a song, I just put down the bass and go out to the shop and make something, or go to the kitchen and whip up a Coq au Vin or some such thing. I find that if I get my mind completely off music and bass playing for awhile, I can come back to it later and everything that was frustrating me, falls into place.
I also like cooking. Put on some music and bring out the cookware and cutlery. I actually used to work at Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas. And I have always enjoyed reading. So which culinary school Pam?
I’ve always had some sort of coin collection going on . . . this time around I’ve put together a nice registry set of proof Franklin Halves and Washington Quarters.
Mountain bike guy here. I had a nasty crash the spring of covid, which required 2 surgeries and left me with a lot of free time, which led me to watch the internet too much and then decide to pick up bass. Also used to be into photography until the kids arrived. Current hobbies also include “annoying the kids.”
It was an online course by Gordon Ramsay. I can’t afford the good schools LOL.
In the 80s I was General Manager of a restaurant on Greenville Avenue in Dallas named The Vineyard. That’s where I really cut my teeth in the kitchen, when I had to fill in for people who failed to show up for work.
I’m almost-retired and trying earnestly to find more hobbies and less stuff that turns into some dumbass business. When it comes to dumbass businesses, I’ve got art, programming, web development, copywriting and the list goes on.
Currently, the game I’m developing remains my most reliable “thing I swear I’m not trying to make money off of”.
That’s a great hobby, one in which I also partook. I’ve since learned the repercussions however, when my kids come visit with their kids and play “annoy granny”.
Liquid pouring acrylic paints has been a real pleasure. They make for ideal house warming gifts. Pleases me to watch someone open a wrapped canvas painting of mine.
Cycling, you bet. Few years back I joined a 10,000km Club in the UK. Rode a few 7,000+ mile years so I began challenging myself to the 10,000mi club. When COVID hit, loads of time on my hands, rode 9,700mi for the year. As for perspective, The past three months of August have been almost ZERO miles accomplished because of the toxic smoke from California. Here in Colorado, not too many, snow days hinder longer rides. This calendar year, spent July in a ski town, my hours on the saddle have increased by my milage is way down. Example - Rode 17 miles in 4 hours and 34 min. However, I climbed from 8,000ft to 11,000ft for a total of 5,300+ vertical feet during the ride. So yes, free your mind and your bike will follow.
Another hobby of mine is picking up wood pallets and quickly breaking them apart. After sanding and removing nails, fabricate very simple bird houses, flower boxes, simple little bridges for neighbors yards, and the other day I built a multi colored window cover to hang over a garage window that a neighbor broke by accident. Came out better than I had envisioned. So Thats Cool
My last hobby, that is worth mentioning, citing out Shadow Puppets. What A Hoot. My brother and I have just performed out second show and was well received. First show was for neighborhood kids and our second show was performed for family members and adults. Highly Entraining.
I like to make miniature scale models of all the BassBuzzers on the forum out of clay. Then put them in a large diorama but only give them one bass guitar each.
DIY : I spend as much on tools as on basses, more in fact, including wood butchery, ferrous metal haemorrhoidery (AKA very amateurish welding), and everything around the house (which unfortunately includes lots of renovations due to three destructive little demons).
I have a background in science, so I do some explosive, flammable and/or horribly smelly experiments with the kids.
Last mention: cooking. I do a mean roast, steak, BBQ as well as steak tartare. Before the kids I also used to brew beer and sail.
Kitesurfing. As there aren’t many places in south Germany where I can do that, it is mostly a vacation activity. Might look into wingfoling, as it requires less wind and should be allowed in more spots.
And the other thing I spend too much time is gaming on my computer.
I am culinarily challenged, but I love food and I’m a huge Ramsay fan. I have his “Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking” book, and some day I’ll try some of the recipes… I’ll just keep the FD on speed dial for when I fail miserably and set the house on fire.
I actually got to meet Ramsay once, I went for a Hell’s Kitchen taping… I think it was the first episode with an audience in the restaurant. You can even actually see me for a split second:
I say that because we were all waiting to go in before the show, and he came out to say hi to us. I happened to be one step down on the stairs outside HK and when I leapt up to shake his hand, I almost stepped on his feet. LOL.
When it comes to dumbass businesses, I’ve got art, programming, web development, copywriting and the list goes on.
