Anyone got any interesting hobbies?

[Penn]

I've been playing piano for most of my life. My favourite songs are classically-themed works - for instance, a work by Beethoven or a good movie soundtrack. I just prefer songs that can stand on their own and carry quite a bit of emotion, rather than ones that require a drummer, guitars, and some semi-screaming singers.

Because is possibly the best known composer by people that aren't enthusiasts when it comes to music by that era I've noticed a lot of people educated in music don't think much of Beethoven but he was incredible. Relevant to you liking standalone piano pieces, "Moonlight Sonata" is one of the most interesting musical pieces of any type. I'm not a good keyboardist at all but chose to learn about half of that piece. It sounds so simple to people that have never tried playing a keyboard or piano but it is pretty complex when you actually try to play it. Then the story behind it is also interesting and explains why it is so morose compared to his other works.

Other than a general interest in music when asked about hobbies I always think of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeWgnPeZES8

[Tomgin5]

Since I am retiredm mostly playing with computers (rebuilding them, no games). Also riding my road bike. up to this summer I have always ridden a minimum of 50 miles a week for the last 33 years and sometimes as much as 450. Weather has changed to pretty decent this week and did 80 miles.
Unfortunately a nutcase is started stringing up Stainless Steel Garroting wires across bike paths in the area, One or 2 a day.
The police claim hey will catch whoever is doing it if a witness calls during the act, Unfortunately the response time is lowest priority. Out of 400 officers. One individual will be called if he is on duty. The prosecuters will blame the victim if someone is killed.

[slipstick]

Unfortunately a nutcase is started stringing up Stainless Steel Garroting wires across bike paths in the area, One or 2 a day.
The police claim hey will catch whoever is doing it if a witness calls during the act, Unfortunately the response time is lowest priority. Out of 400 officers. One individual will be called if he is on duty. The prosecuters will blame the victim if someone is killed.

That's really sick. Might not work on a bike, but the military used these on jeeps to cut the wires:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ford ... r_pic1.JPG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:V%C3 ... son_02.jpg

[z31fanatic]

Lately I have been messing with 3D printing. Mostly printing car toys for my 5 year old son.

[MintBean]

The police claim hey will catch whoever is doing it if a witness calls during the act, Unfortunately the response time is lowest priority. Out of 400 officers. One individual will be called if he is on duty. The prosecuters will blame the victim if someone is killed.

Absolute joke. Could easily kill someone. Why is this not a high priority? Too busy hassling motorists, no doubt.

[rumpus]

Until a few years ago I worked on modified bass boats, but a blown out prop, a quick 180, and a few broken ribs ended that.
Now I play my old keyboards and guitar, and make sure Jack Daniel's keeps the night shift working.
I polish rocks and make wire Bonsai trees. and watch grass row.

"what a drag it is, getting old" .....r

[Pierre]

The police claim hey will catch whoever is doing it if a witness calls during the act, Unfortunately the response time is lowest priority. Out of 400 officers. One individual will be called if he is on duty. The prosecuters will blame the victim if someone is killed.

Absolute joke. Could easily kill someone. Why is this not a high priority? Too busy hassling motorists, no doubt.

that also happened a few years back, in the city, and the Kid on his bicycle was nearly beheaded,
but instead managed to flag down a passing Police Car. . .

[Tomgin5]

One more found this morning. It was seen in time. The cyclist called the 911 and he was told to call the non emergency number but to leave the wire in place. 1 hour later another cyclist arrived and was shown the wire. He was an off duty policeman with his family. He also called it in. No official response.

[MintBean]

One more found this morning. It was seen in time. The cyclist called the 911 and he was told to call the non emergency number but to leave the wire in place. 1 hour later another cyclist arrived and was shown the wire. He was an off duty policeman with his family. He also called it in. No official response.

Leave it in place?! Is he supposed to guard it or just let someone run into it? Should be a minimum attempted GBH charge if they find the guy.

[BenTrabetere]

Unfortunately a nutcase is started stringing up Stainless Steel Garroting wires across bike paths in the area, One or 2 a day.

If it occurs on the same trails and sites, a couple of trail cameras might help to identify the menace. I am surprised by law enforcement's lackadaisical response.

[BenTrabetere]

The hobby that consumes most of my time is tending vegetable garden and a small fruit orchard. I have a typical Southern USAian garden - tomatoes, potatoes (regular and sweet), peppers, beans, peas, okra, greens, squash, etc. I got way too much rain this year, so the harvest was pretty much a bust. Growing $5 tomatoes is not something you brag about.

The fruit orchard has five blueberry bushes, two peach trees, three pear trees, two fig trees and a quince tree, and this year I set up three scuppernong arbors. The only thing producing are the blueberry bushes and one scraggly pear tree - everything else is too young to produce. This year I picked over 4-gallons of blueberries and close to 80lbs of pears.

This week I put up 20 pints of pear honey, and I still have nearly 30lbs of pears left to process, eat or give away. And there are around 15lbs of pears still on the tree. One year I will find the courage to make pear cider or pear wine....

I also put up six pints of scuppernong jelly from a neighbor's vines, and I hope to be able to put up about 10 pints of quince jelly from a friend's tree.

[JeremyB]

Does owning a hovercraft count?

[MintBean]

Does owning a hovercraft count?

No, but using one does!

[JeremyB]

Where I live it has to be licensed as a boat, but I have only used it on land. It is a lot of fun to "fly" but it does kick up some dust on land. Bad thing is- no brakes- best you can do is do a quick 180 turn and apply full power to thrust

[NessM]

This week I put up 20 pints of pear honey, and I still have nearly 30lbs of pears left to process, eat or give away.

Send some. This is one of the best hobbies, to grow your own food. I can't grow anything where I live, I'm strugling to keep my lousy little suculenta alive.

I've just stumbled upon vinyl. All I can say is that I've almost given up on the rest of formats.

[JeremyB]

I take it pear honey is canned pears? I used to help my father with his honey bees until he had a very bad reaction to a sting and he sold his bees. It was a sting to the face so it was more severe than one to the hand

[MintBean]

Where I live it has to be licensed as a boat, but I have only used it on land. It is a lot of fun to "fly" but it does kick up some dust on land. Bad thing is- no brakes- best you can do is do a quick 180 turn and apply full power to thrust

I got a chance to drive one on land as part of a Stag weekend. A lot of fun although I'm sure they really come into their own on mixed terrain; land and water.

[BenTrabetere]

I take it pear honey is canned pears?

My pear honey is loose marmalade, but if you hit it with a stick blender it is a loose jam. The basic recipe I use calls for 16 cups grated pears, 1 20oz can Crushed Pineapple, 8 cups Sugar, juice from 1 Lemon. Sometimes I add fresh ginger or ground cinnamon. Cook for 30-minutes or until the mixture thickens. Put in sterilized jars, seal, and process in a water bath.

My producing pear tree is a sand pear - it is hard as hell and has a gritty texture. It may not be the best pear for fresh eating, but it makes a nice pear honey.

I used to help my father with his honey bees until he had a very bad reaction to a sting and he sold his bees. It was a sting to the face so it was more severe than one to the hand

Bee-keeping is another hobby I want to start. My next door neighbor has three hives. He is 93-years old, and next Spring he is going to show me how to get started.

[Jim Hauser]

Sand pears! Welcome to Mississippi. My tree is the same kind. You have to boil the crap out of them to get anything worth eating...

[BenTrabetere]

Sand pears! Welcome to Mississippi. My tree is the same kind. You have to boil the crap out of them to get anything worth eating...

My neighbor has a soft pear, and growing up we would have pear exchanges. A couple of years ago I caught him stomping across my backyard with a couple of branches he had lopped off my pear tree. He grafted them to the trunk of a Bradford Pear (an otherwise useless excuse for a tree). One graft took, and this year he harvested his first pears.

Did you ever have pear and tung nut fights? Today, kids would have to wear a helmet....