Aside from golf, what other hobbies do you enjoy?

Is drinking a hobby? I'm in to coin collecting, hunting, fishing, dirt bikes, making things from wood and metal but I rarely get to spend much time on those activities because, well, life.

The one thing I spend 80% of my idle time on is reading. I love all types of books but I'm a big nerd and enjoy sci-fi and fantasy the most. According to my Kindle, I read an average of 28 days per month lol.

 

Any coin enthusiasts?

Here is a neat little piece of history:



It's a silver Greek coin depicting the Goddess Athena on the front and her owl on the back. It was made over 400 years before the birth of Christ! Cool huh?

 

Not a coin "enthusiast". When we were married, over 50 years ago, my wife would not spend a Mercury dime. She saved every one she received in change. Over time, we also saved silver dollars, Franklin and Kennedy halves, Indian head pennies... most anything that seemed to be phased out designs. We haven't counted, but have a safety deposit box chuck full of old coins. Our luck, probably a couple in there worth something. Well, the kids can enjoy that if there is. The coins will remain in the safety deposit box until they go through it when we're gone.

Reading?? Wife reads from four to six library books/week. I go in phases. Have read three in a row the past few days. Then, I'll go a week or two and not read a single one. I read fiction. Most are assassin type, modern detective, etc. Patterson, Sanford, Sandra Brown, Baldacchi, etc.

 

Right now - Hunting. My entire world revolves around bow hunting at the moment. My movements are determined by cold fronts, barometer readings, trail cam photos, and weird boney things on the top of deer heads. Trying to get to my daughters swim meets.

Winter - Vegas style archery league, ice fishing, cutting firewood, computer gaming, working on personal software projects I have going on...my oldest boy's basketball, indoor soccer, swim lessons, cub scouts, and whatever else he decides to do

Spring - Fishing, cutting firewood, tree removals on the side for some extra cash, 3D archery shoots, kid's spring sports I can't think of at the moment....I think daughters track is spring

Summer - my two softball leagues, my son's baseball, daughters softball, yet more tree removals when they come up, Ducati 848 riding!

I did just buy a 2007 KTM 300 XC-W from my father in law....he bought a new Beta dirt bike and gave me a great price on the KTM with a bunch of extras. I've never rode dirt before....only street, so I'm excited to try out the dirt.


My current side hustle is as an amateur climbing arborist - I've done a few removals now(mostly ash tree's that have the borer). No trimming, thinning, or limbing jobs yet...but not a lot of people around here bother with that unless it's a specific limb over their house or driveway. It's a really fun hobby that gets the heart pumping and adrenaline flowing. The best part is getting paid pretty good to get your exercise in for the week. Nothing like dropping 8 foot hunks of 20" diameter ash logs from 50 feet...takes a lot of concentration, planning, and attention to detail.

Originally got into it because I had an ash in the back yard that had to come down, but because of other tree's, the kid's play house, the river, and our deck, it could not be felled whole. Not bucket truck accessible so it had to be climbed and the estimates were $2000-$2500. Well, for $1000 in quality gear(that I could sell right now for probably $700) and a couple months of training self lead training, I did it myself. Then friends started asking me to do trees for them.

 

I have one that is the crown jewel of my collection.



Isn't she beautiful?!

 

Gotta couple of old hybrids in need of regripping... great condition for their age... only a few idiot marks on the top... shafts may show some wear, but I think it's from when the bag fell off the cart (which shows the resiliency of these clubs). Hate like heck to part with 'em but would trade 'em to you for that coin.

 

Are they Warrier hybrids, like seen on TV?? If so, it's a deal, but only if you throw in one of your ball retrievers....you probably better re-grip it too.

 

Tennis is my primary hobby, Golf is more of a side hobby. I also disc golf on occasion.

 

The Warriors are staying in the bag. I might consider throwing in my two-sided chipper. (Some keep telling me it is non-conforming due to being two-sided.) I've had it totally customized by one of the most respected club builders in the area. The shaft has been changed to an "X" flex KBS Tour, cut to exactly 33 13/64". A 9/32" hole has been drilled into the toe and 14 grams of lead powder imported from Colorado inserted into the hole. (I have noticed after insertion of the powder from Colorado, the chipper has appeared more "chipper" and smells a little like pot.) A "SuperStrong Roadkill" grip has been installed. I always found the SuperStroke line too soft for my exceptionally strong grip. Would hate to part with it, but might to a good friend.

 

Two sided chipper?? I'm surprised your playing partners don't raise hell! That's a huge advantage! Nah, I know how valuable those chippers are and I don't have anything else to sweeten the deal up for an even trade. Guess I'll keep my MS65 penny. Can't buy much with a penny anymore anyway.

 

If you think I'd really ever put a two-sided chipper in MY bag... you're wrong!!! I'd have to have my arm twisted pretty severely to even put in a conforming one-sided chipper! Them's for old guys!!! :>)

 

This used to be my hobby. I made the Hellcat and others.

p51d

 

Grew up on a small farm. Hunted for food from the time I was old enough to head out in the pasture with an old single shot .410. By the 70's, had a Federal Firearms License and a fairly extensive collection of firearms. .257 Weatherby, hand picked from Roy Weatherby's personal stock. 25-06 SAKO. Winchester 94 chambered in .44 magnum. Used the same ammo in my S&W Model 29 .44 mag. Browning BLR in .243. Belgium Browning Auto 5 in leather Browning case with all three interchangeable barrels... Full, Mod, and IC chokes. That Belgium Browning had never been fired. Bought it for $800 from a guy hard up for cash. Sold it 10 years later for just under $5,000. Probably bought and sold a couple hundred firearms.
Reloaded for all my centerfire with an RCBS Rock Chucker press. Reloaded shotshell with a Pacific rotary rig.
By mid 80's had sold almost everything I owned in firearms and supplies. Since then, it's been all golf.

 

The 2nd to last sentence made me sad

 

Had my reasons. Growing up, walked our land and the land of our neighbors hunting rabbits, quail, pheasant, squirrel, etc. All for food. Would take it home and dress it. We needed the food. Fished neighbors farm ponds. Would take whatever fish I caught to their homes since we did not like fish. It was all just part of growing up neighbors.
By the time I headed off to college, "hunters" from Wichita and Kansas City were on our roads opening day of most bird seasons. Mailboxes shot full of holes. Farm implements had tires shot out. Livestock shot. We has one of our dogs shot from the road while she was in our front yard. Totally ruined hunting for me. We did not need the meat any longer and I developed a bad attitude towards the sport. Kansas had just started a deer season in the early 70's. I got a tag and killed one nice buck. Butchered it. Ate it. Never went after another because I had satisfied that want. Continued doing some coyote hunting, simply to assist in control of numbers. Mostly went to target shooting along with quite a bit of trap/skeet.
Began working on the road when the girls were young. Left on Monday morning, returned on Friday night and told the wife I was going hunting for the weekend... she probably would have told me to "hunt" for another place to live! I wanted to spend weekend with the family. Also began working two weekend shifts as a dispatcher for our local police/fire. Just never had time to hunt or reload or shoot. Firearms sat idle season after season. Just lost their appeal.
Back then, I could quote mussel velocity for most any centerfire you named. Memorized Hornady, Sierra, etc. reloading handbooks. Everything went untouched and just seemed a waste to have sitting around. Began selling off piece by piece. Sorta like golf clubs. Made money on some and lost money on others.
I've never missed it. One of the son-in-laws has a safe full of shotguns and rifles. I've never had the urge to even ask him to fire on.
Golf has been good to/for me. It has worked with the love of my life and I. I play golf. She doesn't! When on the road, we always had the first tee time on weekends. Would be on the course shortly after 6 a.m. Home by 9. Wife likes to sleep in. She would just be ready to face the day by the time I got home. Had the rest of the day with family.
I do not resent anyone who owns and loves their firearms, hunting, fishing, etc. For some, it is a fantastic means of father/son, father/daughter companionship. Hunting can teach so much in the way of safety, food procurement, honesty, etc. I won't go into the political side, here, for the ban hammer is cocked and loaded! :>)

Sorry about the long "limp-type" story.

 

I retired from 25 years of off-road motorcycling back in 2000. I raced motocross, enduros, hare scrambles and competed in Observed Trials. I still play lead guitar in a classic rock band, and have been since high school.

 

I'm losing my touch...I didn't slide a 'MCD's daughter' in there anywhere....

You win this round....Jerk.

 

Here's what my latest hobby had me doing most of today