Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with hobbies

How to spend a minute of free time?

macsigler — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:20:29 -0800

I work at a call center, and have very short breaks in between calls, but it's frequent enough to get a little boring. What kind of productive ideas do you all have for something I could do? I've tried reading a book, but unless it's very simple with not too many words on the page, it's easy to lose my place.
I'm not a good artist. I can't really think of anything to write about.
I can't do homework that's very technical (i.e. math/science) since I get interrupted by the calls halfway into the problem.

Any ideas?

What is "living life to the fullest"?

mintchip — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:12:00 -0800

What is "living life to the fullest"? How to do it? Sometimes I get bored by my life. I am not in the habit of doing a lot of activities outside the home (partly because of a limited budget). Also, it's easy to get stuck in a routine and get too busy with life's responsibilities. I am always thinking about future goals and often forget to enjoy the moment. This seems to be in large part a symptom of modern life. Sometimes, too, I feel pressured to make the "responsible" choice rather than the enjoyable one. For example, I probably could do a more traveling, but that would mean I might not get to save enough for retirement.

Recently I was wondering what I would do if I knew I only had one year left to live. The only thing I could really think of was traveling! Probably I would also watch less TV since I don't think it really enriches my life.

This is a two part question:

1. What is YOUR definition of living life to the fullest? What activities would you be sure to add to your life? What would you change?

2. How can someone get out of a routine/rut and discover new, fun and interesting things to do?

Can I turn myself into a homebody?

lbergstr — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:48:11 -0800

Applying for a job with a non-profit based in Kenya. Amazing opportunity, I'm very excited about it. Biggest concern I have is spending 2+ years living in a very isolated community, with only half a dozen other native English speakers. How can I stay happy and sane there? I think of myself as a highly social introvert - good friends and meeting new people are important to me. I've always lived in big cities for that reason.

If I'm offered and I accept the job, I'd be moving to a village in Kenya that has 6-10 other NGO workers; it's two hours from the nearest village with a bar and other expats. The cultural gap with the locals is wide. The interviewer said that the people that do best there have some sort of hobby that can absorb them.

The job is a two-year+ committment and I wouldn't want to back out.

Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? I don't mean the people that were already happy spending all their evenings quietly at home, I mean the people that go out to see friends almost every night. Did anyone make a transition to a quiet village life happily, and if so, how?

Neat instruments for guitarists

fire&wings — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:44:17 -0800

Guitarist looking for other string instruments to play around on... I recently sold my guitars since I was bored playing them and fed up with the space they were taking up. I'm happy to report that despite having spent 15 years on and off in bands and playing alongside friends I don't really miss them that much.

That said, I do miss having something to hold and idly pick out a melody on while watching tv or relaxing. So I'm looking for suggestions. Small-ish, easy to learn for an experienced guitarist, not extravagantly expensive, different or interesting sound, good for playing around with and playing riffs or little melodies on. I am tempted by the appalachian dulcimer but am open to any suggestions...

What are the world's most useful dead-tree catalogs?

cadastral — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:23:14 -0800

What is the iconic (or just "your favorite") dead-tree product catalog (listing of merchandise for mail-order sale) for your hobby, industry, or trade? I get a lot of inspiration and project ideas from those huge, cinder-block-sized industry-specific catalogs that most every industrial supply company puts out. I really like the feeling of having these things on the shelf for when I need... something to fix a particular problem, but am not sure at all what that something is or what form it might take.

I want more of these catalogs. Hard copies. On my bookshelf. I want to know the inside scoop on all of the thousands of vocations and hobbies about which I know nothing. I want to know what the go-to catalog is for model railroaders, scrapbookers, field geologists, rock-climbers, steamfitters, tailors, hydroponic gardeners, blacksmiths, glaziers, restauranteurs, casino-operators, robotic-arm builders... just, everything.

By way of example, I love love love the Grainger catalog (catalog order form). It's filled with amazing things. I'm not shilling for them whatsoever and I couldn't endorse their product or their service anyway, having never ordered from them (I usually use it to get my ideas, and then I try to buy local from a similar, smaller supplier close by). The B&H photo and video catalog (catalog order) is another favorite (same deal, never spent a cent with them... I'm real big on keeping my money local).

So eager to see what y'all got. I've always been so awed by the disparate fields of knowledge and expertise that are brought together by MeFi. I am very interested in your little corner of experience and interest... and I thank you so much for sharing it with me, if you'd be kind enough to do so.

Practice makes perfect

mullingitover — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:26:53 -0800

What are some activities that are like 'going to the gym' for your profession? Earlier this week I was pointing out that playing scales on the guitar is like 'going to the gym' for your playing ability. Playing the scales can be boring, but it helps you build up dexterity and takes the thought and effort out of it when you're trying to pick up new songs.

This led me to wonder what other exercises professionals use to keep up their chops. I'm interested in learning what it takes to be a better system administrator/programmer, but I'm curious about all professions: What do you do in order to incrementally build your skills in your line of work?

How to make my own karaoke discs from scratch?

thewhynotgirl — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:09:03 -0800

How do I take a song off a regular cd, add viewable lyrics (and whatever else is necessary) and turn it into a karaoke disc that I can hand to the kj at a karaoke joint? I already have evil lyrics and some other audio software, but I can only find reference to working with songs that are already on a cdg ... no references in my audio programs to exactly how to make one myself. Further info: Evil lyrics will yield me a .kar and help me sync it to the music I'm playing ... but it doesn't explain what a .kar is or what to do with it.

And I want to make my own rather than find or purchase karaoke tracks because I tend to pick nonmainstream songs that are often not found anywhere but on the cd's I bought them on!

Thanks in advance!

How do I make professional-looking homemade lip balm labels?

starsnstars — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:39:11 -0800

How do I make semi-professional, waterproof labels for handmade lip balm tubes? I am looking for a way to make labels that will fit on .15oz (4.25g) lip balm tubes. The labels need to be approximately 2 X 2 inches, have permanent adhesive to stay on the plastic well, need to be water resistant so the ink does not rub off, and have the ability to print on an ink jet printer. I have tried Avery 6572 Permanent labels, however the ink smeared and rubbed off the label. I then tried Avery 6578 Durable I.D. labels that are water-resistant, then I realized they were for laser printers only and will not work on my ink jet printer. I am seeking the most effective, best-looking way to create a durable label for the lip balm I make or an attracive, professional way to water proof permanent labels. I appreciate any suggestions.

Help me sell my Magic: The Gathering cards

Who_Am_I — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:59:53 -0800

What's the best way to sell a bunch of old Magic: The Gathering cards? I've got a few thousand M:tG cards, mostly from 3rd (revised) edition and the expansions Legends through Weatherlight. I think they're probably worth some money if I can sell them right. What's the best way to get rid of them and turn a profit?

Listing them individually on a site like ebay would mean looking up the value for each card (ugh!), and it seems like I would get nickel and dimed to death doing that. On the other hand, it seems like people who sell big lots of cards hardly get anything at all for them. Is there a good way to do this? Is there even a market for these anymore?

What are your suggestions for fun and interesting hands-on, craft-type entertainment for a young married couple?

Lownotes — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:57:28 -0800

What are your suggestions for fun and interesting hands-on, craft-type entertainment for a young married couple? Instead of watching movies, DVDs or anything where we are just passive audience members, what would you recommend my wife and I do for fun in our free time?

I'm thinking of projects like making peculiar-scented candles, creating glow-in-the-dark tomatoes, building a working model of a guillotine and cutting vegetables with it - you know, stuff you do with your hands, stuff you learn from, stuff that has nothing to do with celebrities or advertising or applause.

If possible, please include links to instructions or examples with your suggestions, and if possible, experiences of your own.

Help me make a hard wood poster.

Effigy2000 — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:05:53 -0800

With the joyous event of the election of a Rudd Labor Government here in Australia, I'm thinking of commemorating the win by taking the front page of a few newspapers and turning them into one of those hard wood posters you can buy from some music stores and poster shops. I am reliably informed that this process is called 'poster boarding' and from the few places I've looked at who do it professionally, this is going to set me back anywhere between $100 to $300 per poster. So I'm wondering if this is something I could do myself. If so, what do I need to buy, what do I need to do (a step by step process would be nice) and, importantly, how easy/hard will this be for a first-timer to do?

What group activities can I sign up for in LA?

katillathehun — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:10:40 -0800

What are some activities in Los Angeles that I could sign up for and take part in on a regular basis with a group of other people? Some kind of weekly thing, maybe. The best example I can think of is something like a knitting club... but not specifically a knitting club because knitting just ain't my thing. I am thinking of something creative/arts-related, though. I just don't know of anything in particular that I could check out. Anyone in LA involved in or know of something like this that they can recommend? The back story: I just went through a painful breakup and don't really know what to do with myself. Pathetic, right? I mean, sure, I've got my own hobbies, but I really need to get *out* and interact with other people who aren't connected to the ex. You know, make some new friends, stay busy, stop feeling sorry for myself, stop watching Jane Austen movies...

DIY for the Non-Hardware-Elite

middleclasstool — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:42:43 -0800

DIY blogs that don't require you to be a goddamn logic board-soldering wizard? I could have sworn I saw a question about this a long time ago, but I searched the archives and even asked one of the mods, who had no memory of it. So I'll ask it:

I'm looking for DIY-project blogs and websites that don't require the electrical engineering proficiency of a site/publication like MAKE: and its related blog. I'm a programmer, so code projects are cool, but I'm crap at soldering and know squat about electronics and hardware hacks.

Particularly I'm looking for sites that have fun small-to-medium-sized projects (meaning cool bookcases are great, but not backyard sheds). Again, programming project ideas would be great, but I'm really looking for stuff I can build with my hands and my now not-unrespectable collection of power tools.

I know about instructables and finkbuilt and that's pretty much it. Ideas?

Any advice for this shut-in after moving to Fort Lauderdale?

Green With You — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:09:29 -0800

About six weeks ago I moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for work. I'm just about completely settled in and now have the difficult task of meeting people. What can I do? I graduated from college last April and, after a little difficulty finding work, I got a job in Florida after having lived my entire life in Michigan. Anyway, after thinking it over in my head I realized I've never made friends outside of school. I live with a coworker that I knew in school (he let me know about the job) and he's alright, but he's no better at meeting people than I am. There are a few other coworkers there in my age bracket, but they're more into MMORPGs.

Pretty much all my current hobbies are very solitary: reading, playing on computer, video games... I can see how these can become group hobbies in the right circumstances, I guess. I've been interested in music for awhile (used to play in high school and college band) and want to take up guitar. I would like (eventually) to make short films with friends. And I'm alright with going to see live music of local groups, but have no idea where to start looking to get into that 'scene' (don't really care for the term). I think the music I'm most inclined to see would be something akin to 'indie rock'.

To top it off, I'm pretty insecure around new people and... I guess 'anxious' would be a good description. People say I act nervous, even when I don't feel nervous. Although I do get nervous more than I probably should. I can talk to strangers, but mostly just one-on-one. I used to be very depressed, but now I mainly feel pretty good about who I am as a person. I don't really want to be very outgoing, just enough so I can meet a few new people a month and have a small group of close friends.

Any advice for this insecure shut-in?

What do you want to do? I don't know, what do you want to do?

desjardins — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:58:44 -0800

What kinds of activities can a couple enjoy together (besides the obvious)? We're engaged, early 30s, no kids, together for 3 years. A lot of that time has been fairly busy - grad school, different jobs, moving. Now we're settled down to an extent, and we're getting bored. Well, at least I am. He doesn't like to do a lot of the things I like, and vice versa. So he does his thing, and I do mine. We spend a lot of time together, but most of that is watching TV or practical household stuff, and it sometimes feels as if we're roommates, not romantic partners.

If this is completely normal, and we should be doing what we want with our family/friends and not expect it from each other, just tell me that. But I am really hoping for some middle ground here. (Note: he's fine with the status quo.)

My interests: Bookstores, museums, academic lectures, cafes, foreign films, live music, festivals, dance clubs.
My dream vacation: Paris.

His: Kayaking, camping, backpacking, NASCAR (on TV), football (on TV), Playstation, PC gaming.
His dream vacation: A remote island with plenty of kayaking.

He's got ADD, so he finds a lot of the stuff I like to be interminably boring. Getting him to go to a museum is like pulling teeth. He's also allergic to smoke and doesn't like crowds, so festivals/clubs/bars are generally out. I've got panic disorder with agoraphobia, so I don't like being outdoors a whole lot, though a day hike/bike is usually OK. I tried kayaking and it wasn't any fun at all. Trying to plan a weekend for both of us has been difficult and we either end up doing our separate things or just doing chores and watching TV.

We recently moved 40 miles NW of Chicago, and I'm not that familiar with the area, so regional suggestions are welcome.

How can I focus my ability to focus?

drezdn — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:09:29 -0800

How can I use my focus for good (either directing it towards something useful, or to maintain interest) ? Every few months I find one "hobby" that I get intensely interested in, spending lots of time learning as much about it as possible, buying the equipment to do it, and spending my time obsessing about it. It a short period of time, I pick up an insane amount of information on a topic. Then, usually my interest wanes for a while, and I move on to the next one. From aquarium maintenance to building things with clay, it's been fun but it can be a bit frustrating.

Sometimes I come back to the hobbies (many have been based on interests I've had since childhood, but couldn't act on), but it takes time and usually goes through the same cycle mentioned above.

How can I direct my focus onto something that might help me advance it life (say, really learning programming or something that might be useful professionally).

In addition, how can I keep myself interested in one hobby, or a small handful of hobbies, instead of just picking up new ones constantly like a mental katamari?

How to find time to do everything in life?

Alabaster — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:36:25 -0800

Not-enough-hours-in-the-day-filter: Any advice on developing/maintaining skills which require daily practice/effort, while balancing other priorities and time commitments (heath, family, creative pursuits, etc.) ? (specifics inside) There are about a zillion things I want to do in my life, but with some thought I can distill it down to a handful of priorities. These are not simply "pastimes", but skills that I want to actively maintain and develop over my lifetime, and which require DAILY, dedicated time and effort:

(in no particular order):

SKILLS/HOBBIES to practice daily:
-Work out at the gym (to lose a significant amount of weight and maintain physical health for myself, my wife, and--eventually--children)
-Compose music (for personal pleasure and occasional freelance work--this is my passion, but it often falls by the wayside when life gets busy)
-Practice one or more musical instruments (to maintain my skills on my primary instruments and also to learn a new instrument every once in a while)

FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD
-Spend time with my wife (and eventually children) and maintain our relationship
-Keep up with chores and do projects/maintenance around the house, yard, etc.

CAREER
-Teacher planning (I am a high school teacher which requires some "homework" nearly every night--planning lessons, grading papers, keeping records, etc.)

ADDITIONALLY:
-Meditate daily
-Read/contemplate/write/journal/pursue creative interests
-And, I strongly desire to begin training in a martial art

I work approx. 7am-4pm as a high school music teacher, and often have evening rehearsal commitments as well (7-9pm once or twice per week). By the time I squeeze in a workout, this leaves very little time to practice anything else on my list, let alone spend time with family, pursue more casual interests, or have any "down-time" for relaxation and recreation. In the meantime, months and years pass and my most important skills go undeveloped.

I realize that the life I am describing here is not particularly extreme, and that most people are able to balance their career, family, health, hobbies, and creative pursuits in some way. How?

I'm not necessarily looking for time-management tips (I have read and partially implemented GTD and tried several other techniques, and tried several pieces of software for scheduling, goal-setting, motivation, etc.) I suppose I'm looking more for philosophical input, advice from personal experience, and practical suggestions for keeping up with stuff on a daily basis without squeezing together an unmaintainable schedule.

Help a teenager make the most of his summer.

zenja72 — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:45:15 -0800

Help a teenager make the most of his summer This summer will be my first truly free summer; before this I had always been carted away to various camps and activities, and with my newfound 16 years of age I've been deemed by my parents "free". I'm CITing at a camp I used to go to, but that is really my only required activity all summer. I haven't gotten a job, which isn't optimal but isn't the end of the world either.

So, my question: If you, with your experience now, had a free summer, what would you do with it? What activities and skills would you learn? What books would you read? What articles online would you read? Any blogs to subscribe to? Life long habits and hobbies to form?

A little background on me, to guide your insights. I'll be a junior next year (the whole college process has to start sometime). I think I probably want to do something with technology; I have done a lot with web design in the past (CMSs and the sort) but I realize now that programming is not my favorite thing to do and instead I prefer being an idea guy. In high school, I've got a good set of friends but I could always be more confident and persuasive; I'm kind of quirky (in their eyes). Anything else I can tell you that I haven't already, let me know.

Help me have un-boozy evenings

mjbraun — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 07:32:42 -0800

I need suggestions for evening activities that don't focus on drinking. I quit drinking almost 3 months ago to help me quit smoking (they go so nicely together), and so far I have held to my commitment. Two bonuses are that I've lost a bunch of weight and my bank account has improved. So far, it's a win all around EXCEPT my social life has suffered.

Before, the de facto evening activity for myself and my friends was to go to a bar and get loaded. I had a hard time interesting them in other things, and now that I can't join them in their revelry, I'm having to give them up and find a new social circle. The problem is, what is there to do at night (weekends, primarily) that doesn't center around drinking? The answers to this question seem to fall under the category "go to a bar and order non alcoholic stuff" but bars are pretty boring to begin with, and only through booze do they become interesting (also: dealing with drunk people when you're not drunk as well is godawful). Bartending is out for the same reason: being sober and dealing with drunks = a big tub of No Fun.

During the day I don't have a problem; I'm volunteering at an animal shelter, I'm taking classes, and I'm working on my art. But evening social activities mystify me. I could go to a play or a movie, but there's really no chance of human interaction there. So far, the only activity I've identified is dancing, and I've started salsa lessons, but it will be awhile before I'm good enough to hit the clubs. And doing the same thing over and over will ruin the fun, so I'm looking for variety.

My commitment to non-drinking runs out on April 21st (3 month anniversary) but I'd like to continue (mostly) abstaining if I can make it work socially! If it helps, I'm in Chicago (in Wrigleyville, aka sports bar hell).

how do get more people to participate in my adventure racing site?

dolface — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:08:19 -0800

i'm trying to increase participation and membership in the (free) adventure racing website i built, what can i do that i haven't already done? we have no income, so any expenses are out of pocket, and we'd like to keep them minimal.

here's what we've done so far:

a regular ad in the 'activity partners' section of the local cl

regular announcements on the local AR yahoo group (i've talked with the list owner, and he's assured me that and we're not stepping on his toes)

gotten listed in dmoz

free 'adventure racing 101' clinics at local sports stores

'adventure racing 101' presentations at triathlon clubs

a booth at adventure races and triathlons

reasonably slick postcards left at gyms/REI's/similar places

branded t-shirts and socks given to race directors to award as prizes

semi-regular social events

semi-regular training events (usually free, but some have had a nominal fee < $20)

an adventure racing team that does pretty well at regional races (top 3)

other stuff, but this list is getting too long

so, am i missing anything, or doing anything i shouldn't? i'm not trying to make money, i'm just trying to get more people into the sport.

Things to do in 6 months!

radsqd — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:34:06 -0800

I am going back from college back home. I have a job for the 6 months for the time I am there. The problem is I want to do something other than the job, I am one of the people that needs to do stuff.. not a workaholic!. Specifically Central New jersey princeton area Is there a club I can get involved in? Is there a specific skill that needs 6 months to master. Basically stuff I can do after work or during weekends.

Make it from scratch?

sLevi — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:01:31 -0800

What things are worth the time and cost of doing/making myself? For example, tomatoes from the store are miles below the ones I grow in my garden. Fresh-baked bread is amazing. But knitting socks or a sweater seems hardly worth it, despite the fact that I can customize it, because of the high cost of the time and materials. Nearly everything is so easy to get from the store. So what IS still worth the effort? Cooking, canning/preserving, gardening, furniture making, sewing, keeping chickens...anything. I'm not talking about cooking my own meals in general, or changing my own oil because it's cheaper, but producing the things I use, making things from scratch.

Short term ways of dealing with depression?

tastybrains — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 08:54:26 -0800

There have been lots of posts on depression, so I know some of you have dealt with it firsthand. Do any of you have advice on short-term ways of dealing with depression while waiting for longer-term methods (meds & talk-therapy) to take effect? I've been in a pretty severe depression for the past few months. I've been going to talk-therapy & have recently started taking Wellbutrin & have joined a program based on cognitive-behavioral approaches to managing depression. I am also doing daily exercise to try & boost my mood, but, meh.

However, all of these things seem to be taking their sweet time to make me feel better. In fact, right now, I think I'm feeling worse. I feel empty & absolutely nothing appeals to me except laying in bed. I just want to cheer myself up a little, and find something that interests me. I've started & abandoned numerous books. I'm sick of watching tv or movies. I can't find anything interesting on the Internet to read or play with. I'd talk to or hang out with friends, but frankly I'm starting to feel like I have nothing to talk about with anyone. I could paint or draw or write, but I don't feel like it and I don't have anything inspiring me right now.

If any of you have short-term tips on how to get myself to find something to do that might perk me up a little bit, I would be grateful.

Help Me Waste My Time!

scaryblackdeath — Tue, 23 May 2006 08:22:05 -0800

Where can one download simple or "obsolete" games for little/no money? I'm having a hard time finding anything decent. I like having a game for vegging out. I'm not a hard-core gamer; I'm fine with something that's a couple years old. My computer's a little old, and I can't justify buying a newer one anytime soon just to play games. It can handle Civ 3, but that's about as far as it goes.

I've been cruising the web and I've been to sites like thatvideogamesite.com and addictinggames.com. They're okay for an immediate time-waster, but I'm sure there's something a step up from there.

I haven't had much experience with file-sharing. Is this the way to go?

By way of preferences, I like RPGs, turn-based strategy (or strategy with a real easy time-stop) and shooter games that don't involve real opponents. Anything that builds a character/game icon's abilities as it goes is a huge plus in my book.

No TV and no beer make Homer something something

joshuaconner — Wed, 10 May 2006 22:59:05 -0800

I'm going to backcountry Alaska to work for 3 months. What should I do in my spare time? I'll be working (and with people) every morning and evening, but I'll be completely alone (and mostly free) during the day while the guests and guides are out fishing. What should I bring/do to entertain myself?

Bonus points for things that are particularly suited to my backcountry location.