View Full Version : What else you into besides guns?
I know just from reading post from you guys that a lot of you are interested in a lot of different things and I just wanted to know what hobbies you guys have or what you do in your spare time.
As for me:
To tell you the truth, I haven't shot a gun in almost 3 years, but I like to tinker with them.
I also have a passion for photography, but more interested in astrophotography, which is taking hundreds of photos of our interstellar objects and composing them into one single image. I have 2 telescope setups: I have a Meade LXD 75 6" APO refractor with a Meade DS395 3" refractor piggybacked on top used as a guide scope, that set up is on an Astrophysics GO-To mount. The guide scope has a CC3D monochrome guide camera that keeps the objects in view over long exposers. My other set up is a Meade 12" ACF Schmidt-Cassegrain style Ritchey–Chrétien Catadioptric telescope on a GPS equipped GO To mount. That telescope has a Starlock CMOS star finder that uses celestial navigation. I use Sony A-77 24mpeg cameras for all photography: Jupiter, Saturn, M57 and the Orion Nebula are my subjects for now.
The last few years I have been working on something I have been keeping pretty close to the chest. I went back to school and took a few engineering classes (just the basics), I learned how to use AutoCAD Inventor and took flying lessons and got my pilots license. I have, in the greatest of secrecy, been working on a Human Powered personal helicopter prototype. Its a carbon fiber tubular frame chassis and 5 blade rotor made of light weight epoxy reinforced Styrofoam. I hade a friend who worked at Bell design to blades to lift 350 lbs. at 125 RPM. I call it the Gnat and it will hover for about 18 seconds at about 10 feet. I am designing this to not be powered by pedaling alone but using 2 small composite accumulators that power a small air motor. Air is more consistent than the human muscular system. I have 2 people working with me on this and we hope by 2019 we can have a fully functional prototype that take off, hover fly forward and turn right & left. The idea was for an average person with average strength to be able to power there own person flight for 12 minutes at a time or a distance of 1 mile at 20 feet. Here is a sneak peak at our frame:
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This is me with a broken arm and fractured elbow after crashing into the ground from 8 feet- 4th of July weekend 2015
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No that's not the way I dress either.
This is me with a fractured back, sprained ankle and mild concussion after crashing into ground from 15 feet- Labor day weekend 2016
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This is the back of my head:
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The crashes were caused by a loss of lift caused by the rotors flexing and becoming unbalanced- we fixed that with carbon truss tubes in each rotor blade.
Another thing that I am interested in is writing short stories. I don't like reading but I enjoy writing as odd as that sounds. I would like to learn how to write scripts as well.
What else?
Beer, tequila.......real tequila. And whiskey
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Dist. Expert 26
11-03-17, 19:26
Motorcycles. I grew up riding dirtbikes and racing motocross, and I still love watching the races every year but I don't have the time or money to participate anymore. These days I ride mostly street, currently on a 2006 Harley Softail (which is for sale BTW...). I'm hoping to get a KTM Super Duke by the spring so I can really enjoy the mountain roads. I'm 25 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, 1.5 hours from Deals Gap and 10 minutes from NC 209, basically in a motorcyclists paradise.
Boats. A buddy of mine owns a boat shop out here and had a sweet Sea Ray 185 on consignment a couple years ago, so I bought it. When it actually runs right, which is about twice a year, its a blast. There's several TVA lakes within a couple hours that we go out on and my kid absolutely loves it. It's an expensive pain in the ass but probably my favorite family activity.
Good beer, good food and women...these speak for themselves.
Not necessarily in that order.
I think it would be cool if you didn't just list things you were into but actually talked about things your into.
Pretty much just shooting and patrolling the neighborhood in my plate carrier and chest rig. While I'm on patrol I whistle the theme song from Lassie, cause I'm a sheep dawg, you know.
Seriously, I enjoy reading, pretty much anything; and although I don't particularly enjoy the maintenance aspect I have three motorcycle to take care of, I remind myself that each tire I change is 1,000 precision delta boolets.
I have one daughter at home, so that is a hobby I guess.
Youngest Grandson plays PeeWee football - one, ONE, of his games was at home this season, next to the oldest Grandson, finished his high school foootball career 'Cousin Concussion' (as the other Grandkids call him) probably will play for one of in-state D-2 schools, either partial scholarship or walk-on, he is a straight A student, all honors classes, so he'll probably do more good financially that way.
Oldest daughter swims for UNK, this weekend she's in Omaha, and I'm going to KU to see Baylor get beat by the lads (I wish).
Shit keeps you busy.
Archery hunting deer,pheasant hunting with my dog, fishing, photography, ww2 weapons and equipment collecting and guitars. Way to many expensive hobbies. I gave up off roading.
Elephant, that is so cool, curious to see how it evolves. Still guitars and old tube amps here, I don't see that changing anytime soon.
Hiking, skydiving, guitars, drawing, my dog, my wife.
Probably say "living" to sum it all up.
Mr. Goodtimes
11-03-17, 20:11
Backpacking, mountain biking, photography, off-roading, my girlfriend, traveling, food, beer, flying, concerts.... like GTF said... pretty much life. I like getting out and doing stuff.
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SilverBullet432
11-03-17, 20:12
Work.. sounds crazy but I genuinely enjoy what I do.
Every thing from the spec out, to assembly, wiring, programming, commissioning and troubleshooting of PLC control systems.
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I do pluck a bass guitar every now and then.
Good women, Good tree (I'm an amateur arborist), hentai, hardcore gangster rap, short jokes at the expense of short people, S n M, and writing letters of complaint to American Rifleman usu. to the tune of "Why everybody so milquetoast?".
And sometimes model rocketry amd singing sea chanties with friends of questionable reputation
I enjoy building PCs, especially custom water cooled ones.
Outlander Systems
11-03-17, 20:26
Feet, Waifus, and Conspiracies.
Gear..... Lots of gear. Medicine, my wife (who is also into medicine professionally), my children, and wine. I love good wine as much as I love my firearms.
But to be 100% truthful I live on caffeine and HATE. :)
Drag racing and I used to be into photography.
Spending time with my wife & kids, motorcycle road racing, spending time at the local race track, hunting/fishing, downhill skiing, working on my hobby cars.
Work.. sounds crazy but I genuinely enjoy what I do.
Every thing from the spec out, to assembly, wiring, programming, commissioning and troubleshooting of PLC control systems.
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I do pluck a bass guitar every now and then.
PLCs are fun. I do some programming occasionally at work. Honestly, I wish I did more. I started out learning on the SLC150’s with the DOS software (dating myself). Now it’s mainly Control Logix and FactoryTalk, with a little RS Logix. I did do some Siemens function block stuff in school but haven’t worked on it much since.
Our IT dept is currently building me a new laptop with both CAD & the Rockwell software. My current one can’t handle both. Looking forward to getting that soon so I can do some design work along with programming.
Mr. Goodtimes
11-03-17, 21:56
Good women, Good tree (I'm an amateur arborist), hentai, hardcore gangster rap, short jokes at the expense of short people, S n M, and writing letters of complaint to American Rifleman usu. to the tune of "Why everybody so milquetoast?".
And sometimes model rocketry amd singing sea chanties with friends of questionable reputation
Feet, Waifus, and Conspiracies.
Two great posts by two great forum members. If only all forum posts were of this caliber.
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Drag racing my diesel truck, fine wine and good whiskey. Best time in the truck is 11.22 @123. Wine cellar holds 480 bottles (vinotheque 700); best bottle is 1992 Chateau Latour. I just scored a bottle of 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle. Love me some Pappy!
SilverBullet432
11-03-17, 22:05
PLCs are fun. I do some programming occasionally at work. Honestly, I wish I did more. I started out learning on the SLC150’s with the DOS software (dating myself). Now it’s mainly Control Logix and FactoryTalk, with a little RS Logix. I did do some Siemens function block stuff in school but haven’t worked on it much since.
Our IT dept is currently building me a new laptop with both CAD & the Rockwell software. My current one can’t handle both. Looking forward to getting that soon so I can do some design work along with programming.
Must be nice! Our IT took away the Dell XFR’s and gave us basic laptops “like everyone else”
Luckily, I can run everything on it. Including studio 5000 and SCADA software.
We actually still have a few SLC’s in service!
Elephant, that helicopter thing is awesome. I've seen some fly in gymnasiums on TV, always thought that would be an awesome thing to do. Air power makes sense, to even out the power.
I have way too many hobbies. I think that's a good thing but I find myself always with way too much to do. Sometimes it irritates me when I want to get so many things done but can't because of time. I always have 2-3 projects going on, and always have about 10 others kicking around in my head. I'm talking about when I'm not busy with the wife and kids.
Reloading - Got into reloading 223 to shoot my SPR at longer ranges. This has been awesome fun. I've taken friends out who think 100 yards is a long shot, then we go shoot at 900 yards suppressed and their minds have a hard time processing the awesome.
Car stuff - I do all the vehicle maintenance to our vehicles and sometimes other people's cars, to an OCD extent sometimes. Ever since Jiffy lube stripped my oil pan 20 years ago(and let me drive home dripping) I've done all the oil changes. Synthetic oils, fancy waxes, ect. I just did spark plugs on my truck. I don't do it for the savings(although I've SAVED up to 300 dollars per hour on some repairs), I do it because I enjoy doing it and knowing that it is done right and sometimes to a higher standard. Also, I change the oil in my truck and the wife's car at the same time in about 1 hour total. I couldn't beat that time by driving the vehicles to the shop...not even close.
Photography - I started in high school with film 35mm, sold my gear after college as digital was coming to, let a decade slip by and recently got back into it with a DSLR.
Brewing Beer - My friend and I started brewing about 18 years ago, we are still having fun with it. Great hobby.
Sailing - I stumbled across an unbelievable deal on a Potter 15 foot sailboat recently. I have family that sails as well, so they got me into it. I has been fun times. Nothing like a peaceful, quiet, but not boring day at the lake.
3D printing - Just started this hobby about a year ago. I have some ideas that I might try to sell one day. And like designing and making stuff. Need to get better at CAD. That is my weakness.
Gardening - Made a cool garden in the backyard and a sweet solar powered watering system for rooftop rainwater collection. We grow enough basil each year to make a ton of pesto for the year.
There's a few more hobbies in there. I can't help it lol.
Dist. Expert 26
11-03-17, 23:06
Drag racing my diesel truck, fine wine and good whiskey. Best time in the truck is 11.22 @123. Wine cellar holds 480 bottles (vinotheque 700); best bottle is 1992 Chateau Latour. I just scored a bottle of 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle. Love me some Pappy!
What's your truck setup? When I finally finish school I plan on building a hotrod 6.7 Cummins.
What's your truck setup? When I finally finish school I plan on building a hotrod 6.7 Cummins.
Too many mods to list. It's a 3rd gen common rail 5.9.
Twin ball bearing Garrett turbos is the biggie. Water/meth and nitrous. 1150hp/<2000lbft torque at the wheels.
It still tows my 36ft Montana fifth wheel too at 23k gross.
Every thing from the spec out, to assembly, wiring, programming, commissioning and troubleshooting of PLC control systems.
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That's pretty cool, I am also PLC certified: I build sub sea control systems for the oil drilling companies.
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Elephant, that helicopter thing is awesome. I've seen some fly in gymnasiums on TV, always thought that would be an awesome thing to do. Air power makes sense, to even out the power.
Yeah that was for the Sikorsky Challenge where they offered $25Million for the first human powered helicopter that could hover 3 meters and sustain 60 seconds of flight- MIT won that challenge but like you said, there design was the size of a gymnasium and took over 40 men and 100 hours to assemble and professional cyclist to get it airborne.
Dist. Expert 26
11-03-17, 23:51
Too many mods to list. It's a 3rd gen common rail 5.9.
Twin ball bearing Garrett turbos is the biggie. Water/meth and nitrous. 1150hp/<2000lbft torque at the wheels.
It still tows my 36ft Montana fifth wheel too at 23k gross.
Nice! What transmission do you have behind that monster?
Fly fishing, skiing, and spending time with my family. Wife and I are real foodies. Professionally I enjoy attending medical conferences and hanging out with friends from medical school/residency/fellowship, talking shop. I'm also an avid inventor (engineering background), though I need to learn some of the newer CAD programs.
Pretty much photography and offroading. Was a Jeep guy until I switched to a prerunner style truck a few years ago. Build it, run it, fix it :)
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PatrioticDisorder
11-04-17, 08:27
Spending time with family, pumping iron, video games, occasionally golfing (poorly), watching sports (MMA, Golf, baseball, hockey, basketball & college football and little league for the little guy), jet skiing, sleeping in, attending medical conferences (mainly the only reason I travel, good catching up with peers), reading professional journals, watching moves and food (home cooked and eating out). I’m a pretty simple guy, doesn’t take much to make me happy or at least content.
Fly fishing, skiing, and spending time with my family. Wife and I are real foodies. Professionally I enjoy attending medical conferences and hanging out with friends from medical school/residency/fellowship, talking shop. I'm also an avid inventor (engineering background), though I need to learn some of the newer CAD programs.
SolidWorks, Catia or Rhino3D. You can do AutpCad3d as well but that is silly expensive. I use AutoCAD every day and I'll tell you to go SW or Rhino. I wish I got to play with the 3D printers more back in school but I never felt the need. That experience would have been awesome now. Not in my profession, but in general. With the cost of 3D printers now, it's a great time to jump in.
Funny enough, I got into guns because my race car was down for three years trying to get a new engine working. Ever since then drag racing has taken a back seat. I used to be at the track at least two or three times a month now it's once a year.
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I also let my medical lapse due to lack of funds so my pilot's license isn't current. I hope to pick that up soon.
I like cars, trucks, ATV's, football (haven't watched NFL, kneelers can go to he!!), dogs (2 GSD's and a Lab). That's all I can think of right now.
Having our pole barn built this month so I'll finally be able to really get working on my Camaro. Drivetrains pretty much done, need to do body and interior work.
NYH1.
Cars: this is my job. I own a shop that maintains and modifies German cars.
Personally I have a passion for the Mercedes G class. I have four of them. Two are year 2000 grey market imports with V8s. One of these was Arnold scheartznagers old car. A 1996 I am doing developing an engine swap for from a newer Mercedes engine and an old 1982 zombie mobile that is 100% mechanical turbo diesel. I am trying to launch another company right now making and selling restomod g wagens. These vehicles play into that.
Watches. I love the workmanship and engineering of a good Swiss automatic watch. I have passion for Rolexes. I love the submariner and it's timeless and classic look. I have a collection of watches mostly themed as car/diving/aero watches.
Knives. Loved and collected since a kid. Recently I have started modifying them. Mostly using the Benchmade 710 I have had custom handles made and polished parts and had them sent out for different DLC finishes. I try to use different gold class and limited knives as bases. I basicly make one off Gold class style knives.
Working in the car industry I have found most car guys are also gun and watch guys. And vise versa.
Nice! What transmission do you have behind that monster?
Goerend heavy duty with billet internals. Built by the man himself
Brewing Beer - My friend and I started brewing about 18 years ago, we are still having fun with it. Great hobby.
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Been doing that for 5 years and loving it! It's getting to the point that a simple 5gal batch isn't enough and we're no starting to move into 2nd and 3rd fermentations with additional ingredients. Seems like it getting to that time to step up with more sophisticated equipment
Blueberry pale ale in second fermentation
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Abby Double
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Outlander Systems
11-04-17, 09:39
I hate you so much.
http://hkguns.zenfolio.com/img/s/v-2/p2482532304-5.jpg
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Fishing and reading about history.
SilverBullet432
11-04-17, 10:16
That's pretty cool, I am also PLC certified: I build sub sea control systems for the oil drilling companies
Yeah that was for the Sikorsky Challenge where they offered $25Million for the first human powered helicopter that could hover 3 meters and sustain 60 seconds of flight- MIT won that challenge but like you said, there design was the size of a gymnasium and took over 40 men and 100 hours to assemble and professional cyclist to get it airborne.
Awesome! I work onshore, for an O&G producer as an automation tech.
No doubt! The big guys always make themselves look good..
Snowmachines (snowmobiles for other states other than Alaska)... I live and breathe them. My yard is full of them. I work hard all summer to be able to take time off to ride in the winter. My passion is back country riding and going places the average rider doesn't go. I have a group of dedicated friends that go with me. Heading into the wilderness of Alaska requires riding buddies that you really trust. Most of my social life revolves around sleds.
https://i.imgur.com/xKfxone.jpg
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**** the **** yes. Listening to Pantera as I type this.
Watches, sport Rolex’s to be specific, A/v both 2 channel and home theater, certain types of art, woodworking, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Well get a pull off of this sh1t! :cool:
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This is a moment I wish we had a headbanging smiley.
Interesting pickup choice with the black ML. I can't recall ever seeing another H-S-H ML.
I see we have Ronny VanZandt in the house.
Flying/Aviation, the outdoors, camping, fishing, hunting, mechanical watches, fixed blade, and folding knives.
This is a moment I wish we had a headbanging smiley.
Interesting pickup choice with the black ML. I can't recall ever seeing another H-S-H ML.
It's the "switchblade" I hate the config, but I got a deal on it. The single coil is right in the way of picking.
QuickStrike
11-04-17, 13:13
I like working out for general fitness/stress relief. Recently started working MT stuff on the heavy bag again for cardio. I miss certain aspects of martial arts but not others.
Reading about paleontology and general science, and cryptozoology stuff like ‘squatches and aliens too, until the bullshit meter gets too high and then I stop. haha
When not too distracted by looking at pictures of guns, toyota trucks, and random shit on the internet, I like to draw.
I am trying to rekindle my creative pursuits. Because for me, it’s one of the cheapest ways of gaining contentment.. I’m sure woodworkers and scupltors feel same.
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I want to one day finish and publish some graphic novels, working on one now.
One of the android characters:
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Edit: deleted TLDR art stuff
Guitar playing, mostly heavy metal. Play in an adult hockey league. And more recently, R/C cars... both nitro and electric.
Well get a pull off of this sh1t! :cool:
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Nice. Was a big Dime fan back in the day. Was definitely one of my inspirations when I started playing. Had a Dean Phantom for a long time; just recently sold it but my CFH flag still flies! RIP, Dime.
Nice. Was a big Dime fan back in the day. Was definitely one of my inspirations when I started playing. Had a Dean Phantom for a long time; just recently sold it but my CFH flag still flies! RIP, Dime.
Pantera played Phoenix on my 21st Bday. I had a blast.
In Down Town Dallas there is an area called "Deep Ellum". Deep Ellum is the birth place of the Toadies, Tripping Daisy, Damage Plan, Pantera, Drowning Pool, Old 97's, The Nixons, Memphis May Fire, Burden Brothers, Dixie Chicks and others like The Feds, Frolic, Fallen From the Nest and 1 UP. There is a small club called Trees on Main St, I mean small its only about 2000 sq/ft and the bar in in the center. But Bands like Pear Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in chains, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Weezer, Cranberries, Pennywize, Offspring, Wall Flowers, Pixies and others have fought hard to play there. I saw Vanilla Ice play before 30 people on Thanksgiving in 2004 and Dime and Vinnie were there to open his show- they were well known in Deep Ellum and frequented many clubs like Trees, Club Clearview and Curtain Club. Dime was playing an old black Rickenbacker hollow body guitar and Vinnie was playing a white Gretsch through older Fender amps and they were covering Buddy Holly songs. Both Dime and Vinnie were approachable and they are said to go into clubs while local bands were playing and buy shots for people and would hang around and talk to everyone.
Music, guitars and vintage tube amps. Guitar setups, leveling, dressing, adjusting etc. Servicing tube amps and about anything related. Biking for exercise try to get at least 6 miles/day in warmer months. In my youth hobbies were mostly model rocketry, Estes and some Century.
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I finally know someone who plays a Parker Fly!!!!
I finally know someone who plays a Parker Fly!!!!
It's actually been my number one for the last year or two. It resides in the family room and gets played daily. There's a P38 in the studio that gets quite a bit of play. The Nightfly needed some tweaking, nut was not right and replace with a graphtech. The composite neck though works for me, profile, radius and stainless frets. Really fits the bear claws. Believe me, it has soul. Not a sterile instrument as it appears, it has tone and feel. Gibsons though will always have their place.
We just finished building a house, so my discretionary budget has taken a totally justifiable hit of late. However, one of the biggest priorities for our house was a great kitchen, and we aren't disappointed. The wife and I love to cook, especially with local ingredients. I'm hoping to get a garden started next year or the year after.
I also enjoy hunting and fishing, so this is a great time of the year for me.
Exercise-wise, I hit my weight pile whenever I can, but my real interest for the past couple years has been BJJ, grappling, and combatives in general.
When I get a chance to read, it's usually a biography, a history, or a mystery novel.
ramairthree
11-04-17, 22:08
I have a ton of interests and activities.
I suck at and know a little about far more things than the average person.
One of those interests, a special ordered retirement Randall knife arrived recently. Despite not needing it.
Another came in the mail today.
I have a thing for extended play 33 1/3 version singles. From a variety of genres. For ten bucks shipped the combination of a militant black rapper and whitest guy in the world former lead singer of the Sex Pistols arrive new in wrapper. World Destruction. Playing on my old school rack system with huge speakers as we speak.
After taking my Malinois I train for a session, and also a few miles of mountain biking on a 90s cannondale frame with mid 2000s state of the art components.
After driving a vintage muscle car.
And throwing out some stuff like a wet suit and regulator I have not scuba dived in for a decade.
And cleaning guns used at the range yesterday.
And deciding I was too late to hit my little home gym.
And finding a land phase salamander for my youngest daughter. Hard to do. I can find three species of lizard in a heart bear around the property, and sometimes a fourth. But rarely a salamander.
Oh, and replaced a fence post in one of the pastures for our horses.
QuickStrike, I love that sketch of the Native American.
You really captured the face without it being like a caricature or a cartoon
QuickStrike
11-04-17, 23:41
Thanks Firefly, it was for a friend at work.
It's actually been my number one for the last year or two. It resides in the family room and gets played daily. There's a P38 in the studio that gets quite a bit of play. The Nightfly needed some tweaking, nut was not right and replace with a graphtech. The composite neck though works for me, profile, radius and stainless frets. Really fits the bear claws. Believe me, it has soul. Not a sterile instrument as it appears, it has tone and feel. Gibsons though will always have their place.
I really enjoy it when folks have a musical jones, and scratch that itch, whether it be singing or playing. I'm happy for you. I'm not gifted that way and enjoy the heck out of those who are.
Moose-Knuckle
11-05-17, 01:49
In Down Town Dallas there is an area called "Deep Ellum". Deep Ellum is the birth place of the Toadies, Tripping Daisy, Damage Plan, Pantera, Drowning Pool, Old 97's, The Nixons, Memphis May Fire, Burden Brothers, Dixie Chicks and others like The Feds, Frolic, Fallen From the Nest and 1 UP. There is a small club called Trees on Main St, I mean small its only about 2000 sq/ft and the bar in in the center. But Bands like Pear Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in chains, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Weezer, Cranberries, Pennywize, Offspring, Wall Flowers, Pixies and others have fought hard to play there. I saw Vanilla Ice play before 30 people on Thanksgiving in 2004 and Dime and Vinnie were there to open his show- they were well known in Deep Ellum and frequented many clubs like Trees, Club Clearview and Curtain Club. Dime was playing an old black Rickenbacker hollow body guitar and Vinnie was playing a white Gretsch through older Fender amps and they were covering Buddy Holly songs. Both Dime and Vinnie were approachable and they are said to go into clubs while local bands were playing and buy shots for people and would hang around and talk to everyone.
My favorite show at Trees was seeing P.O.D. play right after they got signed to Atlantic Records. I had been following them since their days of touring around in a beat up GMC van in VFW halls and the like.
My wife and her BFF use to date two well known singers. One of the bands is a huge 90's alternative band from Seattle. Anyway she shared a story once when Pantera came up they were all hanging out with Vinnie at a dive bar and he asked to play the drums of the band that was on stage. The drummer was all like "OMG sure anything for you Vinnie" and he trashed the dude's set for no reason then went on a rant about how he hates cover bands. I have a good friend that I got into music back in HS, through his connections he would see Vinnie pretty regular, said he never bathed and always smelt like a toilet.
I never made it to the Clubhouse, I have a buddy that practically lived/lives there lol.
LowSpeed_HighDrag
11-05-17, 02:53
Dude's designing a helicopter. WTF am I doing with my life?!
Anyways, I love spending time with my son and wife. Beyond that...
I like to read about WWII and GWOT history. I LOVE craftbeer and cigars.
I like to spend time on the water fishing (not catching) on my Old Town Predator.
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I enjoy taking care of my trees and garden, although my vegetables are always laughably small.
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I like to get the camper out a few times a year and drink beer by the fire.
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And when I'm not doing that, I'm probably playing Xbox or drinking some scotch in the basement of my new house we just built:
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I really enjoy it when folks have a musical jones, and scratch that itch, whether it be singing or playing. I'm happy for you. I'm not gifted that way and enjoy the heck out of those who are.
Thanks 26, much appreciated.
Collect Nihonto and teach Jian forms (Straight, double edge Chinese sword) and soft form WuShu (baguazhang, Taiji- I'm too old and beat up for hard form stuff).
(My JSA bud and mentor passed a few years back, so tameshigiri and playing with the Japanese swords is sort of boring by myself.)
Played guitar for 50 years and enjoy collecting same.
Appreciate and acquire mechanical watches, primarily Swiss.
Have always been a hunter, loved upland hunting and watching the dogs work. When old Belle passed a few years back I haven't been as keen on that one.
Really enjoy hobbyist gunsmithing; S&W revolvers, 1911, P-35, AR's. Reloading.
Life's good.
Family. Especially my kids.
Watches too!
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?6821-Watches
Archery
Hunting
Chemistry
Engineering
Fishing
Fitness(weight lifting and “mudder” type training - have done a tough mudder back in ‘13)
Music melodic death metal and country
Total food hipster- includes beer and coffee, also enjoy all spirits and cigars
Reading, Playing WOW with my sons. Smoking meats, State delegate. Planning on running for City Council, Mayor, maybe even USHOR one day. (retired History/Spanish teacher)
Diamondback
11-05-17, 17:24
History. I'm a freelance consultant to a historical miniatures game publisher with WWI air, WWII air, and Napoleonic naval lines, though I'm going to be sitting their "WWI meets War of the Worlds" next line out. Aviation/aerospace. Used to be a scale modeler, before the Bitchy Little Girls in the local modeler community killed the fun in that. Used to do LEGO, before they quit making things that interested me. Goal is to finish my degree and get on the road to a professorship, personal wet-dream is to teach History at one of the service academies even if only just one class for one semester.
WAS a Star Wars nerd until first Lucas started the glideslope to ruin on everything with the Prequel Trilogy (which wasn't as bad as what was to come; just cut things down to my Star Destroyer collection) and then Jar Jar Abrams (where I stopped adding to even that). STILL something of a Jurassic Park geek though not as much after what they've done with the "Jurassic World" rebranding (which I consider the Abramsification of JP, albeit not as bad as a full-on J.J.A. and how he's ruined both Star Trek AND Star Wars), that one kept going by a longstanding avocation of vertebrate paleontology with particular focus on the tyrannosaurs and their relatives. (Go Big or Go Home, ya know... maybe someday I'll tell the story about the toothy little troublemaker in my av.)
I'm also a contributor at politics site RedState (despite what the editor may wish, we're not all lost-our-minds #NeverTrump Derangement Syndrome like "Princess Sourgrape Haterade" Susan Wright) where I host the daily Open Thread every Wednesday, which I try to keep strictly Neutral Ground in the "Conservative Civil War." (I don't particularly like Trump myself, not totally convinced he's fully abandoned his old New York Liberal ways and won't relapse, but I'm a firm believer in credit-where-credit's-due and he's DONE more in actual conservative policy and personnel than either of the Bush League if not both, even if admittedly not as much as Ronaldus Maximus, nor as much as I'd do in his place with slash-and-burn Fire Them ALL on appointees.) If you stop by and comment, mention M4C... :)
sundance435
11-05-17, 17:26
Getting back into reading after many years of having to for undergrad and grad. I'll read just about anything non-fiction.
My main "other" hobby is travelling. I take 2 5-6 day international trips and one 10-14 day international trip every year, schedule permitting. Next big trip is Russia or South Africa. For me, researching and planning the trip is almost as fun as the trip itself, which leads to it being a hobby. I like experiencing other cultures and seeing places and objects that are important in our history.
BTW, South America is often overlooked by Americans for tourism, but it's an amazing continent with great people.
Does vegetating count?
If it were up to me id spend Sundays on the couch with beer and assorted cheese and meats, catching up on shows....or watching new ones
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Primarily video games. It’s been a part of my life since I was a kid. Lately it’s been Overwatch. Just Overwatch. World Cup was this past weekend. South Korea won and France put on a great showing, but I really was rooting for Canada. They just have players that I like. If I didn’t have my current job and I lived somewhere with decent Internet, I’d be pursuing playing this game as a full time job. It can be done; the Overwatch Leage is starting soon and at least one player signed a nearly $200k per year contract. At 17 years old. This game will be what makes eSports mainstream.
I’ve never been into traditional sports. In high school way back when I played tennis. I just can’t understand what the appeal is watching millionaires in tights pile on top of one another. But then again, I watch millionaires press buttons with headsets on, so maybe I’m being hypocritical.
While I hate fishing, I love catching. To me it’s all about getting food to eat. Whether it’s an average sized halibut or a trophy king salmon matters not. It’s not sport; it’s providing for my family. Fortunately this is the place for that.
Before I met my wife I was into hunting quite a bit. She won’t eat anything that I’ve shot, so that’s lost much of its appeal.
I do like spending time with my kid. Her birthday is tomorrow. She thinks I’m her friend or something, but I try to be a dad instead. It’s hard. No wonder so many people quit doing it. Good thing I’m morally opposed to that.
My cat was my best friend. She died earlier this year. Not sure I can ever really not feel her loss. In fact, I hope that I don’t.
Lastly I’m really into Folding@Home. It’s a project that has consistently produced results and I’ve dedicated at least one GPU to it for the last 6 years or more. Not really sure, but it might be longer. If you have spare PC hardware laying around, please consider it.
I enjoy building PCs, especially custom water cooled ones.
That’s an expensive hobby and I hope to learn more about it. I’ve built lots and lots of air cooled PCs and I’m active in one online community dedicated to computers, but water cooling scares me because one screw up and you ruin quite a lot of valuable parts. I did get a second Soldam case recently though. It’s quirky, but I really like it.
I'm surprised no one on this forum is into Bitcoin.
kaiservontexas
11-07-17, 13:54
My hobbies and interests are first and foremost art: sketching, drawing, and painting, then calligraphy, leather working, writing, poetry, and model building. I am also getting into film photography. I also enjoy day hikes, which are short cause I am crippled, camping, fishing, and hunting. My interests are video games, reading, movies, films. I also like knives. Mostly though I draw and sketch.
militarymoron
11-07-17, 15:05
I'm interested in a lot of stuff, but I think the OP is referring to 'hobbies' where you actually devote a good part of your time/life to.
My current interests revolve around family and exercise. Currently and for the past few years, it's been my son. He's become one of my main hobbies now as he's getting older (going to be 10). Not too much time for much else besides work and family, but that's by choice.
For the past 5 years, indoor rock climbing has been our family sport, and I treat it like another gym workout; so I don't go outdoor climbing much as it takes up too much time. We climb three days a week. Rock climbing is the first sport that my wife really got into and stuck with; everything else bored her. I like going to the gym and doing my weight routine; some people get bored out of their minds but I find it mentally relaxing. Now that my son is starting to compete in rock climbing competitions, that takes up weekend time as we have to drive him places.
Shooting and gear (and my website) are always in the background as I still make time to write reviews and shoot. Teaching my son to shoot now, as well. Up until 2 years ago, it was sport riding (motorcycles - canyon riding and track days). After over 20 years of riding, 3 bad crashes and 3 minor ones, I gave it up. I could not afford to go through any more injury recovery time. If I had to total up the amount of time I spent recovering from motorcycle accident injuries, it'd be about 3 years where I had to severely reduce working out, and that sucked not being able to rock climb or lift weights. Now, I just want to avoid injury and at my age, it's getting tough. There's always something aching or pulled etc.
Other long-time interests/activities include weapons development/history, photography, gear design, outdoors, hiking, camping, swimming, jogging.
Previous interests included bicycle racing (raced in college), ice hockey (played in a league for a few years), plastic modelling.
Diamondback
11-07-17, 15:23
Previous interests included [snip], plastic modelling.
Nice to know I'm not alone here. :) Not particularly interested in it--I don't do pain well, and even with stretching and hydration my calves get me contemplating getting a hacksaw after about 15 minutes--but starting to force myself to exercise more. 37 years old, 5'6" and north of 220lbs., and while I don't see "ripped" or "athletic" happening given that I like my sedentary life at a desk (and the GF tends to like guys a little on the chunky side, albeit not at the Newman level) I would like to try to get back down into the 180-200lb. range before my 40th birthday so I don't get truly morbidly obese like my mother. (Who can't even reach her own feet, hamhocks as big as my torso and gets exhausted at the short walk from a handicapped parking space to the door to get a scooter, along with the associated early-stage Congestive Heart Failure her doc and I are trying to get reversed despite her fighting us every step of the way on "less starch, more activity.") Already dumped most breads and potatoes--I limit myself to one pizza night a week and maybe a second "carb session" of pasta once in a long while, have switched from mostly red meat to mostly chicken and turkey with some pork (seafood's No Bueno, congenital severe allergy), and am trying to ease into some more exercise with about 20 minutes (endurance limit) three times a week of three laps around the building and four flights of stairs (up to 2, one lap, up to 3, another lap, back down to 2, last lap, then back to ground for a ten-minute nap). I should start a thread in the Exercise/Fitness section and see what Will Brink and the crowd can suggest about "Exercises Even an Exercise Hater Can Enjoy"...
hotrodder636
11-07-17, 17:48
Old cars. Currently I have a 1956 Chevy-restored/complete, ‘68 Pontiac Lemans—currently restoring. ‘1936 Chevy truck-restored, but looking for a different engine.
Guitars. I was in a band for a while when I lived in VA, played bass. A Warwick thumb 4 string. Also have a couple Gibson LP standards and a Fender American strat.
Bourbon. Recently got into collecting bourbon (and some rye whiskies). In fact my wife snagged me a HW Midwinter Nights Dram today.
Lastly, guns/shooting of course.
Weightlifting
Video Games
In terms of actual time and effort, lifting weights gets way more than guns. If I had a dry fire schedule that rivaled the time I spent with the weights I'd be a lot more proficient lol
alvincullumyork
11-07-17, 19:52
Racing and traveling on motorcycles. All my racing is off-road either harescrambles or enduros and a good chunk of my travel is in the dirt as well. I just moved up to the vet A class which is about a step and half below the pros. Even rented a bike in Switzerland this year.
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While I stand FIRMLY on my aformentioned hobbies....
I like retro vidya but thats no more a hobby than TV or listening to records.
I wanna get into ham radio(for conspiracies an' feet), but....
Model Rocketry. I always wanted to be in NASA as a kid and....boy did that not happen. But I built quite a few rockets. One I did like the Apollo and one like a Minuteman II. A lot ended up in trees or getting Challenger'd.
Aside from that I used to put together models but not in a while. Gundam, Macross, anything Vietnam era. Never got into tanks. I had the Munsters Koach.
I havent played in 25 years but I was super big into Battletech. I painted a few Ral Parthas usually in some menacing scheme. I had a LAM I did up like Roy Fokker's Veritech. Lost now, like tears in rain. Just as well....everyone wanted to be Clan and I had more fun as Inner Sphere.
I was also super into weights before I started collecting injuries. yeesh.
I have a few stamps but nothing far out.
Thats about it.
Other than guns? Hmm... I kind of boring. I like knives, martial arts, though work has me not doing much of that. Bit of a history nerd, though a lot of that revolves around guns or warfare. I like learning about new things. And of course the regular things, booze, babes, and BBQ. I do like good food, cooking, good beer, whiskey, and currently rum, as well as all kinds of music.
The things that probably throw people through a loop is I read a good bit, like B&N I can get lost in. I also write, like stories and shit, ya know, not just posts online. Lol. Dabble in some poetry, though I am sure to take flak for that one since that is decided unmanly. I also tend to collect scars and injuries. So decided more manly.
Um....its called "Warrior Poet"
Poetry didnt get gay until chicks appropriated it in tge Victorian era
Um....its called "Warrior Poet"
Poetry didnt get gay until chicks appropriated it in tge Victorian era
The problem with that one is calling oneself a "Warrior Poet" someone might expect you to be more eloquent than you really are. And I rarely am, at least in my mind, I mean one of the first stories I finished ended up with the main character dropping the F bomb twice in the first paragraph, and that was one of the more eloquent moments really. I kind of use bard, besides most see poetry and think some flowery bullshit, what I usually end up with tends to be rather darker. Since I also consider myself more of a story teller than a writer when it comes to writing, bard works there as well. Since I lack funds to constantly build guns I need an outlet for creative ideas otherwise I'd have to revert to my back up of plotting to take over the world. And honestly, who the hell wants the world. That shit just too much work. lol.
Also, I would argue anyone wanting to stomp on poetry to look at music, what do you think the lyrics are? It a thought.
Kipling, Hemingway, Frost, and London were read quite a bit when I was a kid.
Totally agree on music lyrics. Esp. decent rap with a real message. Not just F, N, Bitch, muh dick, and Miley Cyrus.
But soul bearing words from the streets.
In Living Colour and Public Enemy did more than their one hit wonders.
If you wanna take over the world, look up Hearts of Iron.
I played HOI2 sooooo much inna day. Ultra Nationalist USA kicks ass from Lisbon to Tokyo.
Imagine like Risk but in WWII and Alternate History. Berlin and Moscow atomized.
The_War_Wagon
11-07-17, 21:44
Building computers, Lutheran theology, and resto-modding & wheeling my '92 Ramcharger. :cool:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/The_War_Wagon/Ramcharger/100_2074_zps5zfocmmv.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/The_War_Wagon/Ramcharger/100_2084_zpsmt7kiwm2.jpg Cuttin' down a NEW tire offroad. :rolleyes:
Model Rocketry. I always wanted to be in NASA as a kid and....boy did that not happen. But I built quite a few rockets. One I did like the Apollo and one like a Minuteman II. A lot ended up in trees or getting Challenger'd.
I did rockets with my oldest son long enough to get him started, a lot of fun. He and two buddies became fairly involved, and I just became an observer. They launched a white mouse several times, he survived. Wonder what that little guy thought?
Funnest misadventure was the first time they launched one on their own. In the front yard. Fell over. Foot long scorch mark on the relatively new steel siding. Launches moved to the fairgrounds.
Cuttin' down a NEW tire offroad. :rolleyes:
Back in the day I had just put a brand new set of Armstrong Tru-Tracs mounted on white spokes on my '66 Power Wagon. I lived in BFE Nevada and had bought the tires from Dick Cepek Off-Road and had them shipped.
First weekend out, bent a rim on a snow-covered boulder and trashed the tire. I feel your pain. Also nice to see a well-used Handy-Man Hi-Lift, instead of pretty red ones mounted on yuppy racks.
I did rockets with my oldest son long enough to get him started, a lot of fun. He and two buddies became fairly involved, and I just became an observer. They launched a white mouse several times, he survived. Wonder what that little guy thought?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Hs2AQwDgA
Fievel Mouskowitz slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God
Fievel Mouskowitz slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God
That might be an overstatement, we aren't talking October Sky. :D
Model Rocketry. I always wanted to be in NASA as a kid and....boy did that not happen. But I built quite a few rockets. One I did like the Apollo and one like a Minuteman II. A lot ended up in trees or getting Challenger'd.
That's pretty cool, I was a member of both of National Association of Rocketry and Tripoli, Level 1 certified in NAR in my 20's. Getting certified level 1 in high powered model rocketry is easy and allows you to use high powered motors. These days the Level 3 guys are damn near building ballistic missiles with telemetry, GPS guidance, emergency shut offs, GPS location, onboard navigation, on board CPU, recovery systems, cameras and can reach altitudes of 120,000 ft.
Building computers, Lutheran theology, and resto-modding & wheeling my '92 Ramcharger. :cool:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/The_War_Wagon/Ramcharger/100_2074_zps5zfocmmv.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc305/The_War_Wagon/Ramcharger/100_2084_zpsmt7kiwm2.jpg Cuttin' down a NEW tire offroad. :rolleyes:
I'm about as far from a safety nazi as you can get, but damn don't lean over a handyman like that :D
Hunting in general but waterfowling is a passion. In the off season my dog and I run field trials and hunt tests. Below is us this past Oct in Texas at a national hunt test.
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militarymoron
11-08-17, 08:18
I should start a thread in the Exercise/Fitness section and see what Will Brink and the crowd can suggest about "Exercises Even an Exercise Hater Can Enjoy"...
Good on you for doing something to stay healthy. Whether it's moving (exercise) or diet - every little bit counts. For people that hate exercise, I'd recommend activities that you enjoy that involve exercise. I see jogging or weights as purely 'exercise' - I'm not really doing anything else when engaged in those. But rock climbing and cycling I really enjoy as sports/recreation - the exercise is just a bonus on top of an activity I enjoy doing.
I really feel that some kind of activity that involves exercise (or plain exercise itself) should be a hobby/interest of everyone, regardless of age. It should be an integral part of a person's lifestyle; like brushing one's teeth. The older I get, the more I value it as I really want to be able to do stuff with my son for years to come. I get antsy if a few days passes and I haven't done my normal routine. Due to my son's afterschool activities, I've had to forego the gym a few times over the past month, so I'll do pushups and air squats in my office every couple of hours so I feel like I did something physical.
I have lots of hobbies other than shooting, and I tend to cycle through them over the years, but one constant for me has been biking, definitely my preferred workout. In the summer, I ride about 60-80 miles a week on the road and about 30 miles a week on my mountain bike. We have a world-class single-track trail system here and mountain biking is a blast, even my 3 year-old granddaughter loves hitting the trails. I cracked a couple of ribs about 3 weeks ago and just now I'm able to get back on the bike. As I played that crash over and over in my head, I kept thinking of the line from Top Gun "your brain is writing checks your body can't cash". It's getting pretty chilly here now and that does curtail biking activities, at least until we get more snow. We have about 40 miles of groomed trails for winter fat-biking. That's a lot of work but makes for a great workout and is always a great ride.
At my age, you pay attention to things that seemed less important when younger. My corollary hobby is monitoring my heart rate while I ride.
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We have about 40 miles of groomed trails for winter fat-biking.
You don't cross country ski? I ride my old school Nordic-Trac in the garage during the winter, would love to be able to it live on trails.
I do some artwork. I'm also actually something of a zoology and paleontology nerd. Although I'm fairly skeptical about it, I'm also into cryptozoological stuff (bigfoot, lake monsters etc..) and other unexplained phenomena, I really enjoy the mystery aspect of it.
You don't cross country ski? I ride my old school Nordic-Trac in the garage during the winter, would love to be able to it live on trails.
Lots of cross country ski trails around here and my wife skis and snowshoes a lot. I used to skate ski out on the lake, now I just hop on the bike. That's a little more treacherous early in the season when there's ice close under the snow, and then if there's a lot of snow before the ice gets thick enough, we get slush. Trying to ski or bike through hidden slush is no bueno.
I Homebrew beer, make wine, cider, mead, whiskey/spirits, cheese and love to cook, grill and bake.
Hunting elk, fishing, hiking, fieldcraft and all things outdoors really.
I also love to build things. Anything and everything really.
I Homebrew beer, make wine, cider, mead, whiskey/spirits, cheese and love to cook, grill and bake.
Hunting elk, fishing, hiking, fieldcraft and all things outdoors really.
I also love to build things. Anything and everything really.I've been strongly considering making Mead. Any tips? Complicated? Recipes?
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I've been strongly considering making Mead. Any tips? Complicated? Recipes?
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Shoot me a PM with any questions you have and that way we won't derail this thread.
It's not complicated, but it takes patience to do it the traditional/correct way. I have tons of recipes and advice to share.
Two young kids take most of my free time. Getting parts together for two belt fed builds has taken a lot of time; almost over. Thank goodness. Been a huge undertaking.
My "hobby" this winter will be to see if my back(surgery) is going to allow me to ski. If yes, I'll ski some while still recovering from surgery.
Most likely I will spend as much time as possible doing nothing. Past couple of yrs. has been hard on my body and I really need to convalesce this winter and into spring/summer. My hobby will most likely be getting things done ASAP so I can rest as much as possible. I'm just tired and need to recover.
Two young kids take most of my free time. Getting parts together for two belt fed builds has taken a lot of time; almost over. Thank goodness. Been a huge undertaking.
My "hobby" this winter will be to see if my back(surgery) is going to allow me to ski. If yes, I'll ski some while still recovering from surgery.
Most likely I will spend as much time as possible doing nothing. Past couple of yrs. has been hard on my body and I really need to convalesce this winter and into spring/summer. My hobby will most likely be getting things done ASAP so I can rest as much as possible. I'm just tired and need to recover.
Just a rule of thumb, Back injuries and cold weather don't go well together- you need to get some sun!!
Snowmachines (snowmobiles for other states other than Alaska)... I live and breathe them. My yard is full of them. I work hard all summer to be able to take time off to ride in the winter. My passion is back country riding and going places the average rider doesn't go. I have a group of dedicated friends that go with me. Heading into the wilderness of Alaska requires riding buddies that you really trust. Most of my social life revolves around sleds.
THIS[emoji1312]- although living in Ohio I’m not as fortunate...we have to chase the snow!!! My cousin and I️ are avid snowmobiles...been riding our entire lives and laid tracks everywhere from the Snowies in Wyoming to remote areas of northern Quebec.
Backcountry riding is our preferred...but we switch it up every few years and plan trips based on the current sleds we have as there is some great trail riding in the east. When we’re not riding we’re frequently discussing sleds or plans for the upcoming season...my wife literally thinks I’m nuts...if consumes me!!!
Also into anything with a motor, guns(building and tinkering as well as shooting), recently reloading, hunting, fishing, dog, working out, working with my hands, outdoors in general, and lots of other stuff...all of which typically takes a back seat to sleds....accept for the wife! Luckily she’s supportive all of this stuff...got a little one on the way and already picked up an old Arctic Cat Kitty Cat to get the kid started young! Gotta get it fixed up...luckily I️ have a few years.
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I know just from reading post from you guys that a lot of you are interested in a lot of different things and I just wanted to know what hobbies you guys have or what you do in your spare time.
As for me:
To tell you the truth, I haven't shot a gun in almost 3 years, but I like to tinker with them.
I also have a passion for photography, but more interested in astrophotography, which is taking hundreds of photos of our interstellar objects and composing them into one single image. I have 2 telescope setups: I have a Meade LXD 75 6" APO refractor with a Meade DS395 3" refractor piggybacked on top used as a guide scope, that set up is on an Astrophysics GO-To mount. The guide scope has a CC3D monochrome guide camera that keeps the objects in view over long exposers. My other set up is a Meade 12" ACF Schmidt-Cassegrain style Ritchey–Chrétien Catadioptric telescope on a GPS equipped GO To mount. That telescope has a Starlock CMOS star finder that uses celestial navigation. I use Sony A-77 24mpeg cameras for all photography: Jupiter, Saturn, M57 and the Orion Nebula are my subjects for now.
The last few years I have been working on something I have been keeping pretty close to the chest. I went back to school and took a few engineering classes (just the basics), I learned how to use AutoCAD Inventor and took flying lessons and got my pilots license. I have, in the greatest of secrecy, been working on a Human Powered personal helicopter prototype. Its a carbon fiber tubular frame chassis and 5 blade rotor made of light weight epoxy reinforced Styrofoam. I hade a friend who worked at Bell design to blades to lift 350 lbs. at 125 RPM. I call it the Gnat and it will hover for about 18 seconds at about 10 feet. I am designing this to not be powered by pedaling alone but using 2 small composite accumulators that power a small air motor. Air is more consistent than the human muscular system. I have 2 people working with me on this and we hope by 2019 we can have a fully functional prototype that take off, hover fly forward and turn right & left. The idea was for an average person with average strength to be able to power there own person flight for 12 minutes at a time or a distance of 1 mile at 20 feet. Here is a sneak peak at our frame:
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This is me with a broken arm and fractured elbow after crashing into the ground from 8 feet- 4th of July weekend 2015
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No that's not the way I dress either.
This is me with a fractured back, sprained ankle and mild concussion after crashing into ground from 15 feet- Labor day weekend 2016
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This is the back of my head:
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The crashes were caused by a loss of lift caused by the rotors flexing and becoming unbalanced- we fixed that with carbon truss tubes in each rotor blade.
Another thing that I am interested in is writing short stories. I don't like reading but I enjoy writing as odd as that sounds. I would like to learn how to write scripts as well.
Into astronomy as well, but strictly visual in my case. Have an 8" f4 Newtonian mounted on an iOptron Minitower Pro. Awesome tracking, and low enough to the ground that my kids can look thru the eyepiece. Mostly planets, unless I get to a darker spot. Even then, I'll watch a shadow transit of Jupiter's moons any night of the week, and Saturn is just beautiful. People can't believe it when I pop a 100* eyepiece in, line it up, and you can see the rings so clearly. Kind of bummed when I found out that it'll be low on the horizon for the next decade.
Been playing around with motor scooters for a few months now as well. Pick me up cheap, fix and sell, or part them out. Even started helping out at a repair shop just to learn a bit more. Fun little motors to work on.
Your human powered copter is really cool. Can't wait to see it fly. But you have to at least wear a helmet.
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Besides guns, I'm into the following:
Working on cars. I don't like to take my cars in for anything. Now it's turned into helping others at work and church if they need anything done, recently lifted a new Jeep Wrangler and a brand new Tundra for some friends. Tundra sucked doing the front leveling kit but it looked so much better afterwards. I broke my 1/2 ratchet on that one...lol I actually enjoy it so much so that I'm considering putting a lift in my garage. I've had a couple of sports cars (94 RX7 twin turbo and 67 Mustang Fastback) but right now I don't have a "fun car". I've got a diesel truck that I've had to pull the engine on, not a fun task those things are HEAVY! I recently tuned it so it's helping my itch for another sports car.
My daughter asked me a few years ago to do taekwondo with her so I've done that almost 3 years now. Earned my black belt over the summer. That keeps me busy at least 2 nights a week. After getting over looking stupid in the get up it's actually turned out to be fun. I've become more flexible, still need to get more flexible but I'm better than I was! I'm not crazy about the forms but I've enjoyed the sparring. Once she gets tired of hanging out with dad I may switch to something else to learn a different aspect. There's pros and cons to each but learning one is better than nothing. And being proficient at 2 is better. I also work out 3-4 days a week at the gym. Trying to stay healthy and somewhat fit.
Biggest volunteering thing I do is children's ministry at church. Figure there's enough single parent homes out there now that there is a need for men volunteers. A small group study I was in almost 10 years ago basically said that all the volunteers were mostly women and all the pictures of Jesus were of him with sheep (more feminine type pictures). Said that some table kicking Jesus was in order every once and a while and kids needed to see men doing some of the heavy lifting. And men usually play rougher and bring a different perspective to lessons. It's been the most eye opening experience to get to know some kids, very humbling. I never thought that it was something I was good at but showing up and being there for kids is HUGE for them. My wife works with the youth group and several of the college kids now have told her they want to model their marriage after my wife's marriage and how they see us interact. Little do they know we are screwed up too...hahahahaha
Lastly, college football guy. Was born in Alabama so I've been a fan since an infant. Usually go to a couple games a year. Thankfully I'm not one of those that have their whole week ruined if we lose a game.
Biggest things I want to get into:
I want to get into 3 gun or start traveling a couple times a year for classes like Thunder Ranch, Shivworks, Sig Academy, etc but haven't found the time. That's my goal for next year, mark off a weekend and just do it.
contax_shooter
11-12-17, 20:01
Photography, art studies, skateboarding, watches and thinking of clever ways to avoid paying my student loans.
Traveling is a byproduct of the first three listed.
I like to brew alcoholic beverages, and eat food. Otherwise, Im pretty boring.
Diamondback
11-15-17, 20:25
I like to eat.
Don't we all? :D
I like to cook--and do an okay job at it--when I have someone to cook for who I know will appreciate it.
Most recently: procreating. Daughter (first): she's amazing and really well behaved considering how my wife and I were as babies.
Also, I made the mistake of getting into FPV Drone Racing here of late - really affordable hobby all things considered, quite a bit of fun, and the local group is actually incredibly helpful.
Beyond that, still mountain biking, still leading the Scottish pipeband drumming scene locally, still doing STEM-H outreach, and now recreationally learning about relativistic vacuum steady state devices
Moose-Knuckle
11-16-17, 02:46
Most recently: procreating.
And here I thought I was the only one!
It is by far my favorite pastime. :cool:
(congratulations on the little one)
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