so what do you do when you're NOT playing the uke?

so i've just officially joined the body of ukulele players with my acquisition of a tenor (lanikai s-t) and soprano (mitchell mu-70) within the last week.

and in preparation for these ukes i've been on here for longer than that to see what i'm getting myself into.

from looking around there's some interesting and diverse people on here!

so... i'm curious!

granted this seems more like one of those poll questions (don't know how to do that yet). but...

what sort of hobbies do you have in addition to the ukulele? hobby/past-time meaning not your work or profession--but the other stuff you like or do or would like to do.

is there a disproportionate number of woodworkers, musical snow globe collectors, lint sculptors or long-board surfers among us? are the run-of-the-mill painters and farm town addicts grossly underrepresented in the uu universe?

oh, and hobbies you really, actually do please. if you are an elbow scab collector, then okay. just don't make up stuff for the wow factor or chuckle unless it is genuine. no select spruce tops (aka spruce laminate) masquerading as solid sitka spruce!

me:

(in no particular order of preference or frequency)

- photography (canon dslr)
- wii
- hanging with the family (beautiful wife & 2 wonderful little kids)
- travel (when we can afford it)
- camping
- hiking
- scuba diving (adv open water padi)
- fencing (no not the yard boundary kind; the pokey steel, mesh mask kind)
- reading
- hammock time
- singing
- zoos & museums
- watching movies & tv shows off netflix


:shaka:

I'm an internet junkie, sadly.
I go to school full time.
Recently, I've taken up swimming and the ukulele for fun.

Other than eating, sleeping, ukin' and breathing....

No comment.

Great thread topic idea!

When I'm not playing the uke, working my day job, or hanging out with my lovely GF, here's what I do:

• Going to school. I'm finishing up a degree from Troy University, all online. Now that I'm in the homestretch, I'm taking three classes per term, which is a bit hectic.
• Running. I've finished five full marathons so far. But I've been a big, fat slacker the past couple of years (see bullet point #1)
• Flying. I got my private pilot certificate several years back. This is another hobby that's been on the back burner due to school.
• Playing piano. This is actually my "main" instrument.
• Learning to play the accordion. The left hand is the tricky part.
• Learning to play tennis. Boy is this humbling.
• Geeking out about wine. A great little hobby that there's always something more to learn about.
• Scrabble! I've actually played (poorly) in tournaments. (Yes, there are Scrabble tournaments.)
• WoW. Downloading the new patch right now!
• And yeah, Netflix. Love me some Hitchcock!

I've always wanted to take up fencing. I've heard it's a good workout. And it just seems cool and Errol Flynn-ish.

JJ

Ukulele JJ said:

Great thread topic idea!

When I'm not playing the uke, working my day job, or hanging out with my lovely GF, here's what I do:

• Going to school. I'm finishing up a degree from Troy University, all online. Now that I'm in the homestretch, I'm taking three classes per term, which is a bit hectic.
• Running. I've finished five full marathons so far. But I've been a big, fat slacker the past couple of years (see bullet point #1)
• Flying. I got my private pilot certificate several years back. This is another hobby that's been on the back burner due to school.
• Playing piano. This is actually my "main" instrument.
• Learning to play the accordion. The left hand is the tricky part.
• Learning to play tennis. Boy is this humbling.
• Geeking out about wine. A great little hobby that there's always something more to learn about.
• Scrabble! I've actually played (poorly) in tournaments. (Yes, there are Scrabble tournaments.)
• WoW. Downloading the new patch right now!
• And yeah, Netflix. Love me some Hitchcock!

I've always wanted to take up fencing. I've heard it's a good workout. And it just seems cool and Errol Flynn-ish.

JJ

Click to expand...

WOW! What *can't* you do JJ? That is awesome!

-working out. specifically running and cycling. LOVE my new bike. I've done a couple of triathlons. Currently training for Nike's The Human Race 10K

-the internet. uu, perez, post secret, youtube, bloglines

-basketball. watching/playing/organzing/coaching

-reading. left over from my english/journalism major

I read... alot! Mostly history books
But I also like to scuba dive during the summer, and during the winter I often tend to go on trips sleaping in snowcaves the me and my friends make

I build them!

Seriously, though, my hobbies include baking bread, roasting coffee, cooking, gardening, and fishing/diving.

I'm just about finishing a long hiatus on diving. I had Lasik done last Friday, so I had to stay out of the water for two months. I was blind as a bat without corrective lens and I couldn't wear my contacts for a while, prior to the procedure. I could have still gone diving, but I don't have dolphin sonar, so I decided to wait. Hopefully my doctor gives me the go ahead and I can head back in the water next week.

Oh, and the internets also consumes a lot of my off time. I should probably practice more, but I end up surfing the web instead.

In addition to publishing Ukulele Player Magazine, I publish DSLR-MAG, a digital SLR camera magazine. I also write books. I have a photography business, too. I also do motivational speaking.

I love fly fishing and fly tying (some of my original fly patterns are now famous). I occasionally teach seminars and classes.

Cycling is great recreation. I love hiking, too. I combine hiking with photography and take shots for photo galleries and a card business in which I am involved.

Computer technology is also a fascination. I've been using computers since before there was an IBM-PC (which came onto the market in 1981). I had been computing for years prior to that.

I have a list of hobbies a mile long... no need for all that.

koalohapaul said:

I build them!

Seriously, though, my hobbies include baking bread, roasting coffee, cooking, gardening, and fishing/diving.

Click to expand...

I love various breads and bake several. Irish Oatmeal bread is my favorite. I love coffee, too. Kauai is my favorite, followed by Kona.

I have always thought about combining photography and diving. There is a world of opportunity there.

our family hobby is bowling, even my 5 1/2 yr old daughter bowls well. I like to take the kids to the park, or just hang out at the mall or shopping center. i dont get to the movies often, so I love Netflix. I have a farm on Farm Town.I am online more than I should be practicing, cause I still suck...I keep wanting to buy new ukes convincing myself it will turn me into a better player!! I feel that I have a pretty sad, boring life....oh well...

If you get the gear, I'm sure under water photography would be worth the effort.

That Irish Oatmeal bread sounds delicious. The only problems I have with baking is that I usually don't have the time, and good flour is near impossible to find here. I order flour from the mainland, and the price per pound after shipping is usually doubled. I don't bake consistently enough to order larger bags and save on the shipping. Either the bugs get to it, or the flour just gets old and rancid. My dream is to build a brick oven in the back yard, when we move back to my parent's property. We're doing a renovation and when it's done, I'll have the perfect space to put my oven. If it isn't functional, I know I'll at least have a good time putting it together.

If you haven't tried Moloka'i coffee, it's worth exploration. I like it the best out of the local coffees, followed by Kaua'i and then Kona. There's so many growers in Kona, so the quality is not too consistent. I hooked up with a really good farm for a couple years, but I stopped roasting in any decent volume, so I haven't called them in a while. I had to throw away some beans that got really old. I tried roasting them, but the coffee was flat and horrible. Not much better than roasted soy bean water.

Pippin said:

I love various breads and bake several. Irish Oatmeal bread is my favorite. I love coffee, too. Kauai is my favorite, followed by Kona.

I have always thought about combining photography and diving. There is a world of opportunity there.

Click to expand...

Other than the uke....

Playing guitar. I like to dabble in drums a bit, I'm hoping to get into blues guitar soon, maybe some baritone Uke, definately som electric gutiar....just need money!

Here's my current one, kind of a piece of junk, but good starter.



Here's the new one on the way, graduation gift!



Art, I mainly do off the streets graffitti, love the culture and the art. Here's some old stuff of mine. Gotten a lot better since this.



Reading.

And I love playing roller hockey, yes I am a girl. I am a goalie, here's a pic of me playing at nationals this year.

Aha well, like most male teenager I love eating, texting, video games, but hate reading.. haha
hmm but other than that...

I love tennis, going out for walks, drawing, school band (saxophone), oddly enough I don't like television that much.. I watch maybe 2 or 3 shows..

i am big on the social network stuff

YouTube
Facebook
UkuleleUndergroud
Twitter

my macbook
my iphone

i guess this is all the interwebnets right.. world wide and all..

MY future wife HATES THIS! well she just hates when she talks to me and i am looking at my iPhone and i say.. "What?"

I also play guitar.. and stuff

dominicfoundthemooon said:

i am big on the social network stuff

YouTube
Facebook
UkuleleUndergroud
Twitter

my macbook
my iphone

i guess this is all the interwebnets right.. world wide and all..

MY future wife HATES THIS! well she just hates when she talks to me and i am looking at my iPhone and i say.. "What?"

I also play guitar.. and stuff

Click to expand...

lol yes me as well except twitter haha
I don't get it really..

I am also a fan of the a particular korean drama lol

Besides the 'ukulele I LOVE woodworking especially woodturning on a lathe. I also LOVE the outdoors- fishing, diving (spear fish), and once in a while I'll go up into the mountains and pop me a wild boar. Also love to cook, read fiction and the Bible.
I LOVE to surf (Longboard) but I haven't been able too since my back injury but plan on it as soon as I've recovered.

I listen to music when I'm not playing it. And daydreaming that one day I'll develop some talent ha ha.

I read a lot, all kinds of books, anything really. I've got books piled up all over my house.

And renovating my house. I bought a place three years ago which was in need of serious updating. So I've become a "master" of roofing, wiring, landscaping, fence building, pouring concrete and lord knows what else!

Nice 'Cuda, I hope to get back into fishing when I get more time. So, my scene . . .

Work FT at a library (not a librarian)
Graduate next May from Graduate School (Then I'll be a Librarian)
Keep everything fixed and my wife happy (or is it the other way around?)
Traveling to see first grandchild again (She is awesome)
Helping other daughter finish college :wallbash:
Play guitar and drums when I can/jam with friends :rock:
Other hobbies include Internet, electronics hacking and reading SciFi

Great thread idea, Most of us are pretty busy!

Man, you guys are so cool and make me feel like an idiot.

All I do is play video games...