Total Immersion Hobbies before Discovering Ukulele

Total immersion hobbies --

'93-'99 surfing every single weekend; skipping work when necessary. I started by describing it as cheap downhill skiing; I ended by calling it the ultimate of everything. It brought me to Hawaii for the first time in '96. It's the first hobby that left permanent marks on my body.

'00-'02 mountain biking every single weekend. Made a trip to Moab. Close encounter with ghost and stuff. First major concussion. Waiting for my 30th bday so I can race in the masters division. Lost a lot of skin: you know, when you ski and fall, sometimes you wonder when you'll stop as you slide down the snow/icy hill; well, its the same with mountain bike except the hill is covered with rocks and gravel. Marked up my body good (mostly legs and arms).

'02-'07 shooting guns every single weekend. In chronological order: steel challenge, IPSC/USPSA, NRA smallbore pistol and rifle silhouettes, ATA trap, NRA high power, IDPA, NRA bullseye. Shooting is the safest sport; it's the only thing here that didn't put permanent mark on my body.

'07-'10 riding motorcycles every single weekend; skipping work when necessary. Good to have 5 race tracks within driving distances; dying to join amateur racing. First time ever breaking a bone (followed by many more), first time riding an ambulance, first time coming too close to death, first time knowing what true fun really is. First time ever loved life more than life itself. First time ever everything. To go fast and be in control is a wonderful feeling.

Not sure if the ukulele is total immersion hobby for me.
Clear, it seems unlikely the ukulele will become a total immersion hobby for you. It’s not dangerous enough, and has a low probability of inflicting any bodily harm. Plus you probably don’t play it just on weekends. :)
 
Clear, it seems unlikely the ukulele will become a total immersion hobby for you. It’s not dangerous enough, and has a low probability of inflicting any bodily harm. Plus you probably don’t play it just on weekends. :)

JanD, if you think I only did those other hobbies on the weekends, you're very wrong. (Well, maybe for shooting. Now, that's a real family/responsible hobby.)

There can only be one total immersion hobby for me at a time because of the amount of commitment required. After '10, and now it's 12 years later; I don't think I can ever get into another hobby as intensely simply because I don't have the time. It's not really the danger that attracted me; if I think carefully, it's the competition that was driving me. Who knows, roll back the years to pre-2010 and send a uke to me, you never know :)
 
Sorry...late to the party. Interesting to see the hobbies of other people.

Since starting guitar in the early 70's, guitar and music has been a consistent obsession/hobby. During this time I've done a ton of dabbling with instruments, styles and had numerous sub-obsessions like Japanese classical guitars and music software. I've honed my guitar collection down to mostly what I want with all the usual suspects. It all led to me realizing uke was a legit instrument about a year ago so my current thing is UU and ukes. I also am on a cigar box instrument building binge but am slowing down until I get rid of some.

I've been through computer building in the late 80's. (Loads of 386's type stuff, 20mb hard drives, 8 mb ram type stuff) I used a commodore 64 as my first midi interface for computer recording and had a crazy ton of commodore 64 games and parts. I'd take my kids to yard sales looking for parts.

I discovered local open mic nights around 2000. Going to them was really healing for me following a tough divorce and it connected me to the local music and songwriter community. I started a website that tracked all the local open mics (there were 30-40 in a week around here) and have a fb group for local open mics to this day. I would go to open mic nights at least 3 times a week, sometimes more. I went to 3 different ones on one night even. Covid kicked open mic nights in the nads but they are starting to come back.
 
The wife keeps telling me no more hobbies ( I don't blame her). Stone carving, R/C model airplanes, model trains, antiquing , woodworking and bowl turning, antique tractors, steam engines and who knows what next week might bring. I enjoy them all but only try to keep active with a couple at a time.
 
Other than ukuleles (and now guitar), I've had a few hobbies that consumed a substantial portion of my daily activities.

Up until a couple of years ago, I was heavily into West African drumming (djembe, dunun, etc.) and was taking in-person lessons from several African teachers, playing for dance classes, attending festivals/camps, and generally making a lot of fun noise! Once COVID hit, the in-person activities came to a screeching halt. I quickly found that playing a drum by myself is not very satisfying and the drums went back on the shelf (where they still are). As I'm aging, I'm also finding that intense, physical activities (playing djembe for a dance class is a helluva workout!) are becoming less desirable, so it looks like my drumming days are behind me.

A few years back, I got seriously into fountain pen collecting. I have a pretty substantial collection now of both vintage and new fountain pens. I use them every day and still enjoy them, but I'm reducing my collection and selling off most of the vintage pens. I'll keep a few special vintage pens, but for the most part, I'll just keep and use some of the nicer modern pens.

Another acquisition hobby is vintage safety razors and shaving gear. Over the years, I've collected probably 40-50 double- and single-edged safety razors and an equal number of shaving brushes. The brushes have all been personally restored with new bristles and returned to usable condition. I have stopped hunting for new items, though, since I'm running out of room, quality items are getting harder (and more expensive) to find, and I can only use so many! The ones in my collection all get used regularly but I can't see adding any more. The collection will stay but I've got no plans to make it grow.
Larry, I had the fountain pen bug bite me a couple of years ago. They are still pretty much the only pens I use in my house. I just fell in love with vintage Esterbrook pens, there is a desk model on the table besides me:). As for my everyday pens, I prefer Lamy, they are fun and cheap - two of my favorite things! LOL
 
My total immersion hobby would have to be weaving. I have looms - lots and lots of looms. I used to live in a 750 sq ft home with two floor looms and it was not big enough, so I bought a place that is 1900 sq ft. I have big looms, I have little looms, new looms, old looms, multi-shaft or no shafts at all. I weave all of my household items: rugs, towels, curtains, wall hangings, grocery bags, fabric for clothes, tote bags, and now instrument straps. My most-used ukuleles and dulcimers have straps that I wove. I also braid any cord and weave any bands that I need or want.

Playing with string leads to other tunnels in the fiberland rabbit hole: knitting, crocheting, tatting, spinning, dyeing, and quilting. My entire home is live-in section of fiberland. Every room has equipment or items that I have created with that equipment.

When one weaves, one needs to sew and I fell down the vintage Singer sewing machine rabbit hole. In less than 8 weeks, I acquired 8 new-to-me vintage machines - it was insanity times chaos for a while there. Fortunately that bug has mellowed and I have actually thinned the VSM herd quite a bit.
 
-I bought my first guitar in 1960 and my brother and I started learning folk styles.
-Since we only had one guitar for a couple of years, we bought a few Marine Band mouth harps, which were about $2.00 in those days. We learned from Sonny & Brownie LPs.
-In about 1964, I bought an old bowl back Martin mandolin and learned some jug band tunes.
-In 1967 I started teaching public school and I repaired the Autoharp that I found in a store room and used it in music class.
-In 1970 I built a dulcimer and started learning to play it.
-In 1975, I discovered that I was gonna become a father, so I quit smoking and put the 75 cents a day I was spending on smokes into a bank and soon had enough to buy a 5 string banjo. Since then I have built a few banjos.
-Since that time I have accumulated a number of musical instruments and learned and am learning to play them. My newest musical passion is the ukulele.

Some other hobbies that have taken a lot of hours of my life are:
-Canoeing and camping, mostly in Algonquin Park,
-Weaving - I once had a room in the house devoted to my looms,
-HO model railroading - I no longer have a layout, but still enjoy building models.
-These days I try to spend as much time as I can walking down the Port Hope Waterfront Trail, which is my church. I take photographs of the wildlife. Since entering the digital age, my enlarger, developing trays, contact box and 35mm SLRs have been in storage.
 
Playing with string leads to other tunnels in the fiberland rabbit hole: knitting, crocheting, tatting, spinning, dyeing, and quilting. My entire home is live-in section of fiberland. Every room has equipment or items that I have created with that equipment.
Fingerloop braiding?

 
Fingerloop braiding?


I have not tried that....yet! I braid on a marudai, which is a Japanese low braid stand. The Japanese have such interesting ways of doing things, I also had a takadai, which is really cool to braid on, but I found I was not using it so passed it on to another braider.
 
My total immersion hobby would have to be weaving. I have looms - lots and lots of looms. I used to live in a 750 sq ft home with two floor looms and it was not big enough, so I bought a place that is 1900 sq ft. I have big looms, I have little looms, new looms, old looms, multi-shaft or no shafts at all. I weave all of my household items: rugs, towels, curtains, wall hangings, grocery bags, fabric for clothes, tote bags, and now instrument straps. My most-used ukuleles and dulcimers have straps that I wove. I also braid any cord and weave any bands that I need or want.

Playing with string leads to other tunnels in the fiberland rabbit hole: knitting, crocheting, tatting, spinning, dyeing, and quilting. My entire home is live-in section of fiberland. Every room has equipment or items that I have created with that equipment.

When one weaves, one needs to sew and I fell down the vintage Singer sewing machine rabbit hole. In less than 8 weeks, I acquired 8 new-to-me vintage machines - it was insanity times chaos for a while there. Fortunately that bug has mellowed and I have actually thinned the VSM herd quite a bit.
I have stopped weaving and sold my loom, but I still miss it a lot sometimes. My weaving friends often try to get me back into it. I do have a couple of straps that I have woven left and one that my daughter-in-law, Loni wove for me. My siblings each have a strap that I wove.
I tried my hand at spinning as well, but the results were pretty uneven.
I built an inkle loom and used it for a few straps about 50 years ago, but have none of them left.
I'd love to see some photos of your weaving and looms.
 
In this and many other areas of my life, I'm an incurable, introverted bore. Though I enjoy canoeing, hiking, fishing, car travel and birding, my sole source of total immersion is, and has always been, reading. I loathe the hassle, frantic pace and extended claustrophobia of traveling by air, bus, rail and cruise ship. Admittedly, much of that is a control issue. I don't enjoy traveling unless I'm in the driver's seat.

Even when learning and playing 5-string banjo for the past four decades, I found more satisfaction and true escapism in books than in music.

Then something wonderful happened on the basis of what was intended as a gag gift. During the past ten months, my little DIY soprano uke has triggered a greater extent of pleasure and contentment in my little brain than the banjo ever did. I attribute much of, if not all, that to a sense of uniqueness and individualism I'd consciously but sadly allowed to slip away while navigating the whack-a-mole challenges inherent to adult-ing.
 
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I have stopped weaving and sold my loom, but I still miss it a lot sometimes. My weaving friends often try to get me back into it. I do have a couple of straps that I have woven left and one that my daughter-in-law, Loni wove for me. My siblings each have a strap that I wove.
I tried my hand at spinning as well, but the results were pretty uneven.
I built an inkle loom and used it for a few straps about 50 years ago, but have none of them left.
I'd love to see some photos of your weaving and looms.
https://tscweaves.blogspot.com/
The above link is to my blog. I have not been keeping up on it but there are pictures of a lot of my weaving equipment.
FDA728C9-BFA4-4C79-82D0-335E3DFC2DEE.jpeg
This is a picture of one of the straps that I wove for my ukuleles, its still on the loom in this picture. There is a lot of fun to be had at my house with colored string😀
 
I have not tried that....yet! I braid on a marudai, which is a Japanese low braid stand. The Japanese have such interesting ways of doing things, I also had a takadai, which is really cool to braid on, but I found I was not using it so passed it on to another braider.
I enjoy the rhythm of using the marudai; we have a takadai that my husband made for my Dad, who was totally into kumihimo on the marudai until his hands got too cranky to even manage that, and he was too intimidated by the takadai to try it. So it sits in our basement, awaiting inspiration. Like my huge litho/etching combo press...

The great thing about the finger loop braiding is the distinct lack of equipment required to make really neat braids! It's a cool technique.
 
I enjoy the rhythm of using the marudai; we have a takadai that my husband made for my Dad, who was totally into kumihimo on the marudai until his hands got too cranky to even manage that, and he was too intimidated by the takadai to try it. So it sits in our basement, awaiting inspiration. Like my huge litho/etching combo press...

The great thing about the finger loop braiding is the distinct lack of equipment required to make really neat braids! It's a cool technique.
You can create really cool pieces on the takadai, but it was a royal pain for me to set up, that is one of the reasons it went on its wayl
 
Looking back, my primary focus has been reading [which continues today], then supporting a family [civilian work] then the Army required my full, undivided, attention until I retired. During those times I squeezed in some part time silver smithing and road/dirt biking. No music related interests at all until several years after retirement. Since retiring it's been: concentrating on college all day, six days a week, for a couple of years, then a bit of travel in a 5th wheel for a few years, and split can flyrod making. Currently it's fly tying shows and music [and some woodworking] for the last 20-25, or so, years [theory, building dulcimers, repairing/modifying mountain dulcimers and autoharps, and trying to play a variety of instruments]. The uke is an extension of my music interests right now. I don't know that it will become my primary focus or not, but it's right up there with the MD and AH at the moment. What's odd to me is I still have very little interest in listening to the radio, going to jams or 'concerts' or have 'favorite musicians' or music genre's.
 
https://tscweaves.blogspot.com/
The above link is to my blog. I have not been keeping up on it but there are pictures of a lot of my weaving equipment.
View attachment 145538
This is a picture of one of the straps that I wove for my ukuleles, its still on the loom in this picture. There is a lot of fun to be had at my house with colored string😀
That's a beaut Theresea!
I wove this one, inspired by rag rugs, using scraps from my scrap bucket. Each of my siblings have much nicer straps woven from the same warp, but I love this one.
strap1.jpg

My daughter-in-law, Loni wove this one for me:
strap2.jpg

Brother Dave is playing my ex-wife's Yamaha with a strap that I wove on an inkleloom. That photo is at least 45 years old since I don't have a beard.
Jim & Dave in Baltimore ES-175.jpg
 
Looking back, my primary focus has been reading [which continues today], then supporting a family [civilian work] then the Army required my full, undivided, attention until I retired. During those times I squeezed in some part time silver smithing and road/dirt biking. No music related interests at all until several years after retirement. Since retiring it's been: concentrating on college all day, six days a week, for a couple of years, then a bit of travel in a 5th wheel for a few years, and split can flyrod making. Currently it's fly tying shows and music [and some woodworking] for the last 20-25, or so, years [theory, building dulcimers, repairing/modifying mountain dulcimers and autoharps, and trying to play a variety of instruments]. The uke is an extension of my music interests right now. I don't know that it will become my primary focus or not, but it's right up there with the MD and AH at the moment. What's odd to me is I still have very little interest in listening to the radio, going to jams or 'concerts' or have 'favorite musicians' or music genre's.
Not odd at all, Bibs! Thank you for your service. I have little interest in modern music and find much of it completely lousy. Country music, in particular, is largely a thing of the past. You reminded me that I also did a bit of fly-tying at one time but got pulled away by family and work demands. Our county Parks & Rec department got uncharacteristically ambitious about two decades ago and offered a really great string of evening courses that included small engine repair and fly-tying.
 
Oh, gee.. Astronomy- along with building telescopes, competitive shooting- music- record collecting, building instruments on a hobby level, woodworking, cars, amateur radio (-ex WA6VPM)- lots over 74 years!
Oh, yes- I forgot- R/C Planes- and most fun of all gas powered R/C racing boats!
 
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In the 80's it was Avalon Hill board games which are filling up about 8 plastic tubs and don't see the late of day. 90's to about 2010 was pc gaming and slots at casinos. Haven't really taken a deep dive on anything since. Taking my time getting into the Ukulele and not going overboard leading to burnout. I am stopping at two ukes for now and no more string changes. How long I will have willpower is yet to be seen. Maybe a tenor to go with baritones? Is there a cure other than finances for UAS?
 
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