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Hey Peyton - thanks for asking.

I'm teaching myself to play golf and working at it very tenaciously, maybe spending more time (and definitely more money) on it than on the piano (which I'm also self-teaching).
I'm now shoting in the mid 80s - which isn't too bad (and no, that isn't for the first 9 holes ).

Golf is a great game - if you don't take it too seriously (as they always say). But, everyone takes it seriously, at least at the start. I have that under control though - so far I've only broken 3 clubs by slamming them against trees out of frustration But it's an easy game to play - badly. Which I never cease to find new ways to demonstrate.

In my wild and crazy middle age I used to do biathlons, triathlons and marathons - but that was during my mid-life crises. I traveled alot to participate - from Maine to Florida. I Still can't believe I did these insane events - it was so damn time consuming and exhausting. But it was cheaper and less hazardous than driving fast sports cars and chasing wild women (or is that wild sports cars and fast women?)

I spend my spare time (if any) working my way slowly, but efficiently, through my wife's "honey-do list" (which strangely seems to be interminable).

Trap

I knew this would be an interesting thread...

Hawgdriver, you should just list what you have never done. Might be shorter. (Needlepoint?... )


Super hunk... wow, you were a member of the US Dive team? That's pretty awesome. My dad was a great diver, probably not up to your caliber, and he taught me a good deal when I was a kid. My signature dive was the half gainer. If I tried that today, assuming I didn't slam the back of my head on the board, I would most likely end up in a back brace.

TrapperJohn, I tried golf one summer. That's got to be one of the most frustrating games on the planet. If you ever need any extra clubs just let me know... although I think mine are mostly bent in round tree like arcs....

I didn't mention horseback riding mostly because my horse, Shakota, is getting so old now that we just don't ride like we used to. I also just restored a 1927 Merrymeeting Gunning Float (a very cool looking duck boat with a long sharp bow for cutting through marsh grass and a hole in the back for a sculling oar).

Singing, reading, jogging (whenever I don't feel lazy). But the past 2 months have been mostly piano and solfege.

Interesting thread indeed. I'm a bit of a dilettante who likes to dabble in all sorts, but the only constants apart from music are fly fishing (mostly trout, occasional forays into salt) and cricket (watching, not playing). Surprised noboby's mentioned fly fishing yet, but maybe the set of fly-fishers and the set of piano players don't overlap very much. I would not be surprised however, to be the only person on here who likes cricket (or even knows what it is) !

I know what it is! Maybe I'd like it too if there was someone to play with here.

I used to play a lot more sports (softball, tennis, etc.) but I pretty much just stick to working out with weights and golf. I do some sketching and watercolor painting, but not lately.

There are a lot of similarities between golf and piano, but one of the great attractions of golf is that while I'll never play Carnagie Hall, I have played Pebble Beach, Doral, Torrey Pines, Olympia Fields.....etc.!

It's interesting that you bring up the similarities you perceive between golf and playing piano. It might make an interesting thread for folks to draw similarities between various activities and playing piano. I've thought the same thing only between, of all things, skeet shooting and playing piano. In fact, I will sometimes shoot better if I shoot soon after practicing piano (not the other way around). I've tried to put my finger on it and some of the things I see are #1. fundamentals. As in piano there are basic fundamentals that, once you master, make for better shooting. In piano it's posture, hand position, finger control, rhythm amongst other things. In shotgunning it's eye on target, follow through, hold position, eye position, stance and head in the gun amongst other things. #2. Playing (shooting) all the way through without a mistake. In skeet the goal is to get through all eight stations without missing thus "going straight". But if you do miss (as in make a mistake in playing a piece) you need to let it go and focus on the next target. In piano, when performing, that is key in not letting one mistake snowball into a disaster.

Probably one similarity between most sports and playing piano is practice. When teaching skiing I will often ask my student if he or she plays an instrument. I will then point out how important proper practice is in order to play a piece. You don't just sit down and play it (Unless you are a master reader and even then that ability has come from years of practice). And yet few skiers will "practice". And when we practice playing we will usually isolate whatever it is we are practicing; be it a measure or a particular way a few notes need to be played. But how often will learning skiers just practice pole planting or down unweighting or whatever.

Anyway... I obviously have too much time on my hands this morning....

I thought I'd share a couple of skydiving related links.

Here's our 4-way team at 2005 nationals. Can you guess which one is me?

Here's clip of some footage launching exits from a twin otter.

Golf and piano: real success seems to come when you stop demanding it of yourself, and begin to let yourself just play.

Reading is my other main recreational passion besides piano. My family is still on our post-apocalyptic literature kick; we've got literally an entire bookcase full of the stuff (and I just ordered "Robocalypse" from amazon, and it looks really good).

I am also on a determined effort not to go quietly into middle-aged bodily ruin. Last December we got a family membership at our local Y, and I've been working out 5-6 times a week for 50-55 minutes a session on various ellipticals ever since. One would think that the pounds would be vanishing rapidly with that routine, but alas, no. I shudder to think of what I'd look like if I *weren't* doing all those workouts, though.

Seems like the ABers out there also have the shared interest of collecting hobbies!

I, too, am among that group! Here goes the list:
Cycling (road, mountain, and my transportation to work every day), computer graphics (blender mainly, Brim Studio for a little intro to that), knitting (currently making my first sweater!), reading (current kick is the Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle), rolling ball sculptures, yard work, house work, movies, gadgets, and together with my wife am preparing for our first dog to come home in a few weeks (Bernese Mountain dog who is about 4 weeks old today!).

WHEW! I'm tired just listing them all. Surprised I actually have time for a day job...speaking of, should get back to that!

Monica, did you ever read Swan Song by R. McCammon?

played chess for 12 years got sick of being beat by kids so decided to become a pianist just like all you lovely beautiful pianists on this forum.

Yardwork. Lots and lots of yardwork. Someday, I'd like to get it to the point when I can call it "gardening," as that name implies an activity requiring less than a backhoe, 8HP rototiller, and 4-wheel-drive string trimmer.

Other than that, adjusting to being an empty-nester, computer stuff; I find creating and maintaining websites actual fun, bicycling, spinning/weaving/knitting, reading, camping, fishing. Garage sale-ing is a fun way to spend an early Saturday morning, and we keep a vintage MG sports car up and running. Working on getting the FJ-40 Landcruiser going again...LOTS of open land around here to explore and we like to go looking for ghost towns. I'd like to get back into dog agility as well, having acquired a rescue pup (my avatar) who's quite the athlete if you can get her attention. Also love to cook and bake, and am starting a class in oenology. I expect to be an 'A' student there!

chess, martial arts, computers.i, am, the, music, man and. ,i, can, play,i can play the piano the, piano, piano, piano, pia, pia, piano, pia, piano,

Okay, I was going to not bother then changed my mind...
Clayts; "How is the new red piano that you was meant to get last thursday?" You haven't mentioned it.
It's possible you may have "ignore Rostosky" switched on, so could someone else ask?
Thanks.

I have learnt that the best thing thing to do with idiots is ignore them, don,t be a pillock all your life have a rest day, or were you born stupid or have you had special training?

I bet it does. I'm not doing much climbing lately, not since I lost my lead head. Maybe it will come back someday.

Lots of backpacking and hiking on weekends. It really cuts down on my piano practice, which is a drag. But I couldn't live without the mountains.

Thanks for switching "ignore" off. I am glad we are friends again. I was just worried that something may have gone wrong with the delivery guys, you know what they are like allways stopping for tea and stuff.
I do like Pollock, I think it is an underated fish, and am glad some members list fishing as one of their other hobbies. Do you prefer Pollock or hake?
I was born what the medics called "slightly stupid" but have indeed had special training, I went to a state school to get this special training, How did you guess?
Would you like me to upload a photo of my favourite music teacher from school, he thought I may have potential and said so in my leaving report.
It's only a small photo.

Monica, have you read Earth Abides by George R. Stewart? Classic everybody-else-is-dead-and-I'm-the-only-one-left novel.

Sam

I forgot to mention my baseball card collection. I collected baseball cards from the mid-70's until the late 80's. More recently I have been purchasing older cards from the 50's and 60's.