Balance other hobbies?

[gtr2]

I was heavy into archery hunting for many years.  The past couple of years it has been hard to get out after work with young kids waiting at home for me   The other day I went to pull my bow back for the first time in two years and couldn't do it in a reasonable fashion.  Archery requires a unique set of muscles that I've got to tone up again.  I need some quiet time in the sanctuary of the woods!

Josh

[derevaun]

I do a terrible job of balancing pedal tinkering with other hobbies. I spend a lot more "me time" messing around with the 3D printer I built last year, and wiring up contraptions for the Arduino to control, than audio circuits. And a couple months ago, we got a brand new piano. Given the choice of keeping the company of solder fumes or Chopin... well, the queue is pretty expansive. I think this will change some when school starts again, because my youngest will be in full day kindergarten. It will be bittersweet, but there's a chance to strike a more productive balance.

[jimilee]

I've always wanted to learn to play piano. Reminds me, there's a sign locally that says learn to play piano ny ear? Too funny. 
/derail

[Bret608]

I guess for me the core of my hobbies/interests have always been music/guitar, food/cooking, and travel/learning about other cultures and languages. The latter was even the basis of my career path for a while (grad student in anthropology, then research analyst for an international broadcaster). That's when I had the most seamless integration between my work and my interests, but it also meant that from about 1999 to 2004 I barely played guitar or learned about music (except for the Lao and Thai music industries, part of my field research). Since that time I've been back into music and gear full-bore.

Family life means any time for hobbies is short but sweet. That's good for me though--it balances out my natural tendency to geek out over something so bad that I get exhausted from it.

Summer is definitely more outdoor time, plus the faculty at the college where I work are away and I can't work in the electronics lab over lunch like I do during the school year. On the flip side, it's the time when I can actually think about decorating pedals as I can be outside spray painting and the like.

[juansolo]

Two days ago:

If I can get a license in time I'll be rallying (navigating for the guy I co-own the Juno with in his EVO) in a week and a half.

Then if all goes to plan, to the Nurburgring a couple of days after that in a Caterham.

There might not be a great deal of pedal output for a few weeks from me.

[jkokura]

Dude...

I've been racing that track in Forza 4 for like a week.

Jacob

[juansolo]

Nurburgring GP I'm guessing, as if Spa's in there and I've missed it, I'll be gutted (big Forza fan). I'll be having a play on the Nurburgring Nordshlife in a couple of weeks all being well. Seeing as I only have 6 laps in there, I'll be hitting Forza hard in the meantime to try and figure out where it goes.

[jkokura]

Yeah, the Nurburgring one.

But the SPA track looked like fun. I'm beginning to think that my arcade style Forza racing (I don't go full sim, I suck at it) is nothing like the real thing. Must be quite the Adrenaline experience.

Jacob

[juansolo]

Forza is about the best driving game out there for me. I'm one setting off full sim and that's purely on the steering as you can't use that setting properly without a wheel. On the setting I'm on though, it's 'feels' right on the pad. Applying corrections and power is really intuitive. Braking is an issue without feedback, but you learn to listen for that rather than feel it. It also makes a decent game of it (something they forgot to do with the later Gran Turismo games).

Still, no they don't really compare to the real thing. The sheer sense of speed doesn't even work in videos when compared to in-car.

...and Spa... Spa is the most sublime race track I've ever driven (mainly because I can't get to Japan to drive Suzuka). Utterly brilliant place.

[jimilee]

I have a nintendo wii and I downloaded the original Super mario bros and donkey kong. THOSE are real video games right there!

[juansolo]

Pah, still got my Game Cube. None of this fancy schmantzy waving at the telly bollocks for me

[hammerheadmusicman]

Pah, still got my Game Cube. None of this fancy schmantzy waving at the telly bollocks for me

Mario Kart Double Dash is my all time favourite!

[ch1naski]

Pong.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[aballen]

I like Forza, but I love Gran Turismo

[selfdestroyer]

Pah, still got my Game Cube. None of this fancy schmantzy waving at the telly bollocks for me

Mario Kart Double Dash is my all time favourite!

You know how many fights broke out in my house with Mario Kart? lol it just brings the worst out of people. And I love it for that reason.