OT: What You Do When You Don't Do What You Do?

[sean]

In other words- What are your hobbies/Past-times when you aren't doing what you do for a living.

I'm always curious to know a bit more about the people I interact with on line especially on a forum that mainly focuses on one thing.

So, start with what you "do" and then list with what else you "do" in your spare time. LEAVE OUT CYCLING AND BIKE STUFF, THAT'S A GIVEN.

Obviously, I'll start.

By day. I'm an Art Director in Advertising. Think Don Draper, but much less handsome/charming/wealthy/drunk.

As for things other than cycling and bicycles:

I obsessively collect 1940's through 1970's Design books- Graphic, Typography, Poster, Identity, etc. As well as the same era children's books, which oddly enough, you find quite a bit of parallels.

I have a pretty healthy record collection that is mostly late punk/new wave/60's garage and a little bit of 60's rocksteady and similar.

Lastly, I love things involving Ink, Paint, Film, etc. Just making stuff, whether takings pics, illustrating, printing, etc.

Okay, go!

[Steve in SLO]

I'll go next.

I am a neonatologist (newborn medicine doc)

My other hobbies include (in no particular order):
Collecting/fixing vintage mechanical watches, esp chronographs...Speedmasters are my favorite.
Playing acoustic guitar (pretty new--2 years), but diggin' it.
Driving/racing cars, past 914-6GT race car, now the occasional DE/autoX.
Riding motorcycles on road and track (BMW and R1)
Crashing motorcycles off road (KLX250)
Woodworking
Tennis
Teaching my kids new things

Past time sumps:
Lots of rock climbing, mostly Joshua Tree, Sespe, Stoney Pt, Yosemite.
Landscape photography (anyone want to buy a bunch of Olympus SLRs?)
Backpacking, orienteering.
Art--painting, drawing, collages.
Ocean Kayaking
SCUBA diving
Tennis, trail running.
Homebrewing

Geez, I'm tired just thinking about all the stuff I like to do!

[taylorl]

What I do when I am not cycling or running:

Soccer coaching
Racing Karts
Mustangs

[d_douglas]

I work by day as an architect, in the loose sense of the word. I manage the space assets of a large, kind of nice 1960s building for a UN organization in Switzerland.

Not exactly what I expected to do upon finishing my post grad studies in architecture, but was drawn to Switzerland (from Canada) by a great work opportunity for my wife.

Running: this is really my only other sports hobby now. I love running.

Music Collecting: I have slowed down (in order to free up resources for bike junk) but have similar tastes to Sean - 'alternative', punk, dub reggae and rocksteady.

Cooking: We love the great ingredients available in europe so we just buy a ton of raw goods and experiment. Restaurants here are ridiculously expensive and of mediocre quality, so we tend to spend money on food that we create. NB: it is shocking how much organiz food you can buy in Switzerland for only maybe 10% more than medicated food - ya gotta love the Swiss for that!)

Architectural theory: I keep my creative side flowing by reading arch theory and occasionally designing for friends, etc., as I do intend to work in teh private sector in the near future. Have to keep my mind limber.

Graphic Design: if arch school taught me something, it was how to present ideas. I enjoy digital design and have developed a bit of a local reputation such that I have been asked to design birth announcements, documents, posters, website graphic identities, etc. I have worked professionally in this capacity a bit, but I have concluded that while I am pretty good, there are experts who really should be doing this rather than me.

Baby: This takes up most of my free time. We have a one year old that is the centre of our world and deserve every bit of our attention that we can give her. Yeah, just teaching her stuff and watching her do funny, occasionally weird things.

Aside from baby, bikes predominate my random thoughts when sitting through boring meetings ;)-.

[learlove]

hookers and crack

[d_douglas]

hookers and crack


Oh yeah, that too. Love that stuff.

[tele]

hookers and crack livin' the dream:hello:


Day Teacher: middle school social studies

Afternoon/Night/Summer Tele skiing, bread baking, ski chair making, soon to be chicken raising, town library trustee, maple syrup maker, beer/hard cider dabbler, husband to a year round soccer player, but mostly kids wrangler.

[Nooch]

By Day: I'm a Senior Payroll Specialist (read: overglorified data entry associate) for one of the big national payroll providers. I hate my job. :help:

By Night: I'm a sales associate at Cyclesport, the first Serotta dealer. I also manage the social media marketing, as well as coordinate events like our book signings with Bill Strickland and BikeSnobNYC. (I love my job.) :banana:

By Whenever There Might Be A Free Minute: I fill those few precious moments sleeping, helping my fiance plan our wedding, and running. I'd really like to dive deeper into photography (have been shooting for ten years, but never got a knack for making images sell) so maybe I won't hate my primary job so much. :beer:

[Lifelover]

Enginerd by day.

Late October through Mid March I coach at least 2 teams and run a basketball recreation league.

June through July I remind myself that my wife will leave me if I coach Football.

August through October I sit around wishing I was coaching Football.

[johnnymossville]

Art Director by day, (Television)

Wannabe BBQ Pitmaster. Memphis/Kansas City/Carolina/Texas? It's all Good!

[SEABREEZE]

Orgainic Grassfed Farmer.

Oh boy, when there's time

1) Boating
2) RVing
3) Basketball, Skiing, Powerlifiting, Bicycling...(Jock)
4) Photography
5) Audiophile, need my daily dose of music.

[97CSI]

Being retired (engineer/physicist), life is easy.
Bicycling.
Reading (primarily history and biographies - rarely fiction).
Traveling (primarily U.S. and Europe).
Music/Stereo (jazz, classical, opera, McIntosh - like Serotta, in NY).
Cooking (love to eat, love to cook).
Competitive shooting (service rifle, high power & rimfire silhouette, Scheutzen).
Managing my investments in an attempt to make 10% return.
Keeping the house in order.
Goofing off (which my wife tells me is far and away my No. 1 pursuit). :beer:

[xjoex]

By day I am a researcher in network security at a university.
By later in the day I go to grad school.

I enjoy tinkering with electronics.

But I also really like hiking, running, and photography. I have some photo's up on photo.net here: http://photo.net/photos/boulderjoe

I also help Laura out with her bag business - soulrun. Which is really fun, since I enjoy having something tangible to show your work, which is hard in research.

-Joe

[fourflys]

cool thread!

By day- normally I'm a Coast Guard Senior Chief Corpsman (medic), but for the next year and a half I'm getting paid to go to school to finish my degree for a future assignment as a clinic administrator... since I go to school at night mostly, I also take care of the 2 1/2 year old during the day and play Mr. Mom...

Hobbies, besides cycling/Mtn. Biking:

pretty active in my church with the small group stuff and, as of Jan., will be a Deacon as well...

I collect diecast cars of all scales, but have a TON of Hot Wheels...

I also have a bunch of model trains in the garage ranging from Z scale to G scale (1/220 to 1/20 scale)... I'd love to have a layout, but pretty impossible when I move every few years with the Coast Guard...

Been trying to get to the gym 3 days a week as well...

past hobbies that are on hold right now are:

Autocrossing my Miata... sold the Miata when the new baby came along...

Motorcycling: sold the bike (BMW K100RS) when I moved to SoCal, people are NUTS here and it freaked the wife out everytime I went out... (actually re-opened the door to cycling)

Chris

[avalonracing]

Obviously I'm into this little thing we call bicycling. But I'm also into motorcycling, I have '07 BMW F800S and a '01 Honda VFR (that is for sale). I'm a bit of a music and film fan but not so much that I'm a geek or annoying about it. I spent close to 20 years as a pro photographer so I guess that counts as a serious interest. I'm pretty obsessed with good advertising (that was probably my true calling that I have not yet followed though with). Finally, I spend a good deal of my time banging my head against the wall while reading about politics and the state of the country. :crap:

[jr59]

Good thread;

I own a pawn shop in New Orleans.
I enjoy vintage wrist watches.
I scouted and coached basketball for a living for about 15 years, ( @ the pro level).
I own and ride motorcycles, 2002, 1800 vtx, and a 1939 knuclehead harley.

[fourflys]

Good thread;

I own a pawn shop in New Orleans.

I scouted and coached basketball for a living for about 15 years, ( @ the pro level).

.

I'm thinking you could write a book or two with these two experiences... :D

[jr59]

I'm thinking you could write a book or two with these two experiences... :D


I left out a bunch of other stuff as well.
People tell me all the time, that I should write a book.

Thanks.

[Hawker]

By Day: An unemployed broadcaster. Worked in the past for NPR and the last twenty-three years as a producer/host for a faith-based syndicated financial radio program(s). Currently doing several free-lance audio projects, mostly podcast related.

By Night: Since I sold my motorcycles I now enjoy the GA mountains in my '95 Miata, then try to do the same roads on my bike. Whew!

Was the business manager for a women's pro team in the 90s. Team Ultimate...the repair stand people.
I play drums at church and the occasional jazz gig in the Atlanta area..
A birdwatcher (Birdwatchradio.com)
Listen to lots of Jazz/Blues.
Read a lot of books, cycling and others.

Old enough to enjoy the culture, history and vibe of cycling and bikes and not just speed and trying to go fast.

[gasman]

By Day-Anesthesiolgist

Other pastimes:

Rock climbing-still a passion after 40 years but I am just less willing to take a fall than when I was young.
Mtn climbing but sanity made me stop climbing big mountains.
Ice climbing until we had kids
Cross country and downhill skiing
Birdwatching
Hiking and backpacking
Reading

[Bob Ross]

By trade I'm an audio engineer/musician: My day job is in the Operations department of a small custom residential audio-video design/install/integration firm; my night job is freelance recording engineer and bass player in several jazz and rock bands.

Hobbies? Who has time for hobbies?!?!

[veloduffer]

Paying the bills: Credit risk officer for large financial services firm (insurance, retirement services)

Having fun:
Photography
Golf (which kept me off the bike for the last 10 yrs)
Baseball/fast pitch softball
Semi- Film buff
Music - Jazz, Standards and good ol' rock n' roll
Herding cats (I mean kid).

[snah]

Day job, insurance agent and financial advisor.

Hobbies, aside from the obvious, also run. Most time spent with the wife and 4 kids, usually watching their sports.

[AngryScientist]

day job is engineering,

hobbies include:

surfing
jet skiing
WIS (watch fanatic)
running
i dabble in photography, though i'm not good at it (yet)

[AngryScientist]

day job is engineering,

hobbies include:

surfing
jet skiing
WIS (watch fanatic)
running
i dabble in photography, though i'm not good at it (yet)


oh, and my wife is pregnant with our first child, so that's sure to take up a lot of time going forward:)

[fieldrecordings]

Paid job - Art Handler at the Whitney. We're currently recataloguing & photographing the entire works on paper collection, a 2 year project. I hope to get back to working on the installation team when we're done (or sooner).

(Basically) Unpaid job - Artist. Primarily drawings (pen/pencil) lately though I've been slowly working on some photography projects (got an MFA 4 years ago).

When I'm not trying to pay down my credit card bills or my student loans, I am buying photo books, used fiction, cds & lps (less recently since I no longer work at a record shop) & going to the movies.

I also recently took up running but I'm not convinced that I like it yet.

[alexstar]

I work for a small company that sells industrial automation components.

Otherwise, I enjoy:

music: going to concerts (all types), performance (trumpet, thinking of picking up strings), and stereo equipment. not nearly a stereophile but I do have an appreciation for some of that stuff

vintage aircooled VWs - restoration, drag racing

good films, but also a weakness for terrible horror movies

target shooting

books and literature

hiking, backpacking, and rock climbing

outdoor photography, both wilderness and urban

downhill skiing

baseball

to name a few...

[sean]

oh, and my wife is pregnant with our first child, so that's sure to take up a lot of time going forward:)

Congrats! We just had our first a couple months back. Definitely becomes one of your hobbies! But it's totally worth it.

[AngryScientist]

Congrats! We just had our first a couple months back. Definitely becomes one of your hobbies! But it's totally worth it.


thanks sean, its going to be a crazy few months, i'm sure!

congratulations to you as well :beer:

[flickwet]

I got three of em, lovem to death but they ain't no hobby. Seriuosly Though, they take the time that's for sure.

Hobbies-

Weston my 14 yr old is a Cat 4, currently ranked 14th overall in the country, currently 4th fighting for 3rd overall in the NEOCX series. He's done USA Cycling camps etcetera. His riding is my hobby, but I got him started cuz riding is my #1

Photography,Shot weddings and travel, I've done Nikonos to 4x5 Linhoff fields to Rolleis and finally just sticking with digital SLR's, technically proficient but feel I have lost my mojo with age.

Music/ Audiophillia, I do believe all cables sound the same (objectivist) as does most electronic gear but I love spinning classical, jazz and rock vinyl on my Linn TT, Rogers and Spica are my speakers of choice, if you know those two...then you know. Hav a great collection of Classical and Jazz from the 50's and 60's and of course Rock from about 68 on all mint all listened to, MOFI, sheffield, Shaded Dogs, Living Presence, Impuse! etc.

Flyfishing for big fat Bluegills and Bass

Used to do sports cars (see three kids above) ALFA Spyders (73,86) were my drug of preference, Skip Barber all that rot, just bicycles now.

[flickwet]

and I own my own business, I am a Wetland Consultant, oooh whee! ain't no hobby that's for sure.

[William]

Quality Assurance Director

Other Job: Combative Arts Instructor
Muay Thai
Muay Boran/Kachuek
Krabi Krabong
Pekiti-Tirsia Kali
Close Quarters Combat
Full Contact Stick Fighting

Fun with My family
Boxer Rescue
Cycling
Skateboarding (Collecting and riding)
Expedition Four wheeling
Camping/Hiking
Glass Carving
Illustration (pen & Ink, Graphite)
Roasting Coffee
Working on my house
Etc...

[flydhest]

Day job: economist

Fun besides cycling: cooking (classically trained) and wine. Coffee is also up there--prosumer espresso machine and a coffee roaster. To get my head to wind down at the end of the day, I try to read a bit each night. We have a daughter coming in 5 weeks, so all of this will, no doubt, change.

[Ralph]

I'm a retired VP of Merrill Lynch....Retired in 1998 before they blew up the company.

Being a retired investor, I spend very early mornings going over portfolio, and checking out world markets for useful info. Rest of morning either cycling, walking, or doing yard/pool work. Spend afternoons watching CNBC, working on bikes (have a TV in garage), or taking a nap. Usually a glass of wine somewhere in there.

Love to travel around Western USA, especially Colorado, in my Element with bike and hiking boots. (and lap top) Drove from Florida to Alaska once. Life is good, even though the investment world is constantly changing and is very volatile. I don't have as much money as I had 10 years ago, but still eating OK. I'm as busy as when I worked at a career.

[rdparadise]

Wow, such varied interest and you guys are up to an awful lot in your spare time.

Anyway, me: CFO, for a family owned food manufacturer. We make mostly organic pasta sauces, salad dressing, marinades and organic ketchup. We sell under the store or private label brand and business has been very good.

Hobbies/Interest--

--I own 3 rental properties (2 duplexes & 1 quad) and looking to purchase more as a nice cash flow for my retirement. Currently I use a handyman to maintain them, however, in retirement (10+ years away), I will do many of the repairs myself;

--I love the beach and the sun. Therefore, one of my next investments is a condo or townhouse down the Jersey shore. Prices are unbelievably depressed thanks to the housing bubble so it's a good time to get in;

--I enjoy hiking and the great outdoors.

--I enjoy staying up on economic, financial, business news and trends. This includes reading a number of financial magazines, cnbc.com, yahoo finance, etc.

--Food, I love to cook and create new to me dishes. I'll be doing Thanksgiving this year so that will be fun for sure.

That's it for now.

Bob

[97CSI]

Anyway, me: CFO, for a family owned food manufacturer. We make mostly organic pasta sauces, salad dressing, marinades and organic ketchup. We sell under the store or private label brand and business has been very good.
BobWhere in south Jersey? We are in Mays Landing and would like to try your products. Where available and what name? Can always drop by your plant if you sell direct.
Glenn

[AngryScientist]

I'll be doing Thanksgiving this year so that will be fun for sure.



Bob


can we come??

http://www.stmarksmystic.org/TurkeyDay.jpg

[rustychisel]

this thread is totally bogus!!!! :butt:

Can I get a dentist? Gimme a dentist!!!! Call yourselves a Serotta forum?

Anyway, I'm a small town magazine editor and writer. Do some other stuff: music (from doowop and soul to 1970s/80s/90s punk and Australian music and rock and...), I cook (preference for Thai food), am currently landscaping, paving, finishing renovating our home, and currently president of the local lawn bowls club.

[rdparadise]

Where in south Jersey? We are in Mays Landing and would like to try your products. Where available and what name? Can always drop by your plant if you sell direct.
Glenn

Can't sell direct. Can't post the brands or stores on this website unfortunately due to confidentiality reasons. Though, you can find us at major natural food stores and many main stream retailers as well. Sorry, but I hope this helps.

Bob

[William]

this thread is totally bogus!!!! :butt:

Can I get a dentist? Gimme a dentist!!!! Call yourselves a Serotta forum?




Alright alright, I admit it......I'm a Dentist. I know twenty other regulars here who are Dentists as well. Probably many more lurking..... ;)




William

[Bradford]

Alright alright, I admit it......I'm a Dentist.
Sorry William, but knocking out people's teeth with a stick does not make you a dentist.

[milehighness]

Urban Planner/Economist hybrid by day

What little spare time that I have between work, riding bikes, and working on bikes so I can ride bikes:
Gardening
Beer Consuming
Backpacking
Reading (mostly urban and political theory)

[Ti Designs]

Day job: Bike shop idiot.

Primary activity outside of work: Cycling.

The two have nothing in common - really.

I work about 40 hours/week, ride between 15 - 20 hours/week and coach around 10 - 15. I find not sleeping still leaves me time for my other hobbies. So here's the list:

Autocross: I have a 91 Honda CRX turbo+NOS as my fun car.

Machine shop work: I have a machine shop in my basement, there's never a lack of projects going on down there. Right now it's prototype parts for a roof rack, last week it was making knife blanks.

Wood shop: There's a bed frame growing in my wood shop now, a few exotic wood knife handles are still on the finishing bench and a few sheets of MDF are waiting to become speakers.

Piano: I tend to figure out how things work, it's just what I do. Playing piano is how I get away from that. I don't know how I play, I can't play from sheet music (an effect of ADD) but somehow it just makes sense to me.

Cooking: I ride a lot, I eat a lot. I could survive on Mt Dew and potato chips, but why? Cooking is a real challenge for me, having ADD means if something is out of sight it's also out of mind. That has brought the fire department over a few times. My solution is good kitchen design - everything is right in front of me, I set up schedules so things that take longer get started first and there's a timer for anything that heats.

Getting lost: Being lost simply means I'm awake. I've always hated this growing up but recently I've learned to accept it and at times have some fun with it. Much like playing piano, I have no idea how I navigate by bike - I can't by car. It's as if I feel the turns rather than learn a sequence of rights and lefts.

[junkfood]

Day Job:
Custom Cabinets and Wood Working

When I am not at work:
I am an Artist (painter, illustrator see signature), kind of a job also but I love it.
Design
Eating BBQ
Mostly hanging with my wife and kids

-Jake

[c-record]

Quality Assurance Director

Other Job: Combative Arts Instructor
Muay Thai
Muay Boran/Kachuek
Krabi Krabong
Pekiti-Tirsia Kali
Close Quarters Combat
Full Contact Stick Fighting

Fun with My family
Boxer Rescue
Cycling
Skateboarding (Collecting and riding)
Expedition Four wheeling
Camping/Hiking
Glass Carving
Illustration (pen & Ink, Graphite)
Roasting Coffee
Working on my house
Etc...

So you guys are gonna get this right or else....

[Elefantino]

What I'm forced to do: Newspaper editor, because I don't know how do anything else, except maybe install and tune Campy drivetrains. The job pays the bills. Yes, it still pays the bills, because although they are a dying breed (literally), people still read newspapers.

Fun stuff: Duh. When I'm not sidelined with some ailment or another, I ride lots. Wife does, too. We take trips. Usually to ride somewhere fun. I also take trips with the guys. Ditto.

Fun stuff II: Gin. We are obsessed with playing the game; do it every night. No prisoners are taken, either. And I'm better than she is, mostly.

Fun stuff III: Being empty nesters. :banana: Kids are in SF and DC, respectively.

Fun stuff IV: Movies. We go to movies a lot, just because. We always see all of the Oscar® contenders.

[chuckroast]

SO, for a living I work in Corporate Real Estate Strategic Planning for the biggest bank in America. We decide where our bank associates sit and what buildings we will own or lease.

I am an Architect by background though, and have spent half my career in practice on the service provider side.

For fun, I acquire and listen to vintage vinyl (three working turntables in the house), mid century modern furnishings and accessories and self perform all my home improvement projects.

My wife and I haunt Estate Sales.

[don'TreadOnMe]

Run as fast as I can.

[hybridbellbaske]

I'm not a Dentist, but just to show that the stereo-type is not completely wrong, (and to make Rustychisel feel better), I have to admit to being a lawyer in my dayjob.

A couple of years ago I was heavily invloved in the Law Society here in South Australia and those commitments took up a lot of time. I have now "done my time", as it were, but still don't seem to have a huge amount of free time- even for riding.

I must confess to being a bit bewildered and just a little bit jealous as to the breadth of interests and pursuits that other Forum members have- where do you find the time? (or,...maybe I'm just lazy!)

Be that as it may, I enjoy playing the piano (purely to entertain myself- I don't think anyone really wants to hear me mangling complex Steely Dan tunes), listening to music (anything from Mahler to jazz to Fleet Foxes), going to concerts (these days mainly symphonic and chamber music), the odd theatre performance, planning holidays, taking holidays....

I seem to spend a good deal of time taking my son (Ned) to sporting commitments, and going to watch sport with him. He loves cricket- now there's a time sink! I'm not crazy about cricket but I do like seeing the enjoyment Ned gets out of it.

And, given that Pete may read this,it must also be noted that I do like drinking red wine- often with Rustychisel and his partner.

[onekgguy]

I'm an air traffic controller with the FAA, eligible to retire but hoping to keep working at least another 3 years to help our daughter through college.

Updating my blog is probably my main hobby. During the winter months I enjoy losing myself in stained glass projects.

My wife and I are also learning the art of glassblowing.

Our empty nest also houses three very lovable pups.

Kevin g

[William]

So you guys are gonna get this right or else....

I said HOLD at 0.110!!!!

http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/14/10340000/ngbbs450cc0e422b77.gif


;) :)


William

[William]

Sorry William, but knocking out people's teeth with a stick does not make you a dentist.


I was taught you had to take the teeth out to get a good look at them. :D




William

PS: Bumbles bounce you know.

[BigDaddySmooth]

Day job-consultant for U.S. Governmental agency

Part-time job-collecting my monthly military retirement check

Night job-maintaining my house

Hobbies-commuting 2 hrs per day, running, weight-lifting, raising/tending to the 1st grader, entertaining/servicing the wife, watching my dog grow old, searching for a E36 M3 or 328i, and computer war-gaming. If I had more time I'd like to take the .308 and T/C Encore out to the range and kill some paper. Pretty mundane my existence :beer:

[gasman]

I seem to spend a good deal of time taking my son (Ned) to sporting commitments, and going to watch sport with him. He loves cricket- now there's a time sink! I'm not crazy about cricket but I do like seeing the enjoyment Ned gets out of it.

And, given that Pete may read this,it must also be noted that I do like drinking red wine- often with Rustychisel and his partner.


When we lived in New Zealand a Kiwi buddy said cricket was basically baseball on valium. After watching a match I agree, good on you for suppoorting your son ! Glad he likes it. My son played rugby union but at 10 years of age we didn't have to worry about him getting injured.

[bike22]

for me, my avocation is my vocation. all bikes all the time.

i earn a living riding my bike.
volunteer at the bike co-op in the evenings.
i always have a revolving pile of projects/bikes to fix/get going/upgrade/etc.
bike touring.
road rides on the weekend.
read about bikes/tech as much as possible in my free time- in print, and via online forums.

i'd like to teach myself how to braze this winter, and add some fender mounts to the frame/fork of my work bike, raise the rear brake bridge for more tyre/fender clearance, and dimple the chainstays for more fender/tyre clearance.

in a previous life my avocation and vocation were ostensibly in natural resources conservation- basically getting paid to hike and camp in the woods for weeks on end.

[csm]

back working in the transportation industry as a carrier coordinator for a 3pl.
den leader for the weblo 2 den with my youngest.... hard to believe this is our last year.
cooking and baking... and wine, beer etc. I guess they go hand-in-hand. been making ice cream lately too. and grilling.
camping, hiking, and trips to the shore.
training my new dog. or is she training us?
occasionally get the skateboard out.
lately thinking perhaps I should play hockey again.
skiing in a month or so....
getting the motorcycle itch again....
then we have field sports... fly rods and shotguns...
looking at that list... I should have taken up cocaine or cigarettes.... would have been cheaper!

[bumperjohn]

Great thread. I am a small business owner. I own one of the oldest full service tobacconists in the country. Basically, I smoke cigars and talk to people all day. I have some of the greatest customers in the world who have become some of my closest friends. I also spend a lot of time on Capital Hill lobbying for premium cigars, trying to help our lawmakers understand that a cigar is not a cigarette. On the hill they all think tobacco is tobacco, I have my work cut out for me.

Outside of work, like I have any time, I coach girls basketball. I took my daughter's team to Orlando last year for the AAU National Championships and we placed 6th in the county.

I am a motorcycle enthusiast. I have a beautiful custom HD Road King which I use as a delivery bike for my shop. I recently sold my 2000 Fat Boy and my 1937 ULH.

I collect antique posters, with a focus on the artist Cappiello.

I am addicted to CrossFit. I think it is the finest workout you can get and go 3-4 times a week. I have become a much stronger cyclist due to CrossFit.

I LOVE to ski. I go helicopter skiing every year with a group of guys in Canada and there is no better feeling than a day of waist deep un-tracked turns. My parents live in Colorado and we visit them several times a year, mostly in the winter, and I get to ski with my folks who have retired and work at the local hill.

I am a BBQ fanatic. You will find a smoker on my back deck and I will try to smoke anything once.

I have a 7 month old chocolate lab named Spencer who has a place in my heart and we spend as much time as we can at the dog park.

I also try to find time for my wife in there, we love the farmers markets on the weekends and the occasional European getaway, my new tig welded Bedford will come in handy for the jaunts across the pond.

John

[mpetry]

This is a really great thread. Me: I'm an intinerant technology guy, mostly technical sales, healthcare and mobile communications markets.

I've been on the bike about 40 years now, and it is the best thing in my life. In my stable are 2 Serottas (An Ott and a Club Special which is my commute bike) plus a Brian Baylis / Mike Howard "Wizard" and 2 Alex Singer touring bikes. Bainbridge Island is a cycling paradise, with little traffic, great views of the water and mountains, and a great cycling community. There are over 100 everyday bike commuters that ride the ferry into Seattle, rain or shine!

Besides riding bikes, I love fixing them, building wheels and custom lighting systems. I have a small but very well equipped shop in an outbuilding on my property and I frequently smoke a cigar when I'm working out there!

No kids or wife, but I have a cat and a vintage Porsche (911SC) that I rebuilt / restored. Like SLO Steve, I collect and repair mechanical watches. And I am working on several alternative energy "hobby projects" one of which might possibly turn into a business. Other than that, I read and listen to eclectic jazz, passable cook and photographer. Paddle the kayak now and then.

Thanks for the opportunity to share and learn more about some of the other forumites.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA

[jlyon]

I love this thread too.

Professionally I am a CPA for a firm that pays medical claims for other companies that don't have the staffing or the will to learn how to do it properly themselves, and that includes several actual insurance companies.

I don't spend near enough time riding these days altough I just got back from an epic 30 mile ride with no winter gear on because it is about 68 degrees and 80% humidity so I was actually vbery sweaty when I fought my way back home into the 15 MPH headwind. In short a great ride especially considering it is late November. This year I will probably not break 2,000 miles but since I resuced a dog last year my walking miles may be close to my biking miles.

I spend way too much time lurking on this and other forms and watching TV but I spend as much quality time (and a few family bike rides) with my wife and two daughters as they can stand. We love to travel and take a couple of nice trips each year mostly to west coast destinations. We all enjoy sea kayaking and even my 9 year old is very good at it by now.

We spend alot of time with our church groups and we hope some day the kids will actually appreciate the great community we are a part of and they will actually want to go to church on a regular basis.

[ti_boi]

I started out in bidness for a dozen years and worked in technology when it was fashionable. I had earned a Masters Degree in Fine Art and Education just before entering the workforce and right before my daughter was born I began teaching. That unlocked the other side of my brain and I started to play music again. The last time I had been paid to play was 1986 -- so now I hang out with my girls. My three dogs. And I occasionally ride my bike. I have gone through a couple of road bikes in the last few years and recently had some issues that complicated things. I am on a mtn bike right now and an old Rudge, but will some day get back to the road. My other interest is a car. I like German ones. Mine is an 06 330. :hello: :hello: