PLAY Do you engage in "unusual" recreational activities?

[Dennis Olson]

The 75 year old lady flying into restricted airspace because the chocolate messiah was in town generated a LOT of response from TBers who are evidently pilots (who knew). So that piqued my curiosity. Who among you engages in what might be called "unusual" recreational activities?

I'm sure I missed some, so let me know which ones, unless only like 10 people in the world do it - heh.

 

[Amazed]

That sounds kind of dirty so I ain't answering.

 

[tiger13]

Race car driver, also did scuba diving, and rode a motorcycle.

 

[Satanta]

You forgot rock/cliff climbing.

 

[bw]

I tend to sit and think a lot. I'm told this puts me well beyond the pale.

 

[Giblin]

Does watching count?

 

[Lone Wolf]

Pilot.
Motor cycleing
.45 pistol team(USA Germany)
Boating.

a few others. No more. I have all I can do to walk from the living room to thr porch.

lw

 

[Amazed]

I sometimes participate in a cross between bungie jumping and skydiving. I call it throne diving. It always begins with a morning of shopping, the drive home and a 100 yard sprint to the bathroom where I dive for the throne. So far I've always won this sport but know that someday that might not happen. That's what keeps the excitement and anticipation high.

 

[Magdalen]

Cross country horseback riding (English hunt seat, not Western.)

Fencing (Renaissance style, not Olympic strip fencing.)

Race car driver, but only if someone makes the mistake of letting me drive their fast cars.

 

[moon73]

I enjoy long walks in my living room.

 

[Southside]

I put "Other" I like to go Whitewater Rafting. Class 5 or 5+ stuff, but i'm afraid the class 5+ is behind me.

Southside

 

[Iceman RN]

I'm married...

 

[cleobc]

Sheep dog trialing. Don't know if that's unusual enough but I don't think anyone else on the board does it.

 

[Freeholder]

Goat packing, although after I found out my daughter had lupus and couldn't be out in the sun, that kind of put the kibosh on most outdoor stuff for us.

Kathleen

 

[Hansa44]

Use to ride my own motorcycle.(went on some cross country trips). Canoeing, hiking, lived in Tipi for 2 years, innertubing down fast moving creeks, bicycling. (can't remember what else right now.) Horseback riding.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Mountian/rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, camping in the woods where there are bears, cougars, and moose. Once upon a time I started training for mine rescues but decided that deep dark holes where no one could hear you scream wasn't for me anymore.

K-

 

[packyderms_wife]

Sheep dog trialing. Don't know if that's unusual enough but I don't think anyone else on the board does it.

Oh yeah that reminds me I still sheer sheep and fiber goats on occassion and have considered going to work for the University Dairy milking cows again. Milking cows can be dangerous if your not paying attention.

 

[packyderms_wife]

The 75 year old lady flying into restricted airspace because the chocolate messiah was in town generated a LOT of response from TBers who are evidently pilots (who knew). So that piqued my curiosity. Who among you engages in what might be called "unusual" recreational activities?

I'm sure I missed some, so let me know which ones, unless only like 10 people in the world do it - heh.

You left splunking and catfish noodling off of your poll!

 

[Iowa Wiley]

wife, oldest daughter, and I all do Cowboy Action Shooting. We also do quite a bit of camping. I also try to attend a Blackpowder Cartridge Rifle shoot with the old Sharps rifle every once and a while. This is when we aren't going to Tea party rallies or Minuteman meetings.

 

[night driver]

F & C.

RELIC and I have been the "Idiots in White who run TOWARDS the spinning burning race car or motorcycle"....

Nelson Ledges, Mid Ohio, Watkins Glenn, Cleveland Burke Lakefront....

 

[Ponce]

I do have one that while it is not unusual it is a lucky one........about twenty five feet from where I get my creek water I found a small gold producing area............no one ever goes back there so that I am the only one to do any paning for gold there.

 

[Light]

I piloted a plane a few times and had fun doing "dolphins" (cessna 150 and a 250) but one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life was when I was at the controls of a freight train as a Locomotive engineer!

The feel of the incredible power as I moved the lever was beyond words!
I owe the opportunity to have this experience to the striking red swimsuit I was wearing that day.

Betcha I'm the only one who did that!

 

[Straycat]

DH and I dress up in funny clothes and learn medieval skills.

Between us, we can probably make most anything by hand, usually without electricity.

 

[DustMusher]

Musher training for Malamutes - well since south Texas never gets snow, have to harness train in other ways. Hauling tree limbs, pulling me on a scooter, weight pulling, potentially Bicycle-joring (dog pulling me riding bicycle - IF I ever get the courage to do THAT again) in other words, Dust Mushing. However, all of that is on hold until temps get below 75. All I can do in this weather is keep training on Gee-Haw Training on lead at a walk.

Used to race cars - Solo II but my Isuzu truck doesn't work for that and need the truck for hauling dogs, etc.

Don't consider shooting odd, not in Texas, even for a shemale.

Just saw "used to" also questioned -- add Horseback competition, speed and action events; ahd had my glider pilot ticket.

DM

 

[DustMusher]

DH and I dress up in funny clothes and learn medieval skills.

Between us, we can probably make most anything by hand, usually without electricity.

SCA?

DM

 

[Ambleside]

Pilot 175 foot vessel off the Georga banks in the fog as a commercial fisherman.(not my ship)
scuba dive in the dark watching the jelly fish glow from touching them as they pass, Can't see them till you bump into them in the dark..
white water rafting down the upper gully river in PA.( I didn't like not being in control of my future on that one...Yes I'm still here

 

[Melodi]

Computer just ate my post! As I was saying, so do we and last year we got to "play" Prince and Princess too (hubby is a "heavy fighter,") so in addition to useful combat skills; our family can do things like spin, weave, knit, cook without electricity, make candles, use herbs, hand sew clothing, do black-smithing, make silver jewelry, carve wood and light a fire with flint and steel (husband does that one).

I spent yesterday afternoon carding wool and our Malamute's fur together for spinning and then started some yarn. Husband spent the afternoon training new SCA "fighters," a pretty typical Sunday "day off" around here lol Oh and I wove the front panel and trim on the Viking Apron I'm wearing, and house-mate designed and made the silver crowns....

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Last month I learned how to drive a horse and train one for driving.

 

[OnChaos]

Only one response allowed?

Pilot
Skydiving
Motorcyclist
Rock Climbing

To dang old to do any of them now, 'cept maybe motorcycling.

 

[Dennis Olson]

Yeah, after I posted the poll I realized that I messed up by not making it multiple choice. Oh well. I figured the comments section would be where the action was on this thread (and I was right - heh).

As for me, I'm a certified open-water and dive rescue SCUBA diver. I also ride motorcycles (though it's in storage up in Wis right now). One of the high points in my life was when I got to actually fly a helicopter. that was back in my early 20's (long story). A computer buddy of mine was the OIC of the 304th Aerospace rescue and Recovery squadron in the Nat'l Guard out of Portland. He had a buddy who restored old helos. He took me out to meet the guy one day, and I got an hour flying it. A half hour actually covering territory, and the other half hour was doing "exercises". (Pick it up, put it down. Pick it up, move 20 feet to the left, and put it down. pick it up, turn 180:deg: and put it down, etc.) I have never had that much fun since.

 

[TerryK]

Scuba dive (PADI certified)
Flying (completed lessons and was soloing for 8 hours. Had to quit because I couldnt afford it),
Motorcycling (have had 5 bikes over the years),
Parachuting (made 5 jumps in my 20s),
Karate (7 years in my 20s, shotokan)
Shooting ( one thing I have done throughout my life, and still do)

 

[John H]

You mean the swing over our bed?

.
.
.

Just kidding, but you did get me thinking.

 

[pops88]

skydiving (free flying and skysurfing)
bungee jumping
BASE jumping
hang gliding
motorcycling
pilot
high board diving

Ahh, youth.... Pretty much a miracle I'm still alive. Now I'm closer to wheel chair races.

 

[ShyGirl]

Until about 5 years ago when we made the mistake to buy a boat my DH and I really enjoyed riding our jet skis on Lake Michigan. We actually rode 98 miles on jet skis from Mackinaw City, through the straights, across Grand Traverse Bay and around to Glen Arbor on Lake Michigan. It was our honeymoon ride 12 years ago. I wish we had never traded in the jet skis on the boat -- boring! I still have a motorcycle endorsement but have not ridden in several years. I have snow skied many resorts in the Rockies and love to snowmobile. Always wanted to get SCUBA training but never had time and money at the same time. Love all water sports and back in the day was a synchronized swimmer. Also used to figure skate until the knees went bad. Actually trained once with Scotty Hamilton down in Dallas at the Plaza of the Americas.

 

[Les]

Dog Driving, both snow and dry land, some racing. My team was NW speed champions for 3 years. Too old and fat to do much racing now. I am also a treasure hunter, gold panning and metal detecting.....

 

[Cmdr Don]

Other - Gold prospecting.

 

[MtnGal]

The highest I climb today is to change a light bulb!

In my younger years, that's a different story..
not a pilot - dad was so I have flown a piper
rode our motorcycle
climbed many a mountain
rafting and canoeing

If I know in advance when I'm going to die I really want to skydive.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Does being a landlord in a couple of rough areas of town count? (sigh) Sometimes our business and the related work feels like a combination of many of the activities listed above. How about avoiding people that think they are sharpshooters in training? You don't even want to know what an adventure that the plumbing can be around there. Cleaning up medical waste like needles and used condoms, getting rid of Jamaican gang members and their guests/cohorts (we no longer rent to Haitians because they are the absolute worst), finding unusual items left behind ... including bones in a cauldron ... and you don't want to know what all else. We've found a few weapons but we always turn those over in case they were used in the commission of a crime.

 

[KKC]

I rode rough stock at rodeos for 4 years when I was younger. I wouldn't dream of doing that now.

 

[Straycat]

Heheheh, we SCAdians turn up everywhere.

In our household we have heavy fighters, rapier and archery.

Between us, DH and I do candlemaking, papermaking, woodworking, leatherworking, spinning, weaving, sewing, knitting, pickling, bookbinding, metal work, basketweaving, cooking without electricity, using flint and steel, and some jewelrymaking. Probably a few other things I forgot about. I also garden, can and dehydrate food, have started playing with blackwork (form of embroidery), and would like to learn how to play the musical instruments we have in the house but have had no time!

I tell people the SCA can be one of the best ways to learn SHTF skills across the spectrum.