So what do you do when you're not playing guitar?

[Robert]

Just thought it might be fun to talk about what people here do when you're not playing guitar.

I am web guy full time - I do web development and design. Sometimes simple websites, sometimes more advanced web applications. For those who don't know what a web application is, this forum right here is a good example of one.

I have a family with 3 girls, age 3, 13 and 16, plus a little dog, a Miniature Pinscher.

I also run, everything from 5 kilometer races to marathons.

I don't get so much time left over to actually practice guitar or compose/record stuff, etc with so many other irons in the fire.

[Spudman]

I did 80 miles on my bicycle the last two days. I'm trying to build to a consitent 200-300 miles per week. That takes some of my time. I ride a lot. Otherwise, for work I build products at department stores and I'm a Reliv distributor. My wife and I spend a lot of time backpacking and mountain climbing.

We have an 8 yr. old daughter who is now able to climb with us. Mrs Spud now also rides a road bike.

For fun we hop on our 1100cc motorcycle and tour around Idaho.

[ted s]

I work as an intstallation tech for a company that ryhmes with foneywell, networked controls for buildings (hvac & fire alarm) Married coming on 15 yrs, no kids, 2 cats. My wife and I purchased mountain bikes a couple yrs. ago and enjoy cycling. Been working on a 68 Torino GT for the past couple yrs. part time (my father has a welding/fab business). Wifey and I are going to Myrtle Beach next month for our 15th.

[Sblack]

I have a wonderful wife and two magnificent boys, 3 and 15. We spend a lot of time together hanging out as a family. We also have a dog.

I am a full-time language arts teacher in a public school and a part-time adjunct professor of English at a community college.

Any time I get outside of work and family is spent playing guitar, reading, working out, and surfing the net for the next "deal of the century" on music gear. I spend too much time on the latter.

[Plank_Spanker]

I'm an aircraft quality assurance inspector / avionics tech to pay the bills. My big hobbies besides guitar are amateur astronomy and marine fish keeping.

I also like gardening with my wife, and cooking great meals.

I'm also a pilot, but that's another story..................

[Mark]

Hey Plank Im a Pilot too! Havent been flying much the last few years. I own my own Plumbing business and my wife and I enjoy riding our motorcycle and Jetskiing.

[t_ross33]

I'm a Project Manager for a small Cleaning & Restoration company. When your house floods, sewer backs up, or your kitchen catches fire, we're the guys who clean up the mess, help clean/restore contents, juggle the interests of the homeowner with the interests of the insurance co. (who usually pick up the tab and pay our bills). It's interesting work, I get to meet a lot of nice folks, and I feel like we are providing a much-needed service during a stressful time for homeowners. I like helping people out.

As mentioned many times, my wife has her own catering company and is the Food & Beverage Services Manager at the Humboldt Golf Club. We've been married going on 14 yrs and we're both turning the big 4-0 this year.

We have 3 daughters: 7; 9-1/2; and coming up 12.

When I'm not playing guitar, gigging, jamming or surfin' for a deal I like to read, spend time outdoors, fish, camp etc.

[Hogfullofblues]

I work for an insurance company doing a job that is difficult to describe in less than 100 words, so let's just say insurance adjuster is close enough. I spend a month or three every year at natural disaster sights and do some traveling when home also. So all that time in hotel rooms (and the oldest boy) got me started playin internet poker, and now the wife and I are regular riverboat gambler types in a low budget sorta way.
Both boys are out of the house (well, the youngest finds reasons to be home every other day and just walked in) so it's just the wife, cat and me. Winters is a lot of hibernation, summers are weekends at the cottage keeping the 100 year old building standing, drinking yummy Canadian beer, fishing, swimming, BBQing and such. I also have a Hog and we usually get some good time and miles on it and if we're not riding it on a long road trip, then we get in a good vacation too.
By the way, Ted, Myrtle Beach's Bike Week is usually in May every year and it's one BIG party. Just wanted to mention that in case.

[marnold]

As I mentioned elsewhere I'm a Lutheran clergyman by trade. There is basically no "off time" unless I'm on vacation. I've been married now for 10 years with three boys (9, 7, and 5) and one girl (3). We've also got a dog named Biggles (Monty Python reference (http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/biggles.htm)). Besides gitfiddling, I also brew my own beer and dabble in web design.

[Jimi75]

Okay, besides being a passionate musician...what do I do????

I've been married for 6 years and have two wonderful kids. A boy of 5 and a girl that turns 3 in a couple of days. My greatest challenge is being a good father to my kids and make the best out of the weekends, because in real life I am a project manager who trades world wide and sometimes it is tough to get your head free of business. We pretty much travel throughout Europe and visit pure nature as often as we can. A lot of weekend trips that are very often spontaneous.

I like reading movie scripts and being creative in other ways than music. I do not spemd much time in front of the tv nor do I have a play station or so. I am pretty much down to earth and enjoy the simple things in life, I am not materialistic.

[sunvalleylaw]

I am a married father of three: boys 9 and 7, and girl, almost 4. It is a busy household!

I have two paying careers. I am a lawyer, solo practitioner, with a somewhat general practice. I like to try and help people in practical ways, and add an empathetic and personal touch to client relationships. I like my clients to be educated to make legal decisions with my input.

I am also a ski instructor/coach and in addition to holiday and by appointment private lessons, run a weekend kid's "freeride" ski and snowboard team. The idea is train race and comp type skills, but do it for fun, without having to get into a start gate. It is an alternative to traditional race teams. I love education, and it is a passion for me. I think a lot of parallels can be drawn between life challenges and learning to ski well. I am fortunate that I have a flexible "main" career that allows me to spend time with a passion. (now with guitar, passions!) As our family grows, I may seek to pass on being "in charge" and just coach. We'll see.

My wife and I are very outdoors oriented and the kids reflect that. In the winter, we alpine ski, nordic ski, and sometimes snowshoe, skate, or whatever. In the summer or non-snow seasons, we mountain bike a lot, road cycle some, run some (usually trails or intervals) waterski, and hike and camp. We used to enjoy running in races (my wife does well with marathons, I prefer 1/2s max), but running competition has temporarily fallen to the side during these younger kid years. My wife and I also help lead a Cub Scout den, and yes, the little girl gets to go too!

Marnold, I also used to homebrew regularly, but that hobby has faded a bit too. Maybe one batch a year now. Since guitar, I have not thought about that hobby at all it seems.

Lots of irons in the fire, like Robert says. :D

[Danzego]

Wow, so many interesting people....and then there's me. ;)

I WAS a computer technician, but like everything else, the good ol' mega-corporations of the US have turned my job into something A) that you need a piece of paper (and not experience) to get your foot in the door and B) the rest of the jobs in my field that I could get otherwise are going and have gone out of the country.

I got sick of the computer tech thing because, frankly, I'd grown tired of fixing people's broken crap and having them take their woes out on me. I thought about going back to college, however, that's the closest thing I had to a profession and felt I needed to stay with that since my fiance and I were to get married soon. Then I was unexpectedly "freed" from my last job, which was a technician on Best Buy Geek Squad. My fiance and I were to get married in a few months after that and I argued that I should just try to find another tech job. When I couldn't find something suitable and figured out that I'd end up going to school anyway just to stay with the tech thing, I went back to college.

So now I'm back in school, studying to become an elementary education teacher and work part time at a videogame store. I was very apprehensive about getting married since being in college full time and working only part time meant we have to live here at her parent's house and I felt we shouldn't get married unless we have our own, but she doesn't mind and her parents were all for it. We got hitched July of last year. :)

I live with her and her parents on their Christmas tree farm in Oregon. Over 100 acres of farmland, a forest with a pond, creeks, etc. and it rocks being able to just hop on the ATV at a moment's notice and go cruising around. Definitely a lot more laid back than when I lived in Chicago. I'm SO lucky that I had the opportunity to go back to school and live with her parents, and my wife has enough put away to where I don't have to work full time to pay the bills (but man, when I get my chance to start teaching in '09, I'm sure going to have to make it up to her). Other than that, I go to school, work, and play guitar and videogames when I can.

See? Boring. ;)

[sunvalleylaw]

Danzego, boring? You gotta be kidding. Where in Oregon are you? I went to law school in Salem, and enjoyed visiting various parts of that state.

[t_ross33]

Don't worry DZ. We all have to start somewhere. I lived with my future wife at her Mom's place for 6 months before we got married (saving up for the wedding). In SEPERATE ROOMS of course ;) It's cool that your in-laws are so welcoming. I can't even make mother-in-law jokes - we get along so well :p

As far as the career switching goes: way to go! I come from a family of teachers and have the greatest respect for that profession.

And having moved from Mississauga, Ontario (neighboring Toronto) - with Greater Toronto Area population of millions - back to my roots in Saskatchewan and a small "city" of 5,000, has been the best decision of my life (outside of asking Mrs. T to marry me :D ). Boring as heck and I love it!

Trev

[helliott]

What a wonderful variety of folks and lives gather here!
I work for a daily newspaper, executive editor. Among the stuff I do there, our internet businesses, our daily lifestyle/A&E magazine section, oversee IT needs for our newsroom, develop and administer the editorial budget, write editorials and sit on the editorial board, etc.
Happily married, coming up 28 years. Proud parent of a 17-year old basketball star, now transforming into a pretty good guitar player. My wife has a great job, executive director of Ronald MacDonald House, a facility that provides lodging for families of hospitalized children, so the families have a low-cost alternative to hotel accommodation when they need to stay during treatment, surgeries and illnesses among their kids.
I'm pretty active in the community, sitting on a community poverty reduction task force and on a board for an organization that helps new immigrants and refugees adjust and settle in the community.
When I'm not working, volunteering or playing guitar, I love basketball, squash and racketball, work out as much as possible, go for bike rides when the weather allows. We're dog folks, recently lost our faithful friend of 13 years, now trying to train a whacky Australian cattle dog/collie cross.
And we love to travel. Just returned from a trip to Cuba, spent time in Havana. Old Havana is incredible, as is Cuban music, which we didn't hear enough of. I love to sit in with the bands we see, and had a chance to do a bit of that this year again.
Hoping soon to put together or join a band soon as I've been out of it for a while now and the jones is back in force. Meantime, I'll keep shedding and enjoying my time here and all the cool people.
Cheers!

[warren0728]

Meantime, I'll keep shedding
hey you didn't mention you are a snake!! :eek: ;) :D :DR

ww

[helliott]

Oops. Small omission. But it makes playing the guitar very interesting indeed -- not only no opposable thumbs, no arms period. All teeth and tail.
Then again, I play rather good scales.

[Danzego]

Thanks for all the kind words, t_ross. Moving out here just me and what I could fit in my Blazer and 800 bucks in hand, trying to find a decent job, I've been here at the house for quite a bit longer than 6 months. I'm sure you know what a blow to the ego it is to be living at your fiance's parent's house in, yes here too, seperate rooms. But I'm working hard in school, getting all A's since getting back in college, so I try to make it worth it and show my appreciation to them. :)

sunvalleylaw, I live a few miles west of the Sandy "city" limits.....I can't believe Sandy is actually considered a city....up 26 towards Mt. Hood (which you can see from the house, matter of fact). So only an hour and half or two away from where you where. :)

[sunvalleylaw]

I know Sandy. Hood is where I did my certification exams for instructing. In addtion to inland salt water, I miss seeing views of the Cascade volcanoes once in a while. Very pretty country where you are living. As you can maybe tell from my post in this thread, I highly value education. Good on ya for pursuing it and for knockin em dead with the grades.
:-)

[warren0728]

Oops. Small omission. But it makes playing the guitar very interesting indeed -- not only no opposable thumbs, no arms period. All teeth and tail.
my guess would be that you play a lot of "slide" guitar then! :D

ww

[Ro3b]

Hey, great thread! I love talking about myself!

My dayjob is at a major nonprofit science policy organization. My group's particular focus is on atmospheric sciences, including meteorology, weather forecasting, and climate change. I handle meeting logistics, maintain websites, and do editing and layout work on the reports we publish.

I also teach Irish flute (and if you really want to be bored out of your skull, have a look at my old website (http://www.geocities.com/feadanach) on flute technique)(but be warned, it's on Geocities so there are popups). I've been mulling over possible ways to ditch the dayjob and teach music full-time. Not sure if that's going to happen, but if I could swing it I think it would be a much more fulfilling way to spend my days.

I've been composing ambient electronic music for the last year or so, and really having a blast with it. I've just put up a little myspace page for the stuff -- http://myspace.com/ro3b -- there's not much there yet, but you can at least hear a couple of my tunes.

What else? Um. I'm officiating at the wedding of some very good friends this weekend. I'm a good cook -- if something happened such that I couldn't play music anymore, I'd probably go to chef school. And I'm a little in shock that the next season of Battlestar Galactica won't start till next year.

[Justaguyin_nc]

There is something other than playing Guitar? That is what I just got into and takes most my time.
I use to be in trucking. For 30 + years (last 29 in same company). I have done about everything you can in that industry on the labor side which is all outside work. Docks and city delivery, Chicago cold for the worse winters and Tennessee/Carolina for the worse in summer heat.
First 15 years was interesting enough and paid the bills while meeting people from all walks of life, Driving and hooking those trucks the last 15 years was boring but paid the bills and finished raising 4 kids..
Poorly retired to the simple life since December 7th 2006 I now enjoy grand children. Use to ride motorcycles alot even through the northern winters. Later, it got to yuppish for me, gave the last one to oldest son and like to sit inside a car or pickup now. Working outside all my life, I enjoy being indoors for a change. I can sit all day on this computer and watch movies on cable or dvd and thats enough for me (well, for now).
Going to the mountains during leaf color changes, sitting in a hot tub while drinking beer is about the extent of activity I care to do. Well, some pan fishing (do you say crop pee or do you say crap pee) and a round or two of golf maybe.
I really enjoy home computers and building or repairing them for friends and relatives. Been around them since they first entered the homes. Just amazing how far they have come the last 30 years or so.
Try to keep up with all the latest techy stuff, but it has past me by. Never being in it to make money, still keeps it fresh and exciting to me.
Also enjoy older volkswagen bugs. Baja and stock. Mainly just to putt-putt around in and go to some meets for ice cream and conversation. Plan on getting to the west coast and see america someday... including the painted dessert and grand canyon. just the normal american travels. Once she retires, probably do this with a laptop and new VW bug... least thats the plan so far. Oh, and with a guitar and amp in the VW..

[ted s]

Hey Justa, any pics of those VeeDubs ?

[Justaguyin_nc]

you can see them here... nothing special.. just driver type..
http://www.mvwe.org/swoogers.html

ummm..the 8th and 9th picture down I think... the two on the left.. a gray one and a yellow one with a baja kit on it.. The gray is a 68 lower front and vent windows removed and the yellow a 67 with an old steel kit and raised a bit..

[ted s]

Cool, I have many a bug memories as a kid, riding behind the back seat.... until my Mom broke the steering wheel with her nose..

[pie_man_25]

wow, all you guys have LIVES. I'm just in a band
(www.myspace.com/thetierants)
and whenever I'm not doing that , I'm either at a friends, orlooking for a job,
preferably in a music store.

[GREENMACHINE]

Hey Guys
Well when I'm not playing guitar I either think about playing it or listen to music and think how cool that would be to be able to play that on the guitar lol! And try to work out how its being played. (its pretty rare for me not to be playing the guitar I just love it soooo much its almost like a drug ay lol):D

Thanks
GREENMACHINE:D :DR :R

[pie_man_25]

Hey Guys
Well when I'm not playing guitar I either think about playing it or listen to music and think how cool that would be to be able to play that on the guitar lol! And try to work out how its being played. (its pretty rare for me not to be playing the guitar I just love it soooo much its almost like a drug ay lol):D

Thanks
GREENMACHINE:D :DR :R

+1, when I'm not playing guitar/bass, I think about the stuff I like playing and the stuff I would like to play on, and usually make stuff on the subject. I also work out, and am on the internet regularly

[tjcurtin1]

No wonder this is such a great board, what a lot of interesting- and dare I say it - decent human beans. BTW, this is the only on-line group that I belong to - never had an interest in this kind of thing before.

I've had my fingers in lots of pies over the years. Spent some time living in Italy after college - a great experience. Then worked for 17 years at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum here in Plymouthh - there I did everything from being a 'pilgrim' to research and education. Learned 17th c woodworking in order to halp make timber frame buildings and furnish them and had a side business for many years making reproduction furniture. Spent my last years there as the staff photographer.

Late in life, I felt the call to teach, inspired by a wonderful teacher I had. Went back to school for training to be a teacher in a Waldorf (Steiner) school (our European members will know what that is, if no one else). It's a very arts-rich curriculum, and I picked up the guitar to use in the classroom (Years ago I tried to learn to play the lute due to a love of renaissance music - I never got any good at it, but it really helped with the guitar). so now, I spend almost all of my waking hours doing teaching or prep - even the summers are busy because I teach a new grade every year (another story). But it is the best job I've ever had - I love the feeling that I'm making a difference in the lives of the children I teach.

My wife is an historian who runs a local historical society - we'll be married 20 years this year - no kids. I actually never seem to have enough time to play, and find I think more about it (or read and write more about it here!)
than I DO it! I also like to read, think about what's going on in the world, get out in nature, listen to music. It's nice to be here with you all, but soon I will turn into a pumpkin - er, a teacher - and then I'll dissappear until next summer!

[oldguy]

I now work as a union laborer, my job description being gradechecker, the one who surveys the site and sets the gradestakes. The job is much easier now thanks to the coming-of-age of global positiong system (GPS) technology mated w/ laptop computers. We can now literally walk over the entire site, see our position in real time, and calculate the cuts/fills from an electronic file/blueprint loaded in the laptop. No need for surveyor hubs to guide us through each phase of the job, hubs are only needed to tie into the correct northing/easting and positioning in the primary phase of alignment.
Simple.... construction... I dress like a spaceman and walk all day driving wooden stakes in the ground and writing instructions on them for the heavy equipment operators to follow.
I'm gone from home all week, as there's not much work within 50 miles of where I live (small rural community).
It's a good job, which I enjoy, except...
1. When the weather's unbearably hot or cold, which is seldom.
2. When a large tract of wooded area or farmland has to be wiped out for a housing complex, shopping mall, sports stadium, racetrack. etc. etc. (Fortunately, the job we're about to start is largely scrubrush and weeds, not so bad, and much of the timber is designed to stay to enhance the theme of the park.)
This should take 2 to 3 years, and is near Kansas City, Kansas.
The last I heard, the newest design and blueprints are complete, and groundbreaking should start in 60 to 90 days.
The latest figures I've heard, closer to 400 acres, and $950 million.
That ought to keep me busy for a while....

http://www.schlitterbahn.com/news/kc.asp
http://www.schlitterbahn.com/news/photos/photos.htm#KC

When I come home on the weekend, my wonderful wife of 11 yrs. and our 14 yr. old daughter (the youngest, and only one left at home), are here, as well as Mugsy, our mixed-breed dog. He was barely weaned, and sentenced to die, until my wife rescued him. He's quite spoiled and adores the wife, he dotes on her, and she, likewise, by him. When the mrs. brought him home, he could fit in the palm of your hand, now he barely fits on half the couch, about 100 lbs, but still thinks he's a puppy, likes to climb on my lap to lay on me (oof!)

I understand Justa's lack of needing to be outside as well. When the weather's particularly nice, I love being outdoors, fishing, hunting, walking.
During hot, humid, miserable summer days (like now), I am perfectly content to sit indoors at the computer, or playing guitar, or listening to music, finding songs to try and figure out, and the occasional nap on the couch on Sunday afternoon.:)

[jpfeifer]

I love reading these postings to see what kinds of other things people are doing, yet we all share guitar and music as a common passion.

In my day job, I work as a sales engineer for a company that makes streaming media software for mobile phones. We make streaming video and music software for mobile phone providers across the globe for things like liveTV and iTunes-like services. This job keeps me very busy and I travel a fair amount.

On Sunday's my wife, daughters, and I play music for a Catholic church. We have been doing this for a number of years and it's nice to get the kids involved in it so that we can all play music as a family, for a good cause. Between all of these things most of my free time is occupied.

Apart from these things I love to cook, run (to stay in shape), and I have a facination with magic tricks. I'm always looking for a few tricks to learn.

-- Jim

[Mark]

I love reading these postings to see what kinds of other things people are doing, yet we all share guitar and music as a common passion.

In my day job, I work as a sales engineer for a company that makes streaming media software for mobile phones. We make streaming video and music software for mobile phone providers across the globe for things like liveTV and iTunes-like services. This job keeps me very busy and I travel a fair amount.

On Sunday's my wife, daughters, and I play music for a Catholic church. We have been doing this for a number of years and it's nice to get the kids involved in it so that we can all play music as a family, for a good cause. Between all of these things most of my free time is occupied.

Apart from these things I love to cook, run (to stay in shape), and I have a facination with magic tricks. I'm always looking for a few tricks to learn.

-- Jim

Hanging around here you are probably good at the .......Now for my next trick I shall make a guitar appear out of thin air..........honest honey it just appeared!!!!:eek:

[jpfeifer]

Hi Mark,

Yes, I've mastered the trick where I turn a bunch of cash into music equipment :-) This is one trick that I can do all by myself. The only bad part is that my wife knows how I do this trick too, so she chages cash into household items first before I have a chance to perform my trick. Doh!!

-- Jim

[sunvalleylaw]

Hey guys thanks for reviving this thread! I really like getting to know a little about everyone.

[WackyT]

I am currently a Level II Helpdesk Technician at IBM. I am Microsoft Certified in Windows 2000 and XP/2003.

I am single, footloose, and fancy free.

I like to work on and ride/drive my motorcycle, 1994 Suzuki Intruder 1400, and car, 1992 Mazda MX-5 (Miata), especially in the mountains.

I like working on and designing electronics, especially audio. That's part of what I did in the U.S. Air Force.

[duhvoodooman]

Geez, guess I never got around to posting in this thread.

Me, I'm quality assurance manager for a major manufacturer of industrial (read: BIG) air and gas compressors at one of their plant sites outside Albany NY. Married almost 19 years now to a wonderful gal who, beyond all reason, continues to put up with me & my foolishness. Two kids--daughter will be starting her senior year in HS this fall, and her brother will be a freshman. College just a year away, and almost certain to put a major dent in the GAS budget!! Ah, well--such is life & fatherhood!

Was big into computers & gaming for a few years, but kinda got bored with that a couple of years back and got back into guitar in a big way. Was lucky enough to find this forum about a year and a half ago, and happy I did. Best group of people I've come across on the internet....

[250Keith]

Lets see I'm a union Tile/stone mason 20+ yrs been In construction since I was about 12, Divorced with two kids 15 & 13, I still like to race my dirtbikes, I used to shoot service rifle competitively M14 Never got into the poodle poper M16:D I'm still old school, I realy like playing guitar and this site, alot of fun.
Happy Days!
Keith.

[zeusse]

Great to see people here dabble in so many different areas of trade and like Justaguyin I've been truckin for 25years but its a little different I haul gasoline around Ontario and Quebec and my owner is my buddy so I can generaly work when I want and make as much as I want....other than that married for 18years with alot of guitar and hockey...my son is 12 and plays AAA PeeWee hockey so alot of traveling around we do for that and I play in a mens league here in town. My daughter is 14 and like her mother spends any money I have left over..LOL I play in what I like to refer to as a part-time weekend band and the other guys have jobs and kids so we take gigs when it matches everyones schedules so maybe 12-15 gigs a year...other than that I enjoy meeting all the great people that get involved with music here on the internet....its all good!!:R



Here's some pics of my truck and a typical day yeah its a lot of truck only 150 000 lbs loaded with 60000 litres of gas

[Spudman]

I think I'm going to switch what I do and start biting the heads off of small furry creatures just because that hasn't been covered yet.:rolleyes:

Pretty diverse bunch of blokes around here.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Here's some pics of my truck and a typical day yeah its a lot of truck only 150 000 lbs loaded with 60000 litres of gas

My goodness...more smoke blowers..heh... hate like heck to be comming off a mountain with that kinda cargo!! Keep on truck'n zeusse, it aint that bad of life huh...;)

[zeusse]

My goodness...more smoke blowers..heh... hate like heck to be comming off a mountain with that kinda cargo!! Keep on truck'n zeusse, it aint that bad of life huh...;) Ya and its all hilly country where I go most of the time I'm lucky to keep it at 50 most of the day and the cars just love to get stuck behind me...LOL They wave that middle finger alot I just keep thinking I'm #1:D

[pes_laul]

hmmmmmm i either sleep or go to school

[Bloozcat]

Well, let's see...

I'm a Revenue Protection Officer, which is an official sounding title for someone who conducts and oversees investigations regarding theft of utility services, and fraud for a municipal utility that provides electric, gas, water & sewer services. I get to spend time with the dregs of society on a daily basis. So, it's particularly nice to duck in an out of this site throughout the day to spend time with all of you and talk about enjoyable things. I am married 24 years as of yesterday to Mrs. Bloozcat, who is truly my better half. My wife is an Executive Director at our local community college, where she definitely deals with a better clientel than I do.

When I'm not playing my guitars, fixing guitars (and now amps), modding guitars (and amps), and just generally monkeying with guitars and amps, I like to travel with my wife. Our travels always include eating in fine restaurants and drinking great wines. We love wine so much that we've been to Napa and Sonoma Valleys in California 10 times, and we'll be going back again to the Russian River Valley next March for another stay. We've been fortunate to have spent time in the Medoc on the Gironde penninsula (Bordeaux region) of France, touring several wineries there, and also in the Tuscany region of Italy. Next year for our 25th anniversary we plan to take an Alaskan cruise, something that we've wanted to do for a long time. This weekend we are joining two other couples in NYC for the holiday weekend, to see a couple of plays and see the sights. While there I'll make the obligitory trip to W. 48th St. to music row where Manny's, Rudy's, and several other music stores are located.

We have no children, which is probably why we're able to travel as much as we do. Just a cat, a nice home on 1+ acre of property that's just a few minutes drive from the ocean.

My interests are pretty varied. I like many outdoors activities including fishing, camping, hunting, and the shooting sports in general. I used to like athletic sports as well, but my knees have decided to retire me from those endeavors. I like to build/repair things, so I'm constantly busy around the house with projects. I like being self sufficient.

So, with all of my (our) interests, it's no wonder that I have so much trouble completing my guitar/amp projects....:rolleyes:

[Jampy]

I work full time with a 30+ minute drive each way, so that takes up alot of time. As for hobbies we travel to local venues and support all my friends that actually play on a stage. I keep and breed African Cichlids (fish) so that takes up some time, we also enjoy Gaming and we are big WoW players. Then on top of that I try to find a few hours a week to play/practice Guitar..I am now in the process of trying to better organize my hobbies to best creat time for music/guitar, we have no kids so that helps and my GF has her own interests which also helps..

Seems that we all are getting more and more busy as life goes on..

[Eric]

Hmm, just bumbled upon this thread. I like searches, because they pop up these undiscovered threads. Since we already have a what's-your-job thread, I'll leave that part out of it. So anyway, other than job + guitar/guitar-related things...

I like to garden, drink beer, and camp in various capacities (car camping, backpacking, etc.). Luckily my wife also likes those things. It helps to live in the wonderful beer city of Philadelphia. I spend (or used to spend) a good amount of time running too, but that's tailed off recently.

I also dip my toes into the open-source/non-proprietary computing community, running Linux 95% of the time at home. I can't claim to be real active in it, but sometimes just figuring out how to make it work is enough effort for me.

Lastly, I go to a couple of churches most Sundays (play at one, go to one for the spiritual part). I'm not real real active in either other than the music at church 1, but it's still something I consider important.

So there; that's everything there is to know about me!

Edit: I forgot to add that I am also a bit of a sports junkie. I don't actually go to that many games or even watch many on TV, but I am somewhat addicted to sports talk radio and following the seasons and teams online. NBA basketball, due to the high drama, trades, and advanced stats, is my favorite. After that comes football, baseball, and hockey, in that order.

[otaypanky]

For years I used to have a little cottage on the French River, just south of Sudbury. I remember driving along the 401 and north on 400 and 69 and you boys do like that pedal on the right, dontcha? LOL
One night I was heading up there in a snow storm, heading west on 401. I couldn't see a thing and snow had covered up an trace of lanes. But those Canadian truckers weren't phased a bit. I was just hoping they'd see my taillights.
I lost the cottage years ago in the aftermath of a nasty divorce. (Even though it was all mine before the marriage, long story). I spend my time making custom guitar straps, playing guitar drums and a little bass, working on getting a trio together, yardwork, kayaking and fishing, motorcycling, hanging with my wife, playing with our dogs. I'm a happy camper. And like Spud, I occasionally will bite the head off a small furry creature, my cat taught me that one ~


Great to see people here dabble in so many different areas of trade and like Justaguyin I've been truckin for 25years but its a little different I haul gasoline around Ontario and Quebec and my owner is my buddy so I can generaly work when I want and make as much as I want....other than that married for 18years with alot of guitar and hockey...my son is 12 and plays AAA PeeWee hockey so alot of traveling around we do for that and I play in a mens league here in town. My daughter is 14 and like her mother spends any money I have left over..LOL I play in what I like to refer to as a part-time weekend band and the other guys have jobs and kids so we take gigs when it matches everyones schedules so maybe 12-15 gigs a year...other than that I enjoy meeting all the great people that get involved with music here on the internet....its all good!!:R



Here's some pics of my truck and a typical day yeah its a lot of truck only 150 000 lbs loaded with 60000 litres of gas

[Tone2TheBone]

Lately I help my kids with their homework.....

[Tig]

Not sure how I missed this thread either, Eric.

I've also covered the career stuff for the most part. I went to school for aviation back in the early 80's, but the industry was terrible for jobs, so I went to computer/IT tech school and started working at the Johnson Space Center/NASA for several years. Met my future ex-wife there, who I went to high school with but never knew back then. Had a great son out of the deal but divorced later.

My second wife came from South Jersey, is a nurse and the most honest, caring person I've ever known. We are best friends and soul mates. I got 3 step kids that sadly were messed up for years after their dad died early in their lives. 2 of the 3 are finally getting their lives together 12 years after I met their mom. We are raising our oldest grandson who is now 9. He's super hyper (a severe case of ADHD), but has a wonderful heart and is very intelligent. Last year, the step son (26) provided us with twin boy grandsons, and the youngest daughter (23) gave us a beautiful granddaughter weeks later.

I love time with family and have my son (14, just started high school) every weekend. I read books when I get the rare chance, do wood work projects, gardening, and used to ride road and MTB bikes 3 to 4 days a week before I started this new night shift job. I miss that. I used to be a surfer for a few decades, as well as an avid wade and kayak fisherman in the local saltwater bays.

An undiagnosed muscle/bone/joint deterioration condition has slowed most of my activities, but I can still play guitar without too much pain. :thumbsup Life is rarely easy, but it sure is good to be alive!

[oldguy]

Lately I help my kids with their homework.....

Our youngest is a senior in HS this year, and she's smarter than me (just ask her!), so I can't help.
She doesn't mind asking for advice, tho.......... "Dad, what's that hanging underneath my car?"
:thwap

[Tone2TheBone]

Our youngest is a senior in HS this year, and she's smarter than me (just ask her!), so I can't help.
She doesn't mind asking for advice, tho.......... "Dad, what's that hanging underneath my car?"
:thwap

My oldest just started college :what so luckily she helps me with my youngest in math. My youngest asked me last night why math was so hard and I simply replied "that's why they call it math". :messedup:

[street music]

Glad to revisit this page, My job duties have changed as of this past week. I will no longer be a member of IBEW as I now have a non-union position as GIS ENGINEER& Operations Assistant for a rural electric co-op. My guitar playing has improved since I started 5 years ago, still more of strumming than picking but I help MC our FRONT PORCH PICKIN at the local Country Music Museum and run our sound system on many occasions. I'm still the music show chairman for The Kentucky Apple Festival- see www.kyapplefest.org
I love to play golf when time allows, I enjoy photography and my wife still hates the fact that I have the desire to deer hunt, although due to my last shoulder injury I have quit bow hunting for now.
I have come to enjoy listening to music almost as much as playing it for relaxation. I have seen many highs and lows change what takes place in the life I walk in, I have come to appreciate friends for we never know when they will leave our life.

[Brian Krashpad]

I'm a lawyer. I do research and writing for other lawyers exclusively.

I play in a bunch of different rock bands, and in church. Guitar, bass, and a bit of mandolin. Have a show with the hippie side band (I play mandolin and 6 and 12-string guitars) this Friday night. Am finally getting my main band (the one where I'm the lead singer/songwriter, playing old school punk rock and roll) back up and running, got a gig in mid-October.

I sometimes skateboard with my son, who is 13, but I'm getting long in the tooth for that. My daughter is a high school senior in the International Baccalaureate program. is a National Merit Scholar, and she plays bass with me in the church band.

In addition to lawyering and playing teh rock, I write a local music column for a quarterly local magazine. I have written about music for over 15 years now, for at least 4 or5 diferent mags. This is the first time I'm actually getting paid in cash, rather than press passes or free CD's. Oh, and my first photo byline/bio.

My wife teaches English to foreign-born adults.

I have a lump on my neck I've named Rutherford. CT scan on Wednesday.

[FrankenFretter]

Thanks for dredging this one up, Eric. Good stuff!

Other than that thing I do to pay the bills (I'm a communications technician for a large company based in Philadelphia), and playing guitar, I spend time with my fiancee and her 9-year old daughter. My family. We take family walks, which seems to be making me fat (there always seems to be a stop for ice cream on our walks. Our walks are the unhealthiest walks EVER). I also spend some time working on my guitars, and experimenting with electricity. I also run a childrens' petting zoo featuring various breeds of badger and wolverines. Currently we're closed due to not being able to find anyone to carry our liability insurance.

In my spare time, I usually eat. I collect zombie paraphernalia, movies, and kidney stones (only my own, so please don't volunteer any of yours, thanks!).

I've already been married once, and apparently I haven't learned my lesson yet, because I'm ready to do it again. Seriously, my fiancee, Kris, is a wonderful lady who is my best friend as well as the love of my life, and she is solely responsible for my latest guitar purchase. She's definitely the right one for me.

I've lived in Oregon for two years now, and it finally feels like home. I do sometimes miss my former hometown of Bellingham, Washington, which is a beautiful place, but it remains a great place to visit.

[Perfect Stranger]

Other than work, my wife and I travel a little....a very little. All of our kids are grown and out of the house. Only one isn't married, so we play with grandbabies a lot. Gosh, I really don't know where all my time goes....just doesn't seem to be much of it. I must have a time leak....or I've managed to loose some somewhere...

[Eric]

Other than work, my wife and I travel a little....a very little. All of our kids are grown and out of the house. Only one isn't married, so we play with grandbabies a lot. Gosh, I really don't know where all my time goes....just doesn't seem to be much of it. I must have a time leak....or I've managed to loose some somewhere...
Nothing wrong with that. I sometimes feel the same way, like I honestly don't know where time goes, but what good is time if you don't use it for something, you know?

Sounds like your pursuits are pretty fun, anyway.

[ZMAN]

I restore old Muscle Cars. I have recently purchased my first Ford in 40 years, a pickup truck. I am in the process of doing a mini restore on it. Mostly drive train issues. Not an old vehicle by any means. I just like to have everything working.
Otaypanky: I used to go to my friends cottage up in Monetville, in the same area near Sudbury. Love the area as well. Too bad about the cottage.
That would be a long drive for you.

[FrankenFretter]

I restore old Muscle Cars.

That's a very cool hobby, Z! My muscle car days are over now, at least until I have my mid-life crisis, but I still admire them.

[hubberjub]

I work in finance for an educational NFP. I've been married for two and a half years and have one dog and three cats. In our spare time, my wife and I do a lot of hiking/camping (we just got back from the Catskills). I play in a couple of bands and don't think I'll ever be able to stop. Though we play the bar scene, I really enjoy playing the summer music festival circuit. It's given me a chance to meet and play with a lot of great musicians.

[Tig]

That's a very cool hobby, Z! My muscle car days are over now, at least until I have my mid-life crisis, but I still admire them.

Same here. My muscle car days sadly ended in high school.
Even the budget finds I see on the Mecum Auction shows are out of reach. My tastes are for 60's Cameros, GTO's, Corvettes, Challengers, Mustangs, 'Cuda's, or a slick 30's coupe resto-mod. (pretty much anything I guess) While the uber cars are now so pricey that you can't drive them, I'd be happy with a driver level car.

When something like this sells for just $40K, I know what I'd do with a little lotto money! http://www.mecum.com/auctions/MN0610/MN0610-96966/images/MN0610-96966_1.jpg

[Algonquin]

For years I used to have a little cottage on the French River, just south of Sudbury. I remember driving along the 401 and north on 400 and 69 and you boys do like that pedal on the right, dontcha? LOL


Beautiful part of the Province Bob! I know we talked about your spot in Ontario... never say never, you might just find yourself back in the Great White North!

[bcdon]

Wow, another great thread I might have missed if Algonquin hadn't kicked it. Thanks! :dude

I'm a computer engineer by profession. I've worked on everything from pagers (remember those?) to satellite handsets and super high speed network routers. As a teen I was very much the geek -- hell, who am I kidding, I still am -- so instead of learning how to play the guitar I screwed around with computers. Fortunately I came to my senses and picked up the guitar and it was just like using a computer for the first time, or meeting my wife...love at first sight.

[stingx]

Cleaned and prepped the bike for another riding season. Took the first real ride of the season yesterday and headed to Bear Mountain. Riding is a passion of mine that goes back to before I hit double digits. Started on dirtbikes and took it from there. Anyway, here's a picture I snapped just off Seven Lakes Drive...

http://stubble.org/mobile/VTX_Harriman.jpg