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Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

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Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#71

Post by brm »

I'm a little sad at the thought that we as a society don't help people to better deal with questions like these. Or that someone alive in space and time can be stuck like this.

See a movie. Date a person. Start a community war. Draw a picture. Read a book. Write a book. Go for a swim. Call a relative. Visit a friend. Make a friend. Take a night class. Play a video game. Whittle. Cook. Volunteer. Brew beer. Start a fight. Walk around. Pull a prank. Make graffiti. Build a robot. Throw a party. Have a regular potluck. Buy a dart board and get really good. Play a game. Feed some ducks.

But I'm genuinely curious. Did you have this problem as a kid or after the school day or did it sorta just happen when you started in the workforce?

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#72

Post by souprock »

Ancalagon wrote: post #68
souprock wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the correct answer. That feeling of empty pointlessness is because the drive to have kids is not being satisfied. User "volument" here is suffering an existential crisis. I have 12 kids. They depend on me. There is always something going on. Even the bad things have an upside of removing boredom. There is no time for television. Tomorrow, on Saturday, I will be homeschooling AP Chemistry. Three kids have to g…

12 wow props to you. What does your monthly budget look like and how do you expect to pay for college for all 12??

It's about $4000 for food. It's been a while since I looked at the rest. The house and cars are paid off.

I don't expect to pay for college for all 12. They start dual-enrollment as early as 12, with the school district paying for books and tuition, so a college degree can be had for the cost of commuting and trivial fees. Normally that would be just an AA degree (the few 4-year degrees offered locally are lousy), but a couple more years to upgrade it to a BS at UCF isn't terribly expensive. I could just pay it, but it might be better for the kids to solve their own financial problems. Maybe somebody will go into the military, go to a trade school, or be a homemaker. The ones with plans so far have chosen: CPA (maybe), software developer, lawyer (physics undergrad), something medical (physician assistant?), and midwifery.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#74

Post by RickJWagner »

Right after work, I turn off and unplug the pc, then I roll the top down on the desk.

I step out of the office, walk through the living room, and into the kitchen where my beautiful bride has dinner cooking. I wash up, then join Wifey and the kids at the kitchen table.

After dinner, my wife and I go for a good walk. After that, it's family tv time.

I really, really love working from the house. Zero time wasted on commuting.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#76

Post by GaryNumanVevo »

bobochan wrote: post #70

My favorite thing: cooking. I have been the primary cook at home for 30 years but only in the past few years have I had time for anything more than what we can get on the table in 20 minutes after soccer practice. Every once in while I get a new cookbook like "Voila! Effortless French Cookbook," "German Meals at Oma's", and "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" and then work my way through the recipes that look int…

+1 for cooking. It's a perfect chance to try new cuisines, learn some new skills, it's typically cheaper than eating out too.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#77

Post by oxplot »

Some ideas based on my own personal experience:

* Lose the TV (it opens up space, saves electricity and you can put plants in its place)

* Improve and optimize your living. Eg adding a hook somewhere to hang stuff. Make an economic shower caddy. Install accessible power points.

* Cook. For a tired mind, cooking and cleaning afterwards is very soothing.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#78

Post by Ancalagon »

souprock wrote: post #72
Ancalagon wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

12 wow props to you. What does your monthly budget look like and how do you expect to pay for college for all 12??

It's about $4000 for food. It's been a while since I looked at the rest. The house and cars are paid off. I don't expect to pay for college for all 12. They start dual-enrollment as early as 12, with the school district paying for books and tuition, so a college degree can be had for the cost of commuting and trivial fees. Normally that would be just an AA degree (the few 4-year degrees offered locally are lousy), bu…

Got it thanks for the response :). I have a secret dream of having a large family as well, so was just curious how you made it all work.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#79

Post by zajomi »

muzani wrote: post #7

I have a rule of thumb. From a stress rating of 0-10, your days should ideally be 8 stress or 0. Growth = stress + rest The more elite people can take on a lot more stress. 0 doesn't necessarily mean watching Netflix; for me that's more stressful than playing with spreadsheets or commenting on HN. What most people do is stick around 3-5 stress level (the comfort zone) or constantly at 6 (trying my best). It's a recip…

can I ask what idle games involve wikis and spreadsheets?

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#80

Post by postsantum »

Try slackline - it's a meditative practice and a way to meet new people.

There was a period in my life when I just moved to another country and felt lonely. I bought a line and started to practice in a popular park. On a good day I could meet 1-2 people per hour. There were people from wildly different backgrounds - sometimes it's a quirky homeless guy, young father, cute girls, policeman

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