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Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

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Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#31

Post by zenbowman »

I live in Los Angeles. My routine is very routine, but I like it that way.

Morning weekday routine: Get up, exercise, eat breakfast, shoot some arrows (hence the username), go to work

At work hobbies: Table tennis, and we have a crew that does calisthenics at the park below work

Night: Come home, chill with wife, sleep

Weekends: Archery in the morning, gym with the wife in the afternoon, usually go to dinner in the evening.

I used to have more hobbies, but I found that the routine is liberating in a strange way. I don't have to think about what I need to do, I just do the same things week in week out and try to get really good at them.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#32

Post by mindcrime »

These days I both work a day job and am a startup founder, and I don't do a whole lot other than work, between the two. But when I find (or make) a small bit of spare time, I like to do things like:

1. Read - fiction (horror, sci-fi, thriller/suspense, mystery, etc.) and various topics in non-fiction: physics, cosmology, history, economics, biographies, etc.

2. Mountain bike. I haven't been riding much lately, but this is one of my favorite outdoor activities when the weather is nice.

3. BMX - I still pull out my old BMX bike from time to time and do a little dorking around, street riding.

4. Road biking. I mainly only ride my road bike for cross-training purposes, but I like to get in a few miles here and there.

5. Hike and/or trail run. - I sometimes go hike or run, mostly on some of the same trails I MTB on. Plus a few nearby trails that are open to foot traffic, but not bikes.

6. Concerts - I love live music, and I try to make it to a concert every now and then. The last one I hit up was Trans-Siberian Orchestra back in November. But I like pretty much anything heavy-metal or hard-rock. From Steel Panther to Motley Crue to Tyr or Anthrax, whatever.

7. Dining out - I'm not exactly a hardcore "foodie" but I enjoy trying novel cuisine and having a good meal at a nice restaurant. So exploring new places to eat is something I like to do, especially when traveling. This week has been a good example - I've been in San Francisco all week (I live in Chapel Hill, NC) so I've had a chance to sample a Peruvian restaurant, a Czech restaurant, a place that specializes in garlic, etc.

8. I try to hang out at the local hackerspace[1] a little. Often when I'm there I'm actually working on the startup, but sometimes I like to go in and just tinker and play around a bit. I bought a few microcontroller / SBC boards (Arduino, rPi, BeagleBone) and a bunch of discrete components and shit, and built a monster breadboard with an integrated powersupply using an old PC ATX power supply. Sometimes I just go in and work on learning to build weird electronic circuits and stuff.

Outside of that, I dunno... does reading HN count as a hobby? Or watching TV shows and movies? I squeeze in a couple of "go to the theater" for a new release deals a year, and watch a movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime from time to time, or rewatch one of my old favorites on DVD. shrug

[1]: http://www.splatspace.org/

Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#33

Post by Jemaclus »

Jemaclus wrote: post #21

I also live in the Bay Area (SF). Here's a small sampling of things I do when I'm not working: * Write. Every weekday morning, I go to a coffee shop downtown and write for 30-60 minutes. I've written two full-length novels and two novellas so far, though they are all as-of-yet unpublished. Someday... * Run. I run 3-4 nights per week, either along Embarcadero or through Golden Gate Park. I started off with the Couch t…

I keep thinking of things! There's an awesome group called Berlin-Style Ping Pong League (BSPPL): http://americantripps.com. It's a variation of ping pong designed for large groups. Even if you suck, it's a LOT of fun and a fantastic way to meet people. They have events 2-3 times per week, and there's even a league night (Monday nights) where you form teams and play. It's super fun! Check it out!

Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#34

Post by 6d0debc071 »

A few things. It depends when you're asking what my interests are around then.

At the moment these spring to mind:

Chess - casual player, friends and family type thing. Never been competitive enough to want to learn specific openings and counters and so on.

Martial arts - specifically I practice Wadu Ryo karate.

Swimming

Archery - Longbow

Reading - Mostly fantasy and sci-fi, a few technical and history books or books on whatever my interest happens to be then.

Volunteering - I try to help young people into work.

Music - I play the piano. Well, technically a keyboard at the moment.

Wood work - Pretty rare these days since I got my house the way I want it, but I still make little things from time to time. Really more my boyfriend's thing these days than mine though.

Computer games - I enjoy strategy games, RPGs, and things where you can build stuff.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#35

Post by ankushio »

Jemaclus wrote: post #21

I also live in the Bay Area (SF). Here's a small sampling of things I do when I'm not working: * Write. Every weekday morning, I go to a coffee shop downtown and write for 30-60 minutes. I've written two full-length novels and two novellas so far, though they are all as-of-yet unpublished. Someday... * Run. I run 3-4 nights per week, either along Embarcadero or through Golden Gate Park. I started off with the Couch t…

Thanks! This is the most exhaustive answer.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#37

Post by ApolloRising »

zenbowman wrote: post #31

I live in Los Angeles. My routine is very routine, but I like it that way. Morning weekday routine: Get up, exercise, eat breakfast, shoot some arrows (hence the username), go to work At work hobbies: Table tennis, and we have a crew that does calisthenics at the park below work Night: Come home, chill with wife, sleep Weekends: Archery in the morning, gym with the wife in the afternoon, usually go to dinner in the e…

Where do you practice Archery in LA?

Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#39

Post by zenbowman »

ApolloRising wrote: post #37
zenbowman wrote: post #31

I live in Los Angeles. My routine is very routine, but I like it that way. Morning weekday routine: Get up, exercise, eat breakfast, shoot some arrows (hence the username), go to work At work hobbies: Table tennis, and we have a crew that does calisthenics at the park below work Night: Come home, chill with wife, sleep Weekends: Archery in the morning, gym with the wife in the afternoon, usually go to dinner in the e…

Where do you practice Archery in LA?

Pasadena Roving Archers

rovingarchers.com

Re: Ask HN: What do you do when you're not working/programming?

#40

Post by Nicholas_C »

jasonkester wrote: post #16

You have some really amazing surfing and bouldering right in your back yard. Both easily accessible for after work sessions. It's one of the few places in the country that has both, so you're making me sad by not doing either of them. Castle Rock is like a mini Fontainebleau, with really nice sandstone in a pleasant setting. Train up at any of the half dozen local climbing gyms, then start heading up the hill every e…

How are the crowds in the SF area lineups? It always looks packed in surf videos. I've been to SF but never had the chance to surf or go to a beach other than Muir Beach.
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