What do you do in your "spare" time

[Bluey]

To stimulate some posting by our members

After you have done everything you need to do to keep your business going what else do you do. I will lead off. I have a few hobbies and interests.

I referee at paintball at least one day each weekend. I keep tropical fish and lizards and tropical frogs. I also like to build things out of wood when I get the time. I brew my own beer and spirits, build and administer web pages and forums. I write resumes for job seekers. I love fishing and my veggie garden. If we get the chance my wife and I love to go to markets in search of a bargain and I also love to cook. I am also a keen reader and like to read a bit but don't often get the chance for that. I like spearfishing and bow hunting but again I have not done a lot of that lately.

I don't mind a beer of 6 either. Just writing this I realised there are quite a few things I have not done for a while. About time I did.

[Mrs HMS]

Good topic Bluey!

Working full time, studying and raising kids, I realise that my spare time is not so spare anymore.

When I get the chance I dabble in desktop publishing/digital design relating to scrapbooking, webpage banners and images, corporate logo design etc (actually I get paid for that one but I enjoy it so it's not like work).

I scrapbook - both paper and digital (although haven't done any of that for months and months).

love to read...I always make time for that, can't sleep if I haven't read a little bit of something. Am reading Patriot Games at the moment and am struggling to put it down. Stupidly reading until about 1am most night (mornings) this week.

I mod on a parenting/social networking site.

Kids sport - this season I have been team manager and coach ( :laughing: ) for my youngest daughter's miniball (U8s) basketball team and with both kids playing have spent much time at training and games..eldest daughter won her grandfinal on Tuesday. Have (maybe stupidly) put my hand up for the club committee as they are desperate for people.

Also play Wii as a family - sports etc, karaoke (sorry about that neighbours).

Music plays a big part in this house, it's always on, kids love to sing and dance, Timmy plays guitar.

[Scooby Steve]

For me its fishing,fishing and did i mention fishing :laughing: . Also love my footy (AFL), and spending time with family and friends.

[Stripes]

I have got 4 young kids 5 and under. Three boys and a 1 year old girl, so I don't have too much spare time. I am a massive rugby League fan (Bulldogs who smashed the Roosters today!) and spend my spare time on a footy forum, and am also a mod on it to control some of the garbage that is posted on it.

I like working on my house and did a lot of work on my previous house renovating including putting in a new kitchen on my own, and also put an extension on it including a pool room/bar and extra bedroom.

I play Baseball a bit but can't really be bothered at the moment so only playing when my team is short.

[Andy B]

Picking the black snot out of my nose after mowing all day. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[courty]

I have got 4 young kids 5 and under. Three boys and a 1 year old girl, so I don't have too much spare time. I am a massive rugby League fan (Bulldogs who smashed the Roosters today!) and spend my spare time on a footy forum, and am also a mod on it to control some of the garbage that is posted on it.

I like working on my house and did a lot of work on my previous house renovating including putting in a new kitchen on my own, and also put an extension on it including a pool room/bar and extra bedroom.

I play Baseball a bit but can't really be bothered at the moment so only playing when my team is short.

Hey Stripes
T'was a nice afternoon woof woof, always nice to smash the chooks, I think we both may be members of another forum
cheers

[geoff]

bloody hell old bluey...after busting your butt all day then ref paint ball you are one looking for the youth fountain :p well we are grandparents to be soon will no doubt increase the leasure time work load apart from the lost dollar :cool: daughter moving into the new house so weeks of sundays landscaping and when i get time landscape the sons house as well , after that well maybe bored again :frightene

[Stripes]

Hey Stripes
T'was a nice afternoon woof woof, always nice to smash the chooks, I think we both may be members of another forum
cheers

Sweet. Another Doggies supporter.

Good to see them back at their best!

and are you talking about The Kennel?

[TassieXJ]

Well at the moment lm working all seven days. But when l do get time off, l like to play in the mud, with my jeep. Try to get away camping with my wife and kids, travel as much as we can. Love to get back into fishing again one day.

[courty]

Sweet. Another Doggies supporter.

Good to see them back at their best!

and are you talking about The Kennel?

Yes mate the Kennel. Have been in Qld 26 years now but spent my childhood on the hill at Belmore pushing the Berries/Doggies home,will never support another team.
I used to play ball as well (1st base) it's a great game.

cheers

[Back to Basics]

Go the Doggies!!!! Place has never been the same since I left LOL....

[SouthCoast Walker]

Play lots of Tennis

Mountain bike

Drive modified cars

Watch the Mighty Wollongong Hawks

Follow A league and NBL

Collect mowers

[The Local Gardener]

For me its fishing,fishing and did i mention fishing :laughing: . Also love my footy (AFL), and spending time with family and friends.

I fish as well. Love my AFL (Tigers), markets, a trying a different 6 pack of beer each weekend. This weekend I was in Japan (Kirin) and the weekend before I was in Greece (mythos)

:wave-hi:

[Mrs HMS]

ILove my AFL (Tigers)

You and Timmy can be miserable together then....ours was not a very happy household this week.

Timmy and our eldest daughter follow Tigers.
Me and the youngest daugher follow Blues.

I was not allowed to even speak to him during the game. He literally put his fingers in his ears and said "la la la la la" :laughing: :laughing:

[Stripes]

Go the Doggies!!!! Place has never been the same since I left LOL....

haha. Lots of dramas, but it looks like they have cleaned the place up.

Are you still involved in League at all? Was it your back that forced you to retire in the end?

[Stripes]

Yes mate the Kennel. Have been in Qld 26 years now but spent my childhood on the hill at Belmore pushing the Berries/Doggies home,will never support another team.
I used to play ball as well (1st base) it's a great game.

cheers

I spent plenty of time on the hill at Belmore as a kid too. Its a shame they can't fix it and bring it back to standard. Its just too far gone and would cost a squillion dollars to upgrade.

I also play 1st base, but was brushed into the outfield the last season. Boring as out there when we have a good pitcher compared to what I was used to.

[Back to Basics]

Stripes with Todd at the helm things are looking great.

No longer involved in league as there is just not enough hours in the day, two kids, carpentry apprenticeship and a garden business on the side to try and make a few extra dollars. Bugger?

It was a cactus neck that caused my retirement. All seems to be functioning okay at this stage but I certainly do not miss the bumps and bruises. Watch the game some times now and think how bloody stupid I was!

[Stripes]

Yeah Todd has done a great job. As much as I love what he has done at the Dogs, I think he should run the NRL. Very astute bloke. He is one of the best signings/appointments the dogs have ever made. There's also talk of another major sponsorship announcement next week which is great.

Have you heard any of these rumours about SBW coming back? I doubt it will happen, and from what TG says it won't happen, but the rumours keep popping up.

[Eastwood]

To stimulate some posting by our members

After you have done everything you need to do to keep your business going what else do you do. I will lead off. I have a few hobbies and interests.

I referee at paintball at least one day each weekend. I keep tropical fish and lizards and tropical frogs. I also like to build things out of wood when I get the time. I brew my own beer and spirits, build and administer web pages and forums. I write resumes for job seekers. I love fishing and my veggie garden. If we get the chance my wife and I love to go to markets in search of a bargain and I also love to cook. I am also a keen reader and like to read a bit but don't often get the chance for that. I like spearfishing and bow hunting but again I have not done a lot of that lately.

I don't mind a beer of 6 either. Just writing this I realised there are quite a few things I have not done for a while. About time I did.
I have just started to brew my own beer and in a few more weeks will be able to have my first taste. Bluey do you have any recepies for your spirits?Would like to try this as well.

[bens369]

HOBBIES.....

follow rugby league...GO STORM
get out on my motorbike as often as possible and go for long rides.
I do quite a few paintings which are filling up the wall space at home.
Fishing when possible and camping as well.
Oh...yeah...and I've made a few home brews as well. :D

[MowerRob]

Play competitive tennis(next season going to try cricket for a bit of a change)

A good lie down on the couch watching sport sport sport

Do have season tickets for the crows(not impressed after yesterday)

Enjoy a social drink with the boys at my local footy/cricket club.

Spending any other spare time I have on my laptop/forums .

[Neil&family]

My past times include trail riding in the state forests,
Fishing,Deep sea, Estruay,Beach.You name it. Not to keen on freshwater fishing.Though i'm going to Lake Monduran for the easter break with the family.
Playing Darts with me Brother and Sinking Some Rumbo's.
Love my NRL too.Bronco's all the way with the Titans coming a close second.
And my job still feels like a Hobbie since i love cutting grass and being self employed.

[Back to Basics]

Bens369 The Storm are a mere shadow since I have left. Done nothing but make 4 x grandfinals. Must have been waiting for me to retire LOL...

[Bluey]

I have just started to brew my own beer and in a few more weeks will be able to have my first taste. Bluey do you have any recepies for your spirits?Would like to try this as well.
Hi Eastwood

Make sure you get a good quality still first up. Bit like lawn mowers. The better the quality the better the finished product. Take your time to still it out run it sloooooow. I do most of mine in winter and sit it for drinking in summer. The more copper in the still the better. The more the spirit is is contact with copper as it is being made the better it is. Or I reckon that anyway.

Don't buy the sugar satchets when you buy your yeast. Just get the turbo yeast and buy a 20kg bag of dextrose form a wholesaler. When you ferment your wort out throw in a handful of activated carbon as it is fermenting. Help take out some of the smell.

You need to clear the wort really well once it has fermented. You get the part A and B from the brew shop. Leave a bit in the bottom so you don't get any crap and also throw out the first 500 ml or so as it first come out the tap when your racking it off as this will have dead yeast cells in it and they can add a flavour to your spirit.

I use a reflux still so once I have made it I have to filter it. I have a stainless steel filter that clips to the wall and I can adjust the needle valve to what ever flow rate I like. The filter is filled with activated carbon and the longer the spirit stay on the carbon the better. I filter it at about a drop every second. You can just throw it in a demijon with a heap of activated carbon and shake it every couple of days and leave it sit for a couple of months. The activated carbon traps any flavours that are not meant to be there.

You have to cut it down to less than 50% to filter it . It comes off the still around the 90% mark but you cannot drink that. When you still it temperature is the big thing because the alcohol you want only comes off in a certain range and you have to get rid of the first bit because that is bad for you. That's what makes you go blind.

There's heaps more to learn but there is a great website and forum where you can get heaps of info. It is Kiwi but they know their stuff. They even have design for stills. Here is the page.

http://www.homedistiller.org/


As for recipes I just use the essences available at the brew shop. There's heaps of them and you can experiment with other additives as well. I have oak chips for oak flavour and you can get peat smoke drops and all sorts of things.

Like everything the longer you leave it the better it is. I have a wooden keg that i put my rum in and I have 5 liter demijons that i leave it sit on to mature as well.

One tip. Never still out when your pissed. It is too easy to make a mistake. Leave the tasting to after. Let me know when you get your still and we will chat more

[Bluey]

Some really interesting hobbies we all have.

[bens369]

Bens369 The Storm are a mere shadow since I have left. Done nothing but make 4 x grandfinals. Must have been waiting for me to retire LOL...
it was such a godsend when they started up down here, you can take the boy out of Queensland but you can NEVER take QUEENSLAND out of the boy... :p

[Back to Basics]

Amen to that ben369!!!

[Redeye]

Ahh the 'dogs - my old man played with Noel Hughes a LONG time ago, had a falling out with him and has hated the 'dogs ever since :i dunno:
born & bred in the Shire so Sharks supporter - less said the better!!

Love fishing, made a life member of my local club last year, also collect guitars (number 16 last week) and try to play them on the rare occasion. Read a lot too - Sc-fi & fantasy.

[Cranbourne Lawnmowing]

If my wife and I have nothing else going on something we like to do is go for what Kerri (my wife) calls, Glenns magic mystery tours. We take off in the car with no set destination, normally heading inland or into the bush and just drive. Turn down small roads and different ways of the main track just to see where it goes or what we will find. Can end up being very good fun and find some great little places.

[Fred's mowing]

The 3 F,s. Fourwheelin, fishin &.......................footy ;)
Cheers Dean.

[Andy B]

If my wife and I have nothing else going on something we like to do is go for what Kerri (my wife) calls, Glenns magic mystery tours. We take off in the car with no set destination, normally heading inland or into the bush and just drive. Turn down small roads and different ways of the main track just to see where it goes or what we will find. Can end up being very good fun and find some great little places.

We call them "detours'. Our longest was two weeks we did a "Big Things" tour and spotted about 20 or 30 of SEQ's big things. So far in Vic I've seen the big strawberry and a big watermelon.

[Mrs HMS]

So far in Vic I've seen the big strawberry and a big watermelon.

Ah you missed the big apples which is just near the big watermelon.

Heading in to Bass (I think) on the way to Phillip Island is the giant earthworm. Then there's the giant Murray Cod in Swan Hill and the Bid Ned Kelly at Glen Rowan....hmmm why are our big things so crappy....but then again I have seen the big lawnmower in QLD and that was a complete hoot!

[Cranbourne Lawnmowing]

Ah you missed the big apples which is just near the big watermelon.

Heading in to Bass (I think) on the way to Phillip Island is the giant earthworm. Then there's the giant Murray Cod in Swan Hill and the Bid Ned Kelly at Glen Rowan....hmmm why are our big things so crappy....but then again I have seen the big lawnmower in QLD and that was a complete hoot!

Your right about the giant earthworm Joanne. Not long before Bass.

Not far past Bass is a turn off that goes to a place called Bass landing. In summer on a high tide if you take the kids there for a bit of fishing you can catch lots of mullet and silver trevally on small bits of raw chicken breast. It is great for kids who get toey after not catching anything in 5 mins

[Bluey]

We call them "detours'. Our longest was two weeks we did a "Big Things" tour and spotted about 20 or 30 of SEQ's big things. So far in Vic I've seen the big strawberry and a big watermelon.


Yeah your right Andy....I remember seeing quite a few big melons in Vic :cool:

[Sandgroper]

I saw a big boot in Tully, QLD. :)

[ian]

I saw a big boot in Tully, QLD. :)
was that as they were kicking you out :)

[63impala]

Hey blue check this out its you in your younger days lol lol....Here the radio chadder it just crazy this is for you blue...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2nl8TeRFzU&feature=related

[geoff]

Hey blue check this out its you in your younger days lol lol....Here the radio chadder it just crazy this is for you blue...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2nl8TeRFzU&feature=related
i thought we got rid of freaks from this great country.....