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After years and years of crushing depression/anxiety and subsequent numbing apathy, followed by a few years of treatment, I've been finding myself incredibly bored and coming to the conclusion that zoning out and browsing the internet isn't really a good use of my time. However, there are a few things that are preventing me from spending that time in better ways. One: I don't really know myself. Much of my personality had been, up until the last few years, been attributed to state rather than trait. I've since figured some stuff out, and while it's still a little nebulous, I'm finding my way out of the woods. Two and three: time and money. I'm a PhD student in neurophysiology. That should hopefully explain itself, but in case it doesn't, I am currently finishing up my experiments and working on my dissertation, as well as trying to find a postdoc position in which I'll actually be a good fit. And being a grad student doesn't pay well. I can pay my bills and feed my family (with my wife's help, of course), but that's about it. Oh, and I have a two-year-old daughter, which contributes to both issues. Finally, I'm a bit of a loner. Well, more than a bit, I only have one or two friends in addition to my wife, and I'm very slow to make friends thanks to trust issues and residual self-consciousness and insecurity. I've had some ideas as to what might interest me, and I was just wondering if anyone could give me any input. I'd like to do something creative, but while I have a degree in computer animation, I don't like to draw or anything of the sort (not anymore, anyway, long story). However, technical drawing is something that has come to mind, because I remember taking a course in high school many years ago, and I kinda feel like I can approach a zen-like state of mind with it. I'd also like to dabble in woodworking and electronics, and maybe just to be more handy in general, but again, time/money is a constraint, not to mention space. Same goes for scale modeling. And then I was interested in radio, whether it's shortwave listening or amateur radio, but I can't set anything up right now. Exercise doesn't count. It's more a necessity than a hobby, and I don't find it to be relaxing in the least. In fact, I get the opposite of a runner's high. I still do it though, even if I have to push myself to be more diligent about it. Is there anything I can do at this point, or should I just wait until I'm more settled? The boredom is screaming a little louder in my head day by day, but the chance to do something about it is shrinking just as quickly as my workload gets more urgent. Now that I'm more comfortable with what I am and I no longer want to kill myself, I want to keep myself sane. Any suggestions? And if anyone might be able to lend me some insight into technical drawing as a hobby, that'd be cool. Oh, also, is it feasible to teach myself something like calculus or physics? I never took courses for either in my undergrad, but I think I should know them. This is getting to be a mess, sorry.
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Dec 17, 2014 16:35
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How much do you and/or your wife cook? If you don't do it already, learning to cook from scratch can give you something to do that improves your health and quality of living while costing you less money, and it uses space and tools you presumably already have.
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Dec 17, 2014 20:50
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If you have already made it to be a PhD student in neurophysiology, I'd say you'll probably be ok without a better understanding of either calculus or physics. If you just want to learn for the sake of learning that is fine, but neither subject would seem to have anything to offer to you any more than picking up some anthropology or learning about Icelandic poetry. If electronics are your thing, the Audrino community is really big and is a pretty easy way to start. The whole things doesn't take up much space and you'd probably enjoy the circuit diagrams as much as technical drawing. I'm not really sure what you even mean by technical drawings, like this?  I can't imagine the number of people who approach that as a hobby is all that large so you may have trouble finding people to talk to about it as excited as you are, but you never know. That said, if you were good at it, you could probably carve out something of a niche doing drawings for old things where service manuals have been lost or never existed in the first place. Scale modelling might help you meet new people since those tend to have clubs, though model trains tend to attract mostly people on pension. Model rocketry might trend a bit younger and it would certainly take up less space. Plus your daughter would probably be more impressed with seeing a rocket shoot into the sky than she would with the model train set that she must never, ever touch. Or just start with some small plastic models of the latest Camaro that you can pick up at Walmart. It's cheap to see if you like it and only takes up half the kitchen table for a couple hours at a time.
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Dec 17, 2014 20:52
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Gabriel Pope posted:How much do you and/or your wife cook? If you don't do it already, learning to cook from scratch can give you something to do that improves your health and quality of living while costing you less money, and it uses space and tools you presumably already have. If not this, music. Either one is good for a lifetime and would get you out of academic headspace, which you probably drastically need right now.
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Dec 18, 2014 02:01
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How does someone with a degree in computer animation end up doing a phd in neurophysiology? If you like technical things, you could learn how to program.
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Dec 18, 2014 02:04
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Everyone is different but these are my current favorite hobbies: -Fishing --this includes tying my own flies for bait, servicing my mechanical reels (like in that drawing above), reading fishing reports, exploring for new spots (driving around, google maps, explore on foot), learning to clean and cook fish. Nature is awesome. -Brewing beer -- endless combinations of hops, malt and yeast to tinker with and when you're all done you get to drink awesome beer. I got really into this hobby really fast. You can also pick up an instrument or learn to longboard/mountain bike etc.
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Dec 18, 2014 02:38
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slap me silly posted:If not this, music. Either one is good for a lifetime and would get you out of academic headspace, which you probably drastically need right now. Shameless plug for the "learn a weird instrument" thread that Slap is also in. If you have any interest in that direction, we can help you find a axe outside the usual guitar/piano/drums/clarinet defaults, to fit whatever budget and for whatever genre, feel, or level of (in)experience in music. It's a pretty huge and far-ranging thread, so if you don't want to read through too much, just drop in to the end and post your situation and interests. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3415486&pagenumber=45#lastpost
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Dec 18, 2014 03:58
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Shameless plug for the "learn a weird instrument" thread Ooh yeah, it's full of awesome. I just ordered another ocarina by the way, thanks to you and your lot. rear end in a top hat
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Dec 18, 2014 04:08
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Thanks for the replies so far guys, I'll probably have to put my own in a few separate posts.Gabriel Pope posted:How much do you and/or your wife cook? If you don't do it already, learning to cook from scratch can give you something to do that improves your health and quality of living while costing you less money, and it uses space and tools you presumably already have. We actually do quite a bit of cooking ourselves. She was on a gluten-free diet until she figured out that her digestive issues could be attributed to stress, so for a while we pretty much made stuff on our own from source ingredients (i.e. fresh vegetables from the market and stuff like that), so we have that covered. It's a little tougher now, having a finicky toddler to cook for, but we make do. Antifreeze Head posted:If you have already made it to be a PhD student in neurophysiology, I'd say you'll probably be ok without a better understanding of either calculus or physics. If you just want to learn for the sake of learning that is fine, but neither subject would seem to have anything to offer to you any more than picking up some anthropology or learning about Icelandic poetry. I figured as much re: math/physics, I was just wondering how to go about it, is all. I'm fascinated with things like that, but it seems sort of daunting to me, having no prior experience with it. As for the Arduino, I did think about getting a Raspberry Pi and rolling around with it, maybe I'll look into this too. quote:I'm not really sure what you even mean by technical drawings, like this? Yep, for the most part, whether drawing mechanical stuff like that, or architectural drawing or whatever. I didn't figure it was really much of a hobby thing, and I guess I was just looking to find out how to get started with an activity like that altogether, rather than inquiring about a recreational aspect to it. It's a weird thing to be interested in in that way anyway, so it was kind of an odd question in the first place. quote:Scale modelling might help you meet new people since those tend to have clubs, though model trains tend to attract mostly people on pension. Model rocketry might trend a bit younger and it would certainly take up less space. Plus your daughter would probably be more impressed with seeing a rocket shoot into the sky than she would with the model train set that she must never, ever touch. Or just start with some small plastic models of the latest Camaro that you can pick up at Walmart. It's cheap to see if you like it and only takes up half the kitchen table for a couple hours at a time. I thought about taking up model railroading when she gets a little older, she loves trains right now and I got her a wooden train table for her birthday this year. I want to build something on sort of a grand scale, and that's definitely something that would have to wait. Model cars would work though, I want to learn how to modify them to look like rusted-out pieces of junk, but actually realistically so.
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Dec 18, 2014 04:18
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Come play some Go! http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2891609 You could also look into arduino stuff, as there's a lot of cool creative things to do there (although, not "artistic" creative I suppose). Or, if you have a yard of any sort, maybe try gardening? I find working with plants and dirt to be extremely relaxing and enjoyable, and once she's a little older, it's also a great activity to involve your kid in that involves sunlight and lack of screens. It's led me to a variety of related things like beekeeping (awesome, but I'll be moving in the next year or two), taking botany classes from the local college a couple nights after work, and starting to go on some organized "wild food walks" where I try and get better at identifying edible wild plants, and also get to enjoy taking a nice walk. Music is awesome, but it also takes a large consistent amount of time. I play harmonica, which is great because it's super portable, but problematic because there's no way to muffle it while you practice. Amusingly enough I also got a degree in computer animation years ago as well, and am now doing totally different stuff. Good luck in your quest!
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Dec 18, 2014 04:25
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Alterian posted:How does someone with a degree in computer animation end up doing a phd in neurophysiology? Well, once upon a time, drawing and illustration was my hobby. I was into character design, and it was an escape for me from the debilitating depression that was bringing me down. I thought I'd try to make a living of it, and that was the biggest mistake I'd ever made. It got to the point that I just hated even drawing the simplest of things and I was deeply unhappy with the stuff I was putting out. It doesn't help that I wasn't actually very good at it and nobody really had the some to tell me so before I decided to waste a couple of years with it. That was fifteen years ago. After I graduated in 2001 I couldn't find a job even if I wanted, our commencement ceremony, which concluded with a demo reel display for potential employers, was ten days after 9/11, and nobody came thanks to the skies being empty for a while. I gave up before I even started, and fell into an even deeper depression for a long time. Eventually, in 2005, I'd realized that I was wasting so much potential, so I went back to school to stay what I should have in the first place, biology and psychology. I was interested in affective dysfunction back in high school but I was so wrapped up in "art" that I just ignored everything else. Ten years later, I'll finally be where I should have been a long time ago. Depression is a terrible thing, dogg.
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Dec 18, 2014 04:38
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tesilential posted:Everyone is different but these are my current favorite hobbies: I got turned off from fishing when everything I caught either bled to death or was maimed in some way. First thing I ever caught was a turtle. By its eye  I do know a guy who basically threw himself into fishing, and it really seems like he's reached some kind of enlightened state in doing so, he's definitely more chill and healthier all around, and I envy him.I don't drink, because I think I'd try to do it explicitly to self-destruct. But I did think about home-brewing root beer or ginger beer or cider. I'm a dweeb like that, I guess  I do ride, but I only really do it for the exercise, often forgetting to enjoy the scenery around me. That's a big problem of mine. slap me silly and TapTheForwardAssist posted:Stuff about music I tried to learn how to play the guitar but I had no self-discipline. I'm still kicking myself over that because I really do want to play something, or to write/compose music. I've glanced over your thread a long time ago, I should give it another look. surc posted:Come play some Go! We don't have the room for it right now, but gardening is going to be A Thing for us one we get settled in the near future. Right now we live right at the front door of a national park, and we want to make sure the little critter appreciates the outdoors. We go on walks all the time, and I'm looking forward to when my daughter can learn to ride a bike. I did see the Go thread and thought about giving it a look, guess I should go ahead and do that. Again, thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I thought I was coming off a little weird and want really expecting much, so I'm pleasantly surprised. And if anyone is in the same boat I'm in, please, step in and tell us about your boredom, it really sucks not having something to pass the time and not knowing what to do about it.
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Dec 18, 2014 04:56
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Have you considered origami? It doesn't take up space, is cheap, and can be pretty time consuming if you get into it. I have an architecture degree and even I'm at a loss to tell you about technical drawing as a hobby, since in my field it was just a skill you sort of had to have. Get a tsquare, some triangles, and set aside a part of your desk for it... Drafting takes up a lot of room.
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Dec 18, 2014 06:47
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Gardening might be an option, if you have any outdoor space to work with. Doesn't really matter what you grow, as long as it's something you like.
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Dec 18, 2014 07:21
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Play board games. Board games are rad. There's probably a board game club or gathering in your area. It's a good way to meet new people who aren't way too sociable. Plus board games retain their values quite well.
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Dec 18, 2014 08:11
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Board games are great, go check out the Board Game Thread
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Dec 18, 2014 08:18
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Titus Sardonicus posted:Finally, I'm a bit of a loner. Well, more than a bit, I only have one or two friends in addition to my wife, and I'm very slow to make friends thanks to trust issues and residual self-consciousness and insecurity. Wow there alot of me in this post. Couple things that immediately come to mind. I believe most men, despite what media tells you, are loners. Particularly married men with kids. And you know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I went thru the same kind of "Holy crap, I need something to DO" thought process as well. It felt like I was doing was wake up, fix breakfast, take kid to school, work, pick up kid, help with dinner and homework, clean up, go to bed. EVERY DAY. I honestly thought I was depressed. But I evaluated my life and came to the conclusion I have a pretty good life and in general was a pretty happy guy - just stuck in a major rut. So I did two things. I joined a local country club despite not being your typical county club member (the club I joined is primarily working class guys that have made a decent living on their own) and started playing golf again. Sometimes I play solo. Sometimes I'll pair up with another member. Sometimes I'll play in a money game with a bunch of old coots that start driving beer at 8am and give each other hell like there is no tomorrow and just fun to watch. I might play 18, 9, or just the front 7 or back 5. I put in my ear buds, and just decompress and honestly get into a zen like state regardless if I play well or shank the crap out of it. I made myself go to the men's bar/lounge every so often and sip on a beer for an hour and just talk to people. If someone started going off on some tangent about politics, I just listened to them enough to know they were talking. Didn't care if I agree with them out not. It wasn't with the argument, didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. My quality of life and happiness meter went WAY up, despite being someone that while not a bad golfer, doesn't live and breathe it. I am usually first on the course just after daylight and an generally done by 10am or 11am if I play 18. The other thing I did was take flying lessons and get my pilots license which has been a goal of mine for more than 20 years. But I think any hobby that you can pursue solo or with a group is the way to go. So why not golf?
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Dec 18, 2014 08:44
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I needed a hobby, and like you, have a kid. Child care is always an issue and I feel guilty leaving my daughter at home with my wife while I go off and have fun, so I found a group of dads who got together regularly and did kid stuff with their kids. Zoo, museum, park, backyard, picnic, lunch at somebody's house, whatever. Over several years I met maybe 20 different guys through this group, a handful of whom are basically my best friends now. To me, hobbies where you constantly buy stuff and make stuff and have projects going... that's loving work, and it stresses me out. I don't want to learn underwater basketweaving, I just want to hang out and bullshit and blow off some stress. I agree with much of what that guy ^^^ said, in that men are basically loners and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. Also, getting out of the house once a month will do wonders for you... not necessarily 3x/weekly meetings or building your own scale model rocketship every day for a year, but just meeting a friend once a month for dinner... I am a better person now.
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Dec 18, 2014 09:31
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Titus Sardonicus posted:I tried to learn how to play the guitar but I had no self-discipline. I'm still kicking myself over that because I really do want to play something, or to write/compose music. I've glanced over your thread a long time ago, I should give it another look. There are a number of ways you can go with music stuff, as a really simplistic breakdown: - Dicking around instruments: there are a number of instruments that are easy to zone out and play, that don't require any specialized music knowledge, easily learned just through experiencing the instrument, etc. And a lot of those instruments are pretty durable, inexpensive, low-hassle. Key among these are the Appalachian dulcimer (string), Native American flute (wind), and thumb piano (plucked metal keys).  - You could also just get into hand drumming, which can certainly get very skilled, but easy to start out on a simple level, and doesn't require any initial complex music theory. Plus if you have even basic skills it's easy to integrate into jamming with friends, drum circles, etc. - If there's a specific genre of music you're deeply into, you could of course get into it seriously (like wanting to play mandolin in a bluegrass band, or learn Bach pieces on harpsichord), but those are more direct. - Lastly, if composition is an interest of yours, there are a lot of ways you can use your computer to compose music. Some of these involve actually playing a keyboard (whether piano or a different alternative type), but others involve more plotting out a series of notes and beats and letting the computer play what you're written. There are pretty extensive threads in SA's "Musicians Lounge" subforum, which discuss messing with synthesizers, computer programs like Ableton Live, etc. And there are some really inexpensive apps for phones/tablets which allow you to feel out the basics of composition with only an investment of a few bucks. ReBirth was a massively popular electronic composition program in the 1990s, and has been ported to smartphones for like $4. You'd have to read up on it to get the most use out of it, but I've had fun just messing around with the virtual knobs and levers to see what all of them do. 
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Dec 20, 2014 23:31
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Titus Sardonicus posted:However, technical drawing is something that has come to mind, because I remember taking a course in high school many years ago, and I kinda feel like I can approach a zen-like state of mind with it. I'd also like to dabble in woodworking and electronics, and maybe just to be more handy in general, but again, time/money is a constraint, not to mention space. Same goes for scale modeling. And then I was interested in radio, whether it's shortwave listening or amateur radio, but I can't set anything up right now. Do you live in a large-ish city? If so, I'd look online for the nearest makerspace. I joined one this past year, I like to think of it like a geek's gym membership. Basically a hobby/tech club that rents out space to build stuff. Woodworking, circuits, 3d printing, you name it. People post their projects and other members help out. Members can also schedule workshops and stuff so you can always learn something new. Pretty neat. seance snacks fucked around with this message at 17:58 on Dec 21, 2014 |
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Dec 21, 2014 00:18
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Knit a hat for your daughter. Knitting is portable, requires no fixed space, takes an hour to learn the basics but years/decades to learn every detail of new skills, is infinitely customizable, results in something useful. It fits well into small amounts of time, can be paused immediately when you're needed elsewhere, and is easily multitasked. Everything you need for that first hat is maybe $15. As you continue, there are many ways to keep it affordable, or when you start making that doctor cash, it could inflate into luxury mink if you wanted. If you're interested in the neuropsych connection, there are a handful of articles/studies about how it gets you into a "flow" state, decreases chance of dementia, improves life expectancy, etc. Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Dec 21, 2014 |
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Dec 21, 2014 01:08
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i like nice words
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If you do computer animation maybe take up making computer games as a hobby? There is free software that lets you make basically anything you'd need to. Granted part of it depends on if you can find a programmer buddy or learn to program but really you could do quite a bit with just the free programs. Since you're posting on the forums I'll assume you have a computer and you can just dick around with games by yourself. If you go into the programming side of things that subject is infinitely deep and there is always more to learn. Could keep you occupied for ever.
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Dec 21, 2014 01:14
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Dec 21, 2014 01:24
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Learn Physics, Calculus -- http://khanacademy.com Learn code -- http://codeacademy.com Learn a new language -- http://duolingo.com Take online courses -- http://coursera.org
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Dec 21, 2014 01:48
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^^^I have two of those bookmarked already (Codecademy and Coursera) and I've downloaded the Duolingo app. Been wanting to relearn Spanish for years; the grammar is easy to grasp, I just need work on vocabulary.brotato posted:Have you considered origami? It doesn't take up space, is cheap, and can be pretty time consuming if you get into it. I have so much paper from spectrometer readouts cluttering up my deskspace, this would be a cool thing to do just in moments of idleness. Then in a few years I can teach my daughter to play along with me. TapTheForwardAssist posted:thumb piano (plucked metal keys) I've seen mbiras at Cost Plus/World Market for fairly low prices if I recall correctly. I remember that instrument from a 101-level world music course I took six years ago, that was one of the best classes I had ever taken. And I had just noticed a post in your thread about ReBirth, it looked intriguing. It was posted in 2011 (that thread's been going on for a really long time, I realized), so I wasn't sure if it was an iOS thing only or if it's available to us Android plebs now. Guess I ought to check. Noslo posted:Do you live in a large-ish city? If so, I'd look online for the nearest makerspace. The closest one to me is asking for a monthly pledge of $35, but that definitely sounds rad as hell and like something I could get into when I'm making an actual grown-up's wage. Anne Whateley posted:Knit a hat for your daughter.  I could do that and watch a movie with my wife, couldn't I?ugh I've got plenty of that to work with too
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Dec 21, 2014 04:34
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Titus Sardonicus posted:
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Dec 21, 2014 04:41
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Titus Sardonicus posted:And I had just noticed a post in your thread about ReBirth, it looked intriguing. It was posted in 2011 (that thread's been going on for a really long time, I realized), so I wasn't sure if it was an iOS thing only or if it's available to us Android plebs now. Guess I ought to check. Computer music is great because it doesn't require you to learn how to perform in real time. If you easily get frustrated with yourself, learning a real instrument can be hell. In computer music, you could build a career on trying things semi-randomly and fixing them up until they sound good afterwards, all the while thriving on an interest in the technical and not requiring the dream to be an artist per se to have a whole bunch of fun. Not having to acquire skill (of course you can if you like) as much as knowledge also leaves you free to invest as much or as little time as you like.
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Dec 22, 2014 00:23
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Perhaps creative writing could be an option? I found your first post to be really well written and with a style uncharacteristic of a forums post. No doubt your education has helped with your writing structure and vocabulary, so why not put it to a more creative outlet?
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Dec 22, 2014 04:59
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It might not be the best idea for someone prone to depression / students, but target shooting has been both a great loner hobby for me, and a great social experience as well. Meticulously putting little holes in paper targets (shooting .22 rifle for low low cost) lets me zone right out, ignoring the rest of the world, and focusing on exactly what I'm doing. Shooting skeet and sporting clays is much more social, introducing me to a wide range of people that I would have never met otherwise. Although the shotgun sports are a lot pricier than shooting rifles at paper targets. Before anyone starts with the hand wringing "think of the children" bits about having a kid at home: It should go without saying that you need to be responsible and keep the guns locked up away from kids and teach them about firearm safety once they are old enough to understand, but curious enough to try and break into your safe/cabinet.
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Dec 22, 2014 05:47
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Noslo posted:Do you live in a large-ish city? If so, I'd look online for the nearest makerspace. Titus Sardonicus posted:
They're basically the place that has everything you want right now - electronics, light machining and other nerdery, and a pool of slight-awkward-but-well-intentioned potential new friends. I don't know how your local hackspace/makerspace is setup, but all of the ones I've heard about have open nights. Regardless of your ability to pay a membership fee right now, drop in on a few, and make it a regular thing if it at all interests you. For my local one, membership fees can be waived for contributing members of the community. Grad students often do this, and it always pays off in good-will.
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Dec 22, 2014 09:27
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So I looked for ReBirth, but I couldn't find it in the Play store, but I did find Caustic. And drat is that a dense app. Wow. I'm really overwhelmed but I'd like to take a longer look at it. Before I downloaded that, I was looking around and found a thing called MuseScore, which is a WYSIWYG score editor (Linux friendly, thankfully). I find that to be sort of daunting as well, since I don't actually know how to read music, but it's not like I can't learn things, even at the ripe old age of 33. I always have percussion and bass lines running through my head, and I'll just figure out where to go from there.axia posted:Perhaps creative writing could be an option? I found your first post to be really well written and with a style uncharacteristic of a forums post. No doubt your education has helped with your writing structure and vocabulary, so why not put it to a more creative outlet? Geez, shucks  I used to write, just before I went back to school. My writing style largely consists of black humor, but also largely nonsensical to most people, so I write only for myself. For example, my self-insert (hear me out now...) is a psychotic hobo with a gambling habit and a tendency toward random outbursts of extreme violence -- though he is a hero with a heart of charcoal -- and his chief rival is another vagrant with six fingers on each hand and an unhealthy obsession with finding his '93 Chipper Jones Donruss SilverLeaf rookie card, in order to reunite his family (the rest of his '93 Atlanta Braves baseball cards). I've killed Tim Allen on more than one occasion (and had him sold into slavery for laffs, but mostly for coke), and there's a frontman of a terrible rap-metal-cum-clowncore band on the loose who should either be in prison or facing hundreds of lawsuits.That's me, ta-da. Problem is, the well has run dry and any time I start again, my writing becomes maudlin and just too serious. If I can't make myself laugh and others look at me with worry, I just have to shelve it. Also, does anyone have any pointers on genealogy? When my grandmother died a few years ago, I opened an account on some website and put together a family tree. I was able to trace my lineage to House Plantagenet, though I can't say I fully trust my sleuthery. I can safely say, however, that a distant relative of mine is one RJ Reynolds, the tobacco magnate and uncle of the aluminum foil mogul. Not that either man's work is benefitting me in any way, but really, I'm better off. Anyway, I've kind of stalled on family research, but I think I want to go back into it, if only to tell my grandfather that we're only part Native American in the same way everyone else is (in that it's 95% a total bullshit claim).
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Dec 23, 2014 06:10
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Have you tried playing Osu? That's a good game that doesn't take up hours of my time.
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Dec 23, 2014 07:28
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Titus Sardonicus posted:Geez, shucks  I think we just found your hobby, friend.Hell I'd probably write too, if all the stories in my head didn't involve varying degrees of slash and self-insert dickery in other people's universes.
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Dec 23, 2014 08:52
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B33rChiller posted:It might not be the best idea for someone prone to depression / students, but target shooting has been both a great loner hobby for me, and a great social experience as well. Meticulously putting little holes in paper targets (shooting .22 rifle for low low cost) lets me zone right out, ignoring the rest of the world, and focusing on exactly what I'm doing. Shooting skeet and sporting clays is much more social, introducing me to a wide range of people that I would have never met otherwise. Although the shotgun sports are a lot pricier than shooting rifles at paper targets. This is all well and good, but given the state of the .22 ammo market, maybe OP would be better served with an air rifle for small caliber cheap plinking. There's a great thread for air guns over in TFR 
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Dec 23, 2014 10:26
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Titus Sardonicus posted:As for the Arduino, I did think about getting a Raspberry Pi and rolling around with it, maybe I'll look into this too.. As someone who has both, as well as dozen of other microcontroller boards, and teaches classes in the stuff, the Arduino is the way to go. Look around https://www.adafruit.com for ideas and cool parts.
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Dec 23, 2014 10:34
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As a recovered alcoholic diagnosed anxious agoraphobe who is stuck in Kansas after a bad decision to move away from his home of Nashville where all my friends are at...God drat I feel your pain. One question/thought. Do you feel comfortable saying where you are located? Or would you feel comfortable doing so in another forum/webspace? You would be shocked how well the web can help you get out and have some adventures with people who aren't complete spergin' assholes. gently caress, years ago I went out shooting with a lot of cool dudes in TFR. Despite the sorta hurf burf attitude some of the crappy GBS posters that seems to be dying out had for a while, the forums are a pretty drat good place to meet people who enjoy your hobbies. I'm guess I'm saying when you decide something you want to do, don't be afraid to use the internet to find buddies.
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Dec 23, 2014 10:38
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Sorry if this was mentioned, I'm skimming a tad. Considered travelling? You have a two year old daughter. School isn't an issue - maybe cheap holidaying could give you a change of perspective? Plan a cheap holiday/save for cheap holiday/go on cheap holiday. I don't mean across the street, but some place that is way out of your usual grind. I find that raises my will to do whatever. As a side your daughter is nearly getting old enough to get into stuff of some kind. I have three daughters. You would be amazed at how young you can reach some common ground. One plays guitar with me, one tinkers with PCs with me and the other gets me beers from the fridge. Seriously, learn their interests - lame as they are. Time you'll never get back.
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Dec 23, 2014 11:28
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Do you have any room for woodworking, or a small garage?
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Dec 23, 2014 13:43
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Go to a pawn shop and buy a table saw and make a doll house for your daughter. This hobby includes several of the things you mentioned. Take 1 regular sized 2x4 and cut it into hundreds of scale 2x4s. If you can already do architectural stuff the rest shouldn't be hard to figure out.
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Dec 23, 2014 13:44
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dpush posted:Go to a pawn shop and buy a table saw and make a doll house for your daughter. This hobby includes several of the things you mentioned. Take 1 regular sized 2x4 and cut it into hundreds of scale 2x4s. If you can already do architectural stuff the rest shouldn't be hard to figure out. If you must cut a 2x4 into matchsticks, do not use a table saw. Tiny cuts will be wildly dangerous if you are a first time table saw user, and even if you aren't, a band saw is likely a better choice because it won't smash apart all those teeny studs.
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Dec 23, 2014 15:15
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