Your Hobbies/Interests?

Other than baseball:

I like to cook things - and then eat them.
I like gardening.
I like beer.
I like rock music.
I like to study economics.
I like dogs.
I like helping people get the most out of their abilities.
I like reading the HSbaseballweb.

This is one of the best threads and idea's for a thread I can remember in a long time on this site.

I love the simple things in life. I have no idea who said it first but I truly believe that the best things in life truly are free. At least in my case they are. And it ain't even close.

I live in a very rural area my home is around 700' off the road. My land backs up to a large area of state owned land surrounding Lake Holt which is the primary drinking source for Butner, Creedmoor NC. The Butner National Guard Training facility is located just up the road as well. My area "Stem" is considered one of the best White Tail Deer hunting areas in NC and the Southeast. Turkey, Deer and and yes some Black Bear. We have Bobcats as well. I have not pulled the trigger on a Deer in years but I love to watch them. I love to track them on my many trail cameras. And I have enjoyed over the years bringing friends to the house to hunt.

I love to take long walks in the woods and marvel at God's creation. I have several spots that are special to me and one is located near the water where I spent some time with my Dad when he was sick and we were building our home. It was one of the last time's we really sat down and talked before he got too sick to come back there. I love to walk to a spot and sit down and break open my Bible and read God's word while I am surrounded by his creation. It's very special to me. I love to take walks in the woods with my boy's and my wife as well but mostly by myself to be honest.

I enjoy cutting wood with my axe and splitting it with a maul. There is something about that hard physical work that just inspires me. I enjoy working in my yard. Planting flowers, ground covers and creating flower beds. I just love to be outside working and enjoying it. I marvel at the huge white oaks. There is just something about it that I have a hard time explaining but its just amazing to me.

For me a perfect day is getting up to see the sunrise and spending the day outside working and enjoying it. Taking a walk, reading my Bible and studying God's word and then seeing the sunset.

Baseball is my passion. I love it. Outside of baseball I love nature. I love God's creation. I don't do much else. I have never really wanted to. For me the things that are free to see if I open my eyes to see them are more than enough to fill me up. I hope my thoughts on God do not disturb anyone. I am just being honest with my response. It is just who I am.

I like baseball, that is for sure, and it will probably remain my number one sport for life. I think if the World Series had lasted through the election I wouldn’t have been so caught up in it all, but with all that time on my hands it was a struggle to get away from it.

I travel significantly for my work so I get to see a lot of places, some nice, some not so nice. My job is to provide counter narcotic and counter terrorist equipment to US Embassies around the globe for donation to militaries where we have an interest. I have been to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Korea, South Africa, all the European countries, the former Soviet Block countries of Romania, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Kosovo and this last year I was responsible for procurement and delivery to 9 South America countries and Mexico. By far the most interesting trip this year was a couple weeks ago to Belize where we delivered 2 Riverine boats and did training for the Belize Defense Forces. We ran the entire Hondo River, from the Gulf of Mexico to Guatemala border on the boats – a 12 hour round trip.

I guess my most important and alluring interest outside of baseball and work (in addition to my lovely wife) is that I am a lay minister for our church where I, along with about 10-12 other lay ministers, are responsible for a small congregation. I am lucky enough to be blessed to preach (oh no!), pray over the sick, serve communion and preside on certain Sundays. The congregation understands my son’s baseball schedule and international travel so that they schedule around me.

I have reached out to an Alumni MILB ball player from son’s university, to help sponsor putting together with the team a Prayer Breakfast. Carmine has started an organization “Unashamed Athletes” (just launched website Unashamed Athletes)

Great topic and good to learn the other side of you.

I guess I do not see baseball as a hobby, but rather a deep rooted passion. Hobbies I have are biking and running. A great time to reduce stress and be with God.

Also, enjoy to read a good book when I have time away from my passion.

My faith and family are everything to me. Without them my passion and hobbies would not matter.

Lefty

My hobby is spending time with my two kids and collecting autographs with them. It brings us closer to each other and to the great game of baseball. We mainly focus on college baseball players.

My wife and I have 3 children. We have both been involved with coaching.. myself the 'ball' sports, and my wife swimming. Our kids played all year long at something and we were typically there coaching or watching.
So. our 'hobby was our kids!

Now.... they have all finished their post-secondary life at the same time ( last May).... and have become employed and moved on. Talk about culture shock.. a big empty house. We are still involved in coaching but I am finding those old interests.....
A lot of time is spent taking care of the HS ballfield. Truly a labor of love. I have found that all are quick to pat you on the back and no one bit**es about their kids playing time!

I have spent the fall ripping apart the front lawn doing some hardscape projects.
Mindless manual labor does wonders for the stress of the day.
During our college days I worked summers at a canoe livery on the Delaware River. Our honeymoon was spent paddling the Upper Delaware for 4 days. We are getting back into that. Fishing for smallmouth was and is always a pleasant way to spend some time.
And spending some weekends by ourselves on the road to B&B's alows us to become a 'couple' again.
I have a 'retirement' house to build in the next 6 years. So far I have part of a driveway!

And.... Lord willing.... there could be those grandkids to watch in the years ahead.

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Thank you Coach for your kind remarks. I'll make sure my lovely wife and my adorable youngest daughter see your post.

And what to do about this?

"Still, how can we have that Chili if you're on the other side of the country?"

I would imagine that if you were somehow able to put a steaming potful of your Christmas chili into a sturdy orange Halloween season gourd and you aimed it just right I would have a good chance of enjoying the fruit of your famous culinary abilities. Now here's the delivery system. Simple, yet effective!



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Woodrow, arms still pretty good. Why would I need that? However, in the spirit of baseball, maybe use one of these to deliver the goods:

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Hey I'm cool with it...just so long as it doesn't mash the beans!



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quote:

And.... Lord willing.... there could be those grandkids to watch in the years ahead.

T Town,

Boy how I can relate to your post.Raising the kids we were so busy running here and there and most of our friends had kids to.

It is such a change in the house when it is kid free.My son graduated from college last May.he is home because he just finished a year playing minor league ball.

But it wont be long when he will be gone,and soon permanaently as he makes his new life.

My daughter is moving to Washington DC in FebruaryNow she is two hours a away thats going to change.


Its like your starting a new life.
Fun,and some great things to look forward to(GRANDCHILDREN) But I miss some days the friends over and cooking for all of them and over nights.We had so much fun rasing the kids.I miss it.I really do.

My Hobbies/Interests have changed a little since both of my kids are off to college and I'm done with coaching,etc.....my number one hobbies/interest were always centered around them, but life goes on.

*Spending quality time with my wife away from our business is very high on the list. We work together in a small 1,100 square foot office with our two employees. We are together 24/7 & I can be hard to deal with quite frankly. Honestly, there aren't too many couples that can pull it off, so it's nice to escape & catch a movie, or go out and have some adult beverages with friends a couple times a month...or many times we'll choose to stay home and relax in our jacuzzi & have a few beers. (unfortunately the gas line is currently broken in the jacuzzi, but we can still have a beer or two!)

*Also, spending time with old friends. I have a few buddies that I've grown up with since the age of 9, in fact two of them were in my wedding, and I was in their's. Anyways, we've been friends for 38 years & we do our best to get together as frequently as possible...we're going to the Lakers/Suns game in LA next week, it's always a good time. One of my buddies recently started a family...he has two boys, ages 2 yrs & 6 mos. He jumped in the parental game nearly 20 years after me, so our lives are a little different now, but we make time...friendships & family are important!

*I have a 32FT Fleetwood RV that I enjoy camping/RVing in. However, it's been difficult to utilize of late because of our astronomical fuel prices, especially in Calif. Hopefully gas comes back down to an affordable level soon, I'd like to do some traveling. As of now, we are limited to camping within 60-90 miles of our home.

*I am a Sports Nut. I will usually catch a handful of college basketball (UCI, SDSU, & UCLA) & football (USC & SDSU) games throughout the year...and of course plenty of college baseball. If I'm not there live, I'm watching on TV. I had season tickets for the Chargers for 15 years until last season when I chose not to renew due to a combination of affordability issues (2 kids in college, so I'm always broke!) and a couple old friends decided not to renew their seats. Not to mention, my wife wasn't excited enough to attend games, as she's more about the Tailgating Fun prior to the game....and speaking of that, I went to the Chargers/Chiefs game last week and forgot about how much work tailgating can be, not to mention, some jerk stole my buddies BBQ. Besides the Chargers games, I also attend a couple Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, and even Padres games each year...I love sports.

*I enjoy spending time with my dogs, Jeter & Mia...they really are Man's Best Friend.

*I also enjoy barbecuing/grilling Tri-Tip, Carne-Asada, Chicken, any type of steak, etc...and I Love to eat it!

*I love doing yard work, keeping my lawn green/manicured and trimming my hedges...it's a bit of a competition amongst my neighbors , but I can't stand pulling weeds....back breaker!

*I lift weights 3-4 times a week, and although I'm pushing 50, I keep up with the majority of the young guys in the weight room. Unfortunately I enjoy good food & my adult beverages too...so all the working out doesn't equate to much in the waistline, as my metabolism has just about come to a screeching hault!

*Fantasy Football...I've been running one particular league for eighteen years (OSIG-Out of Shape Insurance Guys). Anyone that plays FF knows how addicting it is. I'm in two leagues, and if I'm not at an NFL game...well, I'm at home watching on TV with my laptop open following my FFL players, like the fantasy geek that I am.

*I enjoy attending concerts. I'm pretty diversified with my musical interests. I'd say that I'm a combination of 70's/80's classical rocker combined with 80's/90's alternative rocker. Although my wife has pulled me into some country music too. In the last few years I've seen an array of bands, from Motley Crue & Bon Jovi to Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, & Kenny Chesney.

*Lastly...I enjoy reading posts on the HSBaseballWeb and following the progress of others as they move on to college and the professional ranks.

P.S- I apologize for using up all this space. I lost myself for a bit...

Besides spending quality time with family and now having phased in to our empty nest years, I have more time to watch films from the Criterion Collection and appreciate the greatest films from around the world across all genres.

Coach May could have written my entry if you throw in a few horses and cows. Matter of fact the love of being out in nature has caused me to move to a town with the smallest classification of school that does not have a school team and start one up this year. It has already been an adventure trying to get a field built and all the equipment we will need by January. I have started a FB page (Cross D Ranch) with a few pics and videos of what I do when not on the ball field.

For you good HSBBW folks out there that said one of your interests was gardening, indulge me for a moment....I just completed a new garden project, that quite frankly, I'm really proud of. The latest post here has the pictures. I HIGHLY recommend the system I used.

http://another-green-world-2.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Beautiful! You have an amazing garden!

Looks great! Couldn't help but notice you lived up to your name on the rest of the garden as well.

I love professional cars. I would love to get my hands on a Miller-Meteor Criterion or Superior 54XL...of course, my two favorites are also among the rarest (if not the rarest) procars.

I also love anything railroad-related. I currently am working on two N scale layouts. One is based on the Soo Line in the late 1980s, and the other is a contemporary freelanced Midwestern railroad.

Because of issues I had post-deployment, I have also spent a lot of time volunteering with veterans' service organizations, both in helping veterans directly and the communities where they live.

Of course, there's the usual hunting and fishing...

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"Because of issues I had post-deployment, I have also spent a lot of time volunteering with veterans' service organizations, both in helping veterans directly and the communities where they live."

Thank you for your service to our country and thank you for tending to the needs of our veterans.



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like2rake,

That is amazing! You should be proud of that. I especially like the two-way hanging vertical panel. I admit I know zilch about gardening, but your projects are very inspirational.

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"I admit I know zilch about gardening..."

Merry Christmas fenwaysouth. I didn't put them in order and only one is in its overbearing place and near impossible to root out!






























Have a bloomin' good time and happy gardening!

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This is where I spend Sundays, now that I no longer have tournament games to watch.




Its not as high-browed as RJM's exploits, but I do love rock, jazz, and whiskey...does that count ?

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You love all three...in that order?

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quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
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You love all three...in that order?

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Actually order isn't as important as pairings. Any two create a good outcome. You just never want to combine all three...you end up with a Frank Zappa hangover.

quote:

Originally posted by wraggArm:

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
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You love all three...in that order?

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Actually order isn't as important as pairings. Any two create a good outcome. You just never want to combine all three...you end up with a Frank Zappa hangover.

You say that as if it's a bad thing...

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Yeah, you might end up a tycoon of some sort...





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gotwood4sale,

You mean like a Montana dental floss tycoon.....riding a pygmmy pony all along the borderline? You crack me up!

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'Big Sky' require big floss!





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Great thread.

Coach May - you continue to amaze me with your insight on life. I had hoped to meet you one day while my son was traveling in the South from Texas, but they have realigned their conference so they only play in Texas and Louisiana now so I am going to have to go to a plan B. Don’t have a plan B yet, but I will figure it out.

If you EVER come to Southern/Midstate California you have a place to stay here. Although we have never met or even shared PM’s, we have an extra room and you and your wife are always welcome here!

For me right now:

1. Travelling to Texas or wherever my son’s team is playing to watch them.
2. Working to pay for 1.

I have to admit it is a lot of fun getting to know the other parents, players, coaches, etc. when you travel with a college team. I know a lot of you here have done this, but for those you have not it is a lot of fun as you get to see places you would likely never go to. (as well as eat stuff you would likely never eat ) His team “travels well” and there is quite a following, they even take their own internet set up and broadcast every game when they can get hooked up via cable or WiFi for games we don’t make.

Throw in some golf, a little exercise, walking the dog, some yard work and that is all I have time for.

WraggArm: I am totally jealous of you as I am a bit of a speed freak, but don’t have the time or bone density for this anymore.

I have a thing for old cars. 62 Thunderbird, 65 Fairlane behind her.

Let the 15 year old drive the T-bird after he got his learners permit. He was more nervous than me.

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Those are a couple of sweet rides! I also like old cars, they are all I can afford.

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sports and music music music

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quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
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Those are a couple of sweet rides! I also like old cars, they are all I can afford.

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Woody, is this yours?

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If it's parked legally it's ours, if it's got a parking ticket on it then no.



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I am late to this thread, but it is fun to learn about folks here.

I'm like most people - there are more things I like to do than time to do them. And many of the things I consider "hobbies" have been things I my have started doing out of necessity.

I wouldn't say that "gardening" is a hobby of mine. Rather, I'd say "yardwork" is something I do a lot of, and I "enjoy" it enough, I guess, to continue doing it myself rather than paying to have it done.

But I definitely enjoy having a nice yard, a nice place to enjoy the warm months outdoors. My wife and I have a simple division of labor: she plants and grows things, and I, at her direction, move, cut, kill and remove things.

I do like to spend time on the water. I live near lots of it. In college, I had a sideline making fiberglass canoes and selling them to friends. I still have the first canoe I ever made; my wife and I like to take it out on summer weekends and evenings.

Last summer one dusk, paddling close to a certain falls that GotWood and I grew up very near, about 20 feet off our bow, a ten-plus-foot-long sturgeon surfaced and then dove down again. It was large enough that its head was back under the surface of the water before its tail was out of it. What a sight!

I used to play a lot of golf. There was a time I was pretty decent, low 70's fairly regularly, breaking 70 now and then, and a handicap index in the 1-2 range. I'm now much more of a recreational golfer. Once in awhile I string 9 good holes together and pretend I am good again.

I love to read. All sorts of stuff, not just non fiction but pop culture stuff too. I love reading about our founding fathers. But I also read my share of baseball books, and spy novels. Right now I'm reading "Summer of '68," which is about the year of the pitcher - Bob Gibson, Denny McClain and the rest. I actually know the author.

Some who know me here know I also love politics. I'm kind of a semi-professional loudmouth. I don't talk much politics here. I come here for different reasons.

I come here because there are so many folks who have the same love for baseball as I do. My son is about to start his senior year of college. I have been a member of this place since he was in the 8th grade.

I've gained so much from being here, and I hope that I have been some help to others over the years in their own journeys.

Bottom line, what I have learned is that baseball is a shared passion here, but it defines none of us. For all of us, our sons included, baseball is but a touching point. It's what brought us here.

But it isn't the sum total of what we or our sons are now, or will be when their playing days are over. My son might play after this year. I tend to think that he will get the chance to do so if he decides that is what he wants to do.

But even if he does attempt to play professional baseball, I hope that he will always know what this board teaches us: baseball is not the sum total of who he is.

And that is why this thread about "hobbies" was interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Kremer:
I am late to this thread, but it is fun to learn about folks here.

I'm like most people - there are more things I like to do than time to do them. And many of the things I consider "hobbies" have been things I my have started doing out of necessity.

I wouldn't say that "gardening" is a hobby of mine. Rather, I'd say "yardwork" is something I do a lot of, and I "enjoy" it enough, I guess, to continue doing it myself rather than paying to have it done.

But I definitely enjoy having a nice yard, a nice place to enjoy the warm months outdoors. My wife and I have a simple division of labor: she plants and grows things, and I, at her direction, move, cut, kill and remove things.

I do like to spend time on the water. I live near lots of it. In college, I had a sideline making fiberglass canoes and selling them to friends. I still have the first canoe I ever made; my wife and I like to take it out on summer weekends and evenings.

Last summer one dusk, paddling close to a certain falls that GotWood and I grew up very near, about 20 feet off our bow, a ten-plus-foot-long sturgeon surfaced and then dove down again. It was large enough that its head was back under the surface of the water before its tail was out of it. What a sight!

I used to play a lot of golf. There was a time I was pretty decent, low 70's fairly regularly, breaking 70 now and then, and a handicap index in the 1-2 range. I'm now much more of a recreational golfer. Once in awhile I string 9 good holes together and pretend I am good again.

I love to read. All sorts of stuff, not just non fiction but pop culture stuff too. I love reading about our founding fathers. But I also read my share of baseball books, and spy novels. Right now I'm reading "Summer of '68," which is about the year of the pitcher - Bob Gibson, Denny McClain and the rest. I actually know the author.

Some who know me here know I also love politics. I'm kind of a semi-professional loudmouth. I don't talk much politics here. I come here for different reasons.

I come here because there are so many folks who have the same love for baseball as I do. My son is about to play his last season of college baseball. I have been a member of this place since he was in the 8th grade.

I've gained so much from being here, and I hope that I have been some help to others over the years in their own journeys.

Bottom line, what I have learned is that baseball is a shared passion here, but it defines none of us. For all of us, our sons included, baseball is but a touching point. It's what brought us here.

But it isn't the sum total of what we or our sons are now, or will be when their playing days are over. My son might play after this year. I tend to think that he will get the chance to do so if he decides that is what he wants to do.

But even if he does attempt to play professional baseball, I hope that he will always know what this board teaches us: baseball is not the sum total of who he is.

And that is why this thread about "hobbies" was interesting.

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I don't suppose this was the day you and your wife admired the massive sturgeon?

From Wikipedia:

The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, in the United States. It is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest by water volume, second largest in the United States behind Niagara Falls, and the eighteenth largest in the world.

I did not know this. Your post stirred my curiosity and I've learned something fascinating. Thanks Rob.

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Uhhh...this way jj.



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[Moderator comment: This isn't a random post by Got Wood. He was responding appropriately to another post that has been removed.]

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Me...appropriate? Really? What a relief!

I've taken the careful and measured time for almost this entire Holiday Season (including Thanksgiving) to study this complex and thought provoking flow chart. The time devoted to studying and pondering this labyrinth has really paid off. Take a week or two (or three) and sop this up...







When it comes to deciding how to respond appropriately here on the HSBBW message board there isn't a better template than the above. And the help isn't limited to the HSBBW either. How many of you who are a 'Frequent Flyer' are not faced with this vexing decision a few times each flight?





If that flowchart has been etched into your mind appropriately then the number of embarrassing decisions and subsequent terse scoldings from the flight crew will be greatly reduced.

Go with the flow (appropriately)!



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Woody,
I did my best to process your flow chart and follow the example, but this was all I could come up with...



Do I get to stay on the plane ?