Hobbies?

[FlyingClayDisk]

During the whole PLAN-demic, the lockdowns and the oppression of, well, our freedom in general, I decided there was only so much news I could take before I was saturated to the point of insanity.  So, I decided to take up a hobby.  I decided I was going to learn how to play the guitar.  You see, I had the same notion about 40 years ago when I was in college...I was going to be the next Eddie Van Halen, I was!  Well, that didn't work out back then, I sucked at playing the guitar.  BUT...I'd kept that old Peavy electric guitar I'd bought, and it bounced around with me when I moved about fifty times with my career.  During the lock-downs and the Martial Law like oppression which followed to protect us from...well...I have no idea what the fuck we were being protected from, other than being shielded from seeing what was really going on with our government's death spiral.  We were required to put masks on our face, and THEY put masks over our eyes, but I digress.

During the WU-cold, I decided to play the guitar.  I dug out that old Peavy electric guitar and started learnin myself some guitar.  This went on for a couple of weeks until I received a Certified letter in the mail one day.  It was a Cease & Desist Order, from an attorney...on behalf of my dogs!  Did I mention that I really SUCK at playing the guitar??  So, my plan of learning to play the guitar was pretty much a bust.

Then I started another hobby.  I used to love doing woodwork, but my wife turned that hobby into a bunch of work, so screw that.  And there were many others, just like that.  So anyway, I had this new hobby.  Only problem was, I didn't know I had a new hobby.  I just thought I was doing my usual thing of sitting on my ass while I'm waiting for hip replacement surgery (which really sucks by the way).  But I was getting more and more involved in this hobby I had no idea I even I had.  This last part is actually true, believe it or not.

I woke up one day, and someone emailed me to ask me about...a pencil, of all things.  My brain was on autopilot (it may have been the pain meds, I dunno), and before I knew it I had written this person 4-5 paragraphs of some wickedly detailed information on...pencils.  "My Gawd!", I said to myself,..."I collect pencils now...as a hobby!".

It's true, I am a fairly avid pencil collector.  Now, as an Engineer approaching retirement, and an old school Technical Draftsman from back in the day when they used to do such things, I'd always had a keen interest in all manner of writing instruments (i.e. Pencils, Pens and anything else which will write).  I have a really interesting pen collection (fountain pens mostly), but pencils are what I'm really focused on.  Did you know there's a whole world out there of pencil collectors??  I didn't, but I do now.

I go through phases in my pencil collecting, but if it's a pencil, I collect it.  I collect wooden pencils.  I collect mechanical pencils.  I'm currently in a mechanical pencil collecting phase, primarily because I currently have more wooden pencils than 50 of me could ever use in five lifetimes.  My wife doesn't even bother asking anymore what UPS delivered today. 

Now let me tell you, collecting pencils is a spectacularly exciting hobby!  I mean, I'm sure most people think the only thing more exciting than collecting pencils is probably collecting stamps (I have one of those collections too, but it was willed to me).  That, and watching grass grow and paint dry, but by golly, I collect pencils.  And, I'm damn good at it too, dammit!

So, I felt it was critically important to share this information with everyone here.  I have no idea why!  I guess it's because I'm a dork, a dork with a cowboy hat, and I didn't already have enough to do with raising cattle on our ranch and working full time in aviation engineering, so I needed a hobby!

I collect pencils.

P.S. - If anyone ever has a question about a pencil, or pencils in general, please feel free to ask.  I will do my best to answer your questions, hopefully not boring you into a catatonic state in the process, and tell you about this spellbinding hobby I have.

That is all.

[MisterSpock]

I just skimmed all that.

Saw this, "I collect pencils." and that's all.

Always knew you had a screw loose.

[FlyingClayDisk]

I just skimmed all that.

Saw this, "I collect pencils." and that's all.

Always knew you had a screw loose.

Yep!

Or a broken lead, or something!

[vonclod]

Did you ever get to putting a stereo together?

[vonclod]

I tried to get into model car building, last did it 30 years ago, I was pretty good at it then. Fully plumbed and wired engines, lots of scratchbuilding, mosly pro street, or pro stock. Anyway, getting older is a bitch, much harder now, with the eyesight. I have lots to build, just can't get into it, might as work on my real car.

I did get into airguns, had lots of fun with that, getting ready to again, now the weather is turning.

[FlyingClayDisk]

Did you ever get to putting a stereo together?

Hey!  Good to see ya!

You mean building the tube amplifier and electronics?  Yeah, got that done.  Works great, just as I had hoped.

[vonclod]

Did you ever get to putting a stereo together?

Hey!  Good to see ya!

You mean building the tube amplifier and electronics?  Yeah, got that done.  Works great, just as I had hoped.

Thanks! good to see you as well.

Very cool, I wish I could build my own gear. I guess some tubes might be a bit harder to get now? A few of my guitar gearhead buds are concerned.

[MykeNukem]

P.S. - If anyone ever has a question about a pencil, or pencils in general, please feel free to ask.  I will do my best to answer your questions, hopefully not boring you into a catatonic state in the process, and tell you about this spellbinding hobby I have.

I have a question about pencils.

Ah forget, you wouldn't see the point....



I have lots of hobbies:

- guitars and studio stuff
- airbrushing
- woodworking
- SDR radio
- bushcraft or anything survival related
- 4X4ing

Also, like you I have the farm and livestock to add to all that.

[FauxMulder]

Did you ever get to putting a stereo together?

Hey!  Good to see ya!

You mean building the tube amplifier and electronics?  Yeah, got that done.  Works great, just as I had hoped.

 I guess some tubes might be a bit harder to get now? A few of my guitar gearhead buds are concerned.

I have heard this as well. Luckily I just replaced tubes in my Marshall not too long ago. Also have a few digital amps

[AugustusMasonicus]

I collect pencils.

Taxidermy.

[fishertail]

No way dude! I collect pens! I have about 100 interesting specimens.
Some are from interesting places I have traveled to, some feature unique design or ink, some are vintage, some are probably worth quite a bit... some I know are worth quite a bit.
I am particularly fond of parkers. I just found a 1970s era Parker CT with blue ink. I haven't gotten a GT yet but I am on the lookout for one. My favorite pens are usually not the fancy ones though, but the ones with sentimental value, i.e. got on a memorable family trip, given by a friend, and so on.

Nice to meet another writing-utensil collector. 

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

No way dude! I collect pens! I have about 100 interesting specimens.
Some are from interesting places I have traveled to, some feature unique design or ink, some are vintage, some are probably worth quite a bit... some I know are worth quite a bit.
I am particularly fond of parkers. I just found a 1970s era Parker CT with blue ink. I haven't gotten a GT yet but I am on the lookout for one. My favorite pens are usually not the fancy ones though, but the ones with sentimental value, i.e. got on a memorable family trip, given by a friend, and so on.

Nice to meet another writing-utensil collector. 

I collect pens and mechanical pencils, but the heart of my collection is my fountain pens and my quills.

[Schmoe1]

I collect pencils.

Taxidermy.

Human?

[AugustusMasonicus]

I collect pencils.

Taxidermy.

Human?

Maybe?

[Snarl]

I collect pencils.

Taxidermy.

Human?

Maybe?

Been wondering where GeezLouise was.

[Schmoe1]

I collect pencils.

Taxidermy.

Human?

Maybe?

How much to get my wife stuf.....nevermind.

[AugustusMasonicus]

I collect pencils.

Taxidermy.

Human?

Maybe?

Been wondering where GeezLouise was.

LOL. I just spoke to her yesterday, she had no idea ATS was down and thought it was her comp.

[IAMTAT]

During the whole PLAN-demic, the lockdowns and the oppression of, well, our freedom in general, I decided there was only so much news I could take before I was saturated to the point of insanity.  So, I decided to take up a hobby.  I decided I was going to learn how to play the guitar.  You see, I had the same notion about 40 years ago when I was in college...I was going to be the next Eddie Van Halen, I was!  Well, that didn't work out back then, I sucked at playing the guitar.  BUT...I'd kept that old Peavy electric guitar I'd bought, and it bounced around with me when I moved about fifty times with my career.  During the lock-downs and the Martial Law like oppression which followed to protect us from...well...I have no idea what the fuck we were being protected from, other than being shielded from seeing what was really going on with our government's death spiral.  We were required to put masks on our face, and THEY put masks over our eyes, but I digress.

During the WU-cold, I decided to play the guitar.  I dug out that old Peavy electric guitar and started learnin myself some guitar.  This went on for a couple of weeks until I received a Certified letter in the mail one day.  It was a Cease & Desist Order, from an attorney...on behalf of my dogs!  Did I mention that I really SUCK at playing the guitar??  So, my plan of learning to play the guitar was pretty much a bust.

Then I started another hobby.  I used to love doing woodwork, but my wife turned that hobby into a bunch of work, so screw that.  And there were many others, just like that.  So anyway, I had this new hobby.  Only problem was, I didn't know I had a new hobby.  I just thought I was doing my usual thing of sitting on my ass while I'm waiting for hip replacement surgery (which really sucks by the way).  But I was getting more and more involved in this hobby I had no idea I even I had.  This last part is actually true, believe it or not.

I woke up one day, and someone emailed me to ask me about...a pencil, of all things.  My brain was on autopilot (it may have been the pain meds, I dunno), and before I knew it I had written this person 4-5 paragraphs of some wickedly detailed information on...pencils.  "My Gawd!", I said to myself,..."I collect pencils now...as a hobby!".

It's true, I am a fairly avid pencil collector.  Now, as an Engineer approaching retirement, and an old school Technical Draftsman from back in the day when they used to do such things, I'd always had a keen interest in all manner of writing instruments (i.e. Pencils, Pens and anything else which will write).  I have a really interesting pen collection (fountain pens mostly), but pencils are what I'm really focused on.  Did you know there's a whole world out there of pencil collectors??  I didn't, but I do now.

I go through phases in my pencil collecting, but if it's a pencil, I collect it.  I collect wooden pencils.  I collect mechanical pencils.  I'm currently in a mechanical pencil collecting phase, primarily because I currently have more wooden pencils than 50 of me could ever use in five lifetimes.  My wife doesn't even bother asking anymore what UPS delivered today. 

Now let me tell you, collecting pencils is a spectacularly exciting hobby!  I mean, I'm sure most people think the only thing more exciting than collecting pencils is probably collecting stamps (I have one of those collections too, but it was willed to me).  That, and watching grass grow and paint dry, but by golly, I collect pencils.  And, I'm damn good at it too, dammit!

So, I felt it was critically important to share this information with everyone here.  I have no idea why!  I guess it's because I'm a dork, a dork with a cowboy hat, and I didn't already have enough to do with raising cattle on our ranch and working full time in aviation engineering, so I needed a hobby!

I collect pencils.

P.S. - If anyone ever has a question about a pencil, or pencils in general, please feel free to ask.  I will do my best to answer your questions, hopefully not boring you into a catatonic state in the process, and tell you about this spellbinding hobby I have.

That is all.

Ancient artifacts from dead civilizations...the more obscure and cursed, the better.
Been collecting for decades.

[FauxMulder]

Ancient artifacts from dead civilizations...the more obscure and cursed, the better.
Been collecting for decades.

Post some pictures. Would love to see what you have

[AmericanBuffalo]

I build electric guitars for a hobby. Did it professionally for several years. Worked at Hamer guitars and Washburn guitars. Worked as a guitar tech on the road and also toured as a guitar player with a couple bands. That was in the late 80's early 90's.
Now I am semi-retired and back to building guitars and writing a book about boutique guitars. So guitars.

Built this relic from spare parts I had accumulated.