... and by the way, work doesn't qualify as a hobby (unless it's your business and doesn't make money). It took me a while to realize how important hobbies are in keeping your work / life balance. Luckily, I have many of them. Some are not worth mentioning, but these are pretty interesting and hopefully worth sharing.
Music
Kids, if your parents tell you to practice piano or some other instrument you should listen to them. I played an instrument for about a year when I was 6 years old, and that was it. Of course it's never too late to learn and perhaps someday I'll have time to pick up a guitar and take some lessons (after I learn Russian and the other long list of things to do).
But for now, I explore my love of music through other peoples efforts and an investment in sound equipment.
I've been mixing some songs using Audacity and Mixx, and it's interesting to see how much easier these tools are now than they were 10 yrs ago. Check out the music
Winemaking
I started making wine after I tasted some really great red currant and apple wines while visiting Latvia. Although I've always enjoyed a nice glass of wine, there was something special about these homemade wines made in small batches of a few gallons at a time. They had a really nice aroma and were unlike any of the commercial wines I'd tasted.
For a variety of reasons, it seems that winemaking is really common in Eastern Europe. Probably because the ingredients are readily available (everyone with property seems to have a rather large portion of their yard dedicated to their garden) and it's much cheaper than buying wine in the store. It's not hard to make a really great bottle of wine for $1.
I've been making wine for a few years now, and I'm learning that it's unique combination of art and science. Sort of like a chemistry experiment that you can drink when you're done. The hardest part is having patience to wait until my wine is ready. Some of the fruit wines are very drinkable early, but if you wait long enough they are even better. Learn about my winemaking
Tennis
I've been hitting tennis balls since I was 5-6 years old, and no matter how long I take off from playing it's always something in the back of my mind. more