What DO we do with our spare time w/o chyyyldrun?? Hehe

Hi everyone

I'm pretty sure this has been discussed before (I've only gotten through about 10% of the archived threads so far) but in case it hasn't...

Every. Single. Day I am completely filled with gratitude that our days are OURS and my time is MINE to do with what I please (besides the office, of course). Our lives aren't monopolized catering to small parasites, and because of this, we revel in the amount of freedom we enjoy, yes?

I saw the recent thread about No Kidding and other CF Meetup groups, and that got me thinking - I thought I'd poll y'all to see what you all like to do, especially since we DON'T have kids.

I'll start:
- Bowling!! Yes, famblees go bowling a lot, but we tend to go during non-peak times, or to bowling alleys that cater LESS to famblees and rugrats. (I.e. - if the bowling alley acts more like a club and wants to be "your chyldrun's birthday headquarters!!!" it's the wrong place for us!)
- Wii - phooey that it's just for kids. Fuck that. Because I don't have grimey brats, we'll keep our Wii for many years to come, and we'll be able to play it whenever WE want, without having to share! LOL
- Poker - without kids screaming and messing up cards or knocking over poker chip stacks
- R-rated (or higher) TV/movies/music
- Staying out late
- Sleeping in!
- Internet-based filesharing - without having rugrats squirting apple juice into the DVD drives or down into the keyboard of the computer
- Spiritual ceremonies/activities - without having to deal with toadlers ruining the ambience
- Walking around the block - without risking having to carry the toadler when they become too whiney--ahem--"tired" to walk
- Ham radio get-togethers
- Drum circles
- Mini-golf - yeah, I know some famblees go mini-golfing but we're better at it than a toadler! LOL
- Paintball - even though some famblees do this, it's fun to aim at the brats
- Shooting - a gunrange ROCKS without kids. Bonus; you can even use creative visualization in your target practice (disclaimer: not advocating real-life violence)

Hehe I'm pretty tame, so I'm looking forward to others

Quiet vacations where I can go somewhere that does not have to have things to entertain brats.

We make our own porno movies, starring us :yeah We do it in broad daylight in the privacy of our home, unless one of our friends has consented to record us at their house . . .

We watch whatever we want to on TV - no sanitizing needed.

We read tarot cards and talk about our evil religious tendencies in perfect openness.

One of our favorite things is to go to a place like Denny's or IHOP late at night just because we 'feel like it.' Rarely encounter any brats.

I'm kind of dull--I read and play computer games, mostly.

Classic movies. My favorite actress is Veronica Lake. I love finding her movies. Vintage makeup. I relish finding the perfect shade of red. It still makes me happy no matter how many I have. Animal rescue. ALL of my pets are rescues, even one hermit crab, and I care for a feral cat colony that currently consists of sixty stray cats.

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Sorceress
We make our own porno movies, starring us :yeah We do it in broad daylight in the privacy of our home, unless one of our friends has consented to record us at their house . . .

Please just allow me to say that is awesome.

I work as a professional phone sex operator for an upscale company...no noisy shits to distract me.

I wrote a suspense novel, also write music, play guitar and sing. I can practise every day without being disturbed.

I love photography, going to locations during different seasons, times of day, etc. and turning them into slide shows set to music.

I love going downtown, having fun shopping or discovering an exciting little eatery with interesting fare. Sometimes I just love to go down on a summer evening, to take in the lights, sounds and sights. I never have to worry about hiring a babysitter!

Sometimes, I just love spending an afternoon in bed, with a movie on the TV and relaxing in the peace and quiet of my beautiful little apartment.....sheer bliss.

Being CF and unemployed (not by choice) leaves me with free time. While I do freelance whenever I can (actually doing a couple things for books right now), I also entertain myself in other ways, such as:

- Drawing. I draw for a living and I draw for fun. The last few days, I've been working on a short Flash animation just for the hell of it and to test out a new animation technique. Could I spend four hours a day animating with brats underfoot? Of course my cats choose this time to throw themselves on me, but usually I can feed them and they'll fall asleep for a while.

- Writing. Also, I write for a living, but also once in a while I write for fun.

- Sleeping in and staying up late.

- Playing video games. Even games I've beaten and I know like the back of my hand, sometimes I like to put on Sonic 2 or Beetle Adventure Racing and just do a few rounds. Or I play something new and try to conquer it. Either way, it's fun and some games do require you to actually use your mind. No having to worry about a dumbass kid seeing the shiny power button and turning the game off because they need to press it.

- Read. About a third of the shit on my bookshelf is stuff I have not read yet...when I feel like reading, I work on putting a dent in those untouched titles. Or I'll look for some fluffy fanfiction of hot male characters.

- Shopping. Particularly at the thrift store. I love being able to wander and try stuff on and look for junk and stuff that I think could be turned into a cool piece of art. And I love doing this without having to worry whether or not Junior will have a kicking, screaming meltdown in the middle of the floor.

- Sewing. I make stuffed animals and, like animating, doing this by hand is incredibly time consuming. I'd never finish anything with kids to worry about.

- Watching a movie, either with someone or alone.

One of my favorite things to do is to snuggle in a blanket on a cold day, have a cup of coffee, and read a good story while listening to some good music. Doesn't sound like anything huge, I know, but it makes me content.

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satansbitch nli
Classic movies. My favorite actress is Veronica Lake. I love finding her movies. Vintage makeup. I relish finding the perfect shade of red. It still makes me happy no matter how many I have. Animal rescue. ALL of my pets are rescues, even one hermit crab, and I care for a feral cat colony that currently consists of sixty stray cats.

That's awesome!! People like you make me smile. I have a fur family of 8 kitties myself, all rescues. I love them to bits.

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jezebel_daisy

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satansbitch nli
Classic movies. My favorite actress is Veronica Lake. I love finding her movies. Vintage makeup. I relish finding the perfect shade of red. It still makes me happy no matter how many I have. Animal rescue. ALL of my pets are rescues, even one hermit crab, and I care for a feral cat colony that currently consists of sixty stray cats.

That's awesome!! People like you make me smile. I have a fur family of 8 kitties myself, all rescues. I love them to bits.

Thank you!!! Your words mean a lot to me.

Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I have more spare time than anyone else. It's just that my time is not spent entertaining and wrangling kids.

i work full time in a bookstore and i also play cello in a string orchestra and also in a string quartet, so that takes a lot of my time. i practice about an hour a day besides rehearsals. i also compose music - i am working now on scoring an old movie ("the adventures of prince achmed") with some other people.

i like to knit and crochet, i read a lot for work, and i have 2 big doggies who think they are people. mr. minkoff and i like to see music shows, burlesque shows, dance, etc. we also like to volunteer at an animal shelter but for me work has been so busy over the holidays i haven't had time for anything lately.

satansbitch - i love classic movies, too, and veronica lake was just so beautiful but my fave is louise brooks. i also would love to find the perfect red lipstick.

julie, i agree - i dont think i have more spare time than people with kids, but i do think i enjoy mine more. seems like the spare time moos have is spent lowing on the internet about how hard their lives are, playing angry birds or watching oprah.

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myrna minkoff
i work full time in a bookstore and i also play cello in a string orchestra and also in a string quartet, so that takes a lot of my time. i practice about an hour a day besides rehearsals. i also compose music - i am working now on scoring an old movie ("the adventures of prince achmed") with some other people.

i like to knit and crochet, i read a lot for work, and i have 2 big doggies who think they are people. mr. minkoff and i like to see music shows, burlesque shows, dance, etc. we also like to volunteer at an animal shelter but for me work has been so busy over the holidays i haven't had time for anything lately.

satansbitch - i love classic movies, too, and veronica lake was just so beautiful but my fave is louise brooks. i also would love to find the perfect red lipstick.

julie, i agree - i dont think i have more spare time than people with kids, but i do think i enjoy mine more. seems like the spare time moos have is spent lowing on the internet about how hard their lives are, playing angry birds or watching oprah.

Besame is really great for vintage makeup. My very faves are red hot red and red velvet. Louise Brooks was beautiful too.

Ah, I see a lot things here I do too. Surprise surprise!

I'm currently unemployed. I graduated this past year (Honours Bachelor of Arts Criminology and Bachelor of Arts Contemporary Studies) and finding a place to start anything remotely close to a career has been difficult. I'm not picky; the jobs just aren't there, and employers don't seem care about grades, only experience. So I've been hunting around for something else in the meantime. I'm heading out to apply to a few bakeries around here as well as a local thrift store I like to shop at. I figure I might as well try to work somewhere related to something I like. Maybe I'll get a discount! wink

My creativity has taken a real hit these last few years. Stress (living with the in-laws, school, not having work, the future, etc) has really numbed the passion I have for all sorts of things: painting, drawing, jewelry-making, sewing, cross-stitch, clay crafts, and so on. I really enjoy making and selling things online (entrepreneur at heart). I'm trying to push myself back out of my bubble because I know that this is a cycle I need to get out of. The more stressed I am the less I create, and the less I create the more stressed I am. But... I'm sure that many of you know it's easier said than done.

I love to read and write. I've done free-form role-playing for as long as I can remember, though I only have two people I do it with, now. I was a longtime WoW player and I'm looking forward to The Secret World. My gaming consoles have also brought me many hours of fun. I enjoy RPGs the most (yes, I like to live vicariously). I used to act and sing, but I've really become isolated and that spark in me has been buried for now. But I still dream of publishing a fantasy novel some day. I would also love to undergo some past life regression to find out if that's why I have never felt like I belong here, or should be someone else.

I moved from my home province four years ago and only have one friend nearby, though even he's almost two hours away. I always thought I was fine being a loner, having moved a lot in my life... but I really am missing human contact now. As I get older, the importance of friendships is also becoming all the more obvious to me since I'm CF. I'm thinking of finding a place to volunteer at (probably the Habitat for Humanity ReStore) and I'm also looking forward to checking out some classes once I have the funds to do so. I'm just worried that those classes (pottery, sewing, cake decorating, whatever... I like to try all sorts of things) will only put me in contact with moos and other women I can't stand. Who knows, though; I might also meet people as great as you lot.

Oh, and lately, I've been looking into Zen Buddhism and expanding my learning in that area. I'm agnostic, and Buddhism is a great, down-to-earth atheist philosophy that meshes well with how I feel about the world.

I've got three furbabies, strictly indoor ones... they do command a bit of my time too, and I'm more than glad to give it. I enjoy watching a variety of shows online (everything from Project Runway to Japanese anime and dramas), exercise on a regular basis (swimming, walking, yoga), and I travel whenever I get the chance.

Phew, long one... I'm sorry. I guess I needed to vent. :Violin

First and foremost, I very much enjoy being able to just go and do something I want/need to do like running errands or going to an impromptu party without dealing with all the planning that a child would require. Getting a babysitter at the 11th hour for a Friday or Saturday night is nigh impossible.

I'm about to go to culinary school, which is a big leap, and I know that starting out, I won't make much money. I can take that leap of faith because I don't have to consider anybody other than myself.

Right now I live at home until I leave for school, but I'm looking forward to having my own little apartment and the peace and privacy that comes with it. I also play video and computer games, read, cook and bake foods that I would like to eat and not appease somebody's picky appetite, and teach myself photography in order to make it into a career.

Honestly, my line of thinking goes as such: Adulthood already brings a lot of inevitable responsibility along with its perks. Why should I add more unnecessary stress and responsibility when I don't have to? It gives me more time to enjoy the benefits of growing up.

Oh let's see....

-- I spend plenty of time socializing and teaching my dogs (all rescued). I'm hoping to get my youngest,Dexter,into agility. See what I did there lurker moos? I don't need fuck trophies to have something to love and brag about. I also have two rescued cats.

-- I volunteer at my local animal rescue at least five days a week.

-- I read ANYTHING that interests me. Same goes for watching and listening to things.

-- I spend my money shopping for gadgets or funky housewares or that Vitamix I've been wanting.

-- I do supremely nerdy things like stay up all night playing tabletop RPG's, creating clothing for varies sub-cultures or yep,I'll admit it,writing more on my own scifi fiction blog,which is 4 years old.

-- I plan what classes to take next for my latest degree and take chosen classes.

-- I modify Apple products to make them even more useful.

-- I can have marathons of Star Trek movies or any of the series, Batman cartoons or the darkest horror films. I never have to watch programming that I don't want to watch. I can have a dinner of cereal to accompany my cartoon watching,if I want.

-- I can devise my latest plans for my lawn and carry them out.

-- I can go visit my friends and family as much as I please. It's a lot easier to board your animals than wrangle snot demons.

-- I can work on learning knitting,cello or my latest recipe.

-- I can get tattoos, regardless of cost or time involved.

That's what I can think of off of the top of my head and it's fucking awesome!!!!!!:partay

I am a full time student - 15 hours. In my off time, I'm seeking employment, enjoying my records, reading the books in my expanding library, taking photos (I work with both digital and film), and reading Bratfree.

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michaela

"A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter." -Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal

I have strange hobbies although not that odd.
With no screaming siblings underfoot, no current employment, and little to no homework due to easy as hell schoolwork, I'm left with plenty of time to:

-Draw: I aspire to be an artist and will be starting private tutoring soon to nail the basics. Need to be good if I want to make a career out of it. I used to animate via Flipnotes but found myself stuck and unable to do it anymore. That and my DSi is currently in for repairs (I fried the poor thing's battery. ).
-Chatplay: Fun one, it's a simplified version of paragraph roleplaying (which I dabbled in during my freshman year but found chatplaying more satisfying and fun) and it's great for character development. I have a private cbox to do this along with a few friends that frequent it.
-Character designing: I could spend hours fleshing out new characters and plots. However, in recent months my idea well has been a bit dry and I don't turn out as many characters as I used to. But this does allow me to develop existing ones more extensively.
-Read: I love reading. Whether it's an ED browsing session or a good book, I enjoy reading and always have.
-Video games: Yup, good old video games. In a sense, I feel spoiled because I have a Wii and all the DS systems along with a GBA SP. Although my oldest DS has been given to my niece. My favorite games vary, mainly Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Mario and recently, the LoZ games (just got Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time on my Wii, yay!). I count myself as a gamer but not a hardcore asshole kind.
-Listen to music: iTunes radio allows me to jam out to Electronic/House/Techno music when I'm on the laptop (I'll be getting my very own netbook soon as a reward for straight A's on the report card) and I have my old iPod Nano handy. My music tastes vary greatly. Oh, and I practice singing whenever I can. c:

I suppose that's about it...
School doesn't quite allow me to have much of a life and neither does being young like I am without a car/job.
So there's a peek into my rather pathetic pastimes.

“I don’t have pet peeves, I have major, psychotic fucking hatreds.”
— George Carlin

This is such a wonderful thread! It is so nice to see that so many of us...I mean not have the exact same hobbies but similar ones that we are actually able to pursue.

I too spend a lot of my time/money on critters. In my apartment, we have three cats, two birds, a snake, and a fish. The two cats and snake are mine. Both the cats are rescues, as was my previous cat. Too much of my money goes to vet bills because I spent lots of money to try and save him (he died anyway) and the cat that fell into my life afterwards ended up being sick. I wouldn't be able to care for them if I had children.
My next snake is going to be a redtail boa, and I'm going to rescue him. I love boas and a lot of people pick them up at a pet store without knowing how big they'll get.

I write! Not for a living or anything, but just 'cause...I dunno. Writing is like breathing, I've always done it. I hear people say "I used to write but then I had kids" and I go same goes with reading. I read like...like omg it's such an addiction, I can't stop reading. I just can't. I go everywhere with a book. Not reading? I'm pretty sure I'd just waste away and die.

Spending time with my roommates and messing around with my friends. One of my roommates is also CF (the other is a fence-sitter) and she and I will be at home and then decide to go out for lunch, or a day trip somewhere, go to the movies, etc. and we're just able to do that. Our favorite thing to do try new types of food and new restaurants. We *love* trying new restaurants.

Watch stuff on netflix. whatever we want on netflix regardless of rating!

Roommate plays WoW. My secret shame is an addiction to neopets.

I'm waiting to go back to work (head injury in November, boo hiss) and...well I mean all I do is work at a convenience store (but at least it's work, you know?), but someday I want to find a career and I'll be able to do that without having to worry about the "oh but I have to have kids by X age" thing.

I game, (although nothing hardcore), read (vampire novels, political updates and comentary) answer any sane questions on Yahoo Answers, its good to pass on knowlede, reading bratfree, etc. Anyways, excellent thread!

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lab mom

What an awesome thread! I share a lot of hobbies with other folks here. Reading is my favorite pastime, and if I go a day without spending at least an hour reading, I feel like I've missed a very important part of my day. My favorite subject to read about and keep up on is astronomy and cosmology. I was never ambitious or proficient enough at higher mathematics (although I actually really enjoy math - it's just not my strong suit) to pursue it as a career (it's also a highly competitive field and I'm not a competitive person), but I LOVE it and read about it all the time! I like to visit the observatory at local university near me when it's open to the public. I also love cooking for myself and others - I love to experiment with new recipes and try to develop my skills in the kitchen. I also love all outdoor activities, especially hiking and camping. I'm interested also in learning belly dance and am looking into taking a poi spinning class in my area as well. All of these things I would not be free to pursue with brats around my ankles, financially or time-wise. Being CF is so liberating and wonderful! It's absolutely NOT boring with just loads and loads of idle time. I have plenty to keep me busy, the difference is none of it involves wiping snot, cleaning up poop, or shuttling Snotleigh and Shitford off to soccer practice or underwater basket weaving lessons. I win! :biggrin2

I like the fact I can stay up late, sleep in, watch whatever I want on TV without worrying about brats, an am able to go wherever I want as long as I want and without having to worry about a babysitter or the place being kid friendly.

I'm also a ham radio operator and I like being able to get on the air without anyone bugging me about it. It all comes down to being able to do whatever I want to do without anyone saying anything about it.

Freedom is nice.

JD

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elaphe_guttata
Roommate plays WoW. My secret shame is an addiction to neopets.

I used to be addicted but managed to pull out of its vicegrip.
My accounts (all 9 of them) sit full of painted pets that I should really give away so I can downsize and have 5 manageble accounts and start playing again. xD

I game too! I love RPG style games, but have never delved into the WoW scene. I am a console gamer. The biggest open world game I have ever played is Skyrim. Highly addicting, lots of fun and extremely daunting because of how huge it is.

Construction and landscaping our house and property. It is a total labor of love and we love to hate it. It can be so overwhelming living in construction zones galore with dust and "temporary solutions" everywhere. We have such a vision but sometimes it goes excruciatingly slow. I wish we were rich and could just pay someone to do it, but then we couldn't say WE did it, could we? I love watching HGTV and watching people whine about their tiny projects they do or talk about living in construction when a company is doing it all in a month's time and how tired they are... haha! It will all be over in a couple more years though and I can focus on just my gardening.

Below is one of the best pictures showing the magnitude of just part of our project. Hubby hard at work putting in new floor joists. That was a fun couple of weeks tiptoeing over the rafters to answer the door! NOT a child safe environment! haha

"I hear people say "I used to write but then I had kids"


whenever i tell people i am a cellist, or they see me with my case on the bus, they always say how much they love the cello. sometimes they say they used to play an instrument in high school or whatever, but then they had kids. or sometimes i'll suggest they take up an instrument, or knitting, or painting, or whatever, and it's always the same story: "i don't know when i'd have time with the kids." kind of sad, really.

i have a friend/music mentor, a very beautiful, avante-garde cellist, and she has a teenage son, and she told me the first 4-5 years of the kid's life she hardly touched her cello at all. then when the kid started school she got back into playing.

i can't imagine not playing for 5 years.