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Source: Kplx on Mastodon
I'm in that age bracket and I've turned to spunking the little amount of disposable income on amateur radio kit and equipment.
I wish I'd picked up a debilitating cocaine habit instead. It'd be cheaper.
Oh hey that's something I've been vaguely interested in for a while!!! You enjoying it? What do you do?
Very little π
No I got into it to learn the theory of it more than anything. I've been faffing about with a VHF setup to see if I could establish a little station that could be heard anywhere in the town I'm in. That's inexpensive to do and you can probably knock together a basic station with decent range for Β£100 and the time and effort needed up a ladder.
The next step is to look further afield and build a station that operates in the 20m band, but I'm yet to be able to convince Chief Girlfriend that an end fed antenna dangling across the back garden, or a fiver metre whip mounted to the roof is a good idea. HF transceivers are exponentially more expensive, and require some support devices too.
Otherwise, I go "hilltopping" and head up elevated positions with a quarter-wave antenna and a cheap handheld radio to listen out on what's happening. It's good for the geek in me; it's good for the mind being at such pretty viewpoints; and it's good for the body walking or running up hillsides.
Alternatively, I'll sit in the garden while the kids play around with FlightRadar24 open on a device and a handheld radio tuned to the local airport approach frequency, and talk about what an aircraft is or may be doing while listening to the chatter.
So yeah, I don't do a lot really. I live quite close to the coast so getting into marine frequencies is something on my list to do; and speaking to folk worldwide would be a laugh!
I've thought about that! seems fun! On the other hand I have choosen the worst, most stressful, expensive and frustrating 40s hobby because I'm like that. 3d printing. Should have gone for the radio. (still spend all my free time doing that )
I'm not sure how a midlife crisis would look for me because I've basically kept the same weird interests I had as a teen.
So basically a life-long midlife crisis?
π
I guess so. Is that really a crisis if it's basically what you do though?
similar, i went from not having transportation besides my feet to having an ebike. we joke that it's my midlife crisis, but really it's just my transportation.
my midlife crisis will involve so many saxophones. when i can afford a midlife crisis.
Yeah, my midlife crisis was basically, I just got extra bored at work and spent more time doing all the usual non-work activities. Finally resolved when I decided I didn't need to work any more, which gave me a lot more time for all of teenage-me's favorite things. Wasn't even tempted to buy a Corvette.
I have really enjoyed my midlife crisis (which looks a little different as a woman): lost 30 lbs, began dressing like a scary executive, got rid of the imposter syndrome, and give very few fucks. It has been delightful.
Please explain the scary executive getup. I am taking notes for my own impending midlife crisis.
Yeah is this well fitted suit scary, or turtleneck scary. I personally leaned the other way and wear literal rose tinted Lenon glasses now. Fuck it, I tried everything else to see this world as anything other than a shithole filled with idiots, may as well take a metaphor out for a spin
This has some good stuff: https://www.caspermagazine.com/feature/the-art-of-tailoring-with-an-edge
I see that to dress like a scary exec, I must first earn like a scary exec...
You can also adapt it to your needs. For example, replace the bag with an axe or a limp kitchen towel
God forbid people pick up new hobbies as they grow older, we should all make as much money as humanly possible and then die i guess.
Some even try to stay healthy! What a bunch of losers!
fuck yeah i love money
I've been finally realizing my dream of having a home studio filled with all sorts of synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, effects, mixers, etc. Pretty frustrating since now that electronic music has been incorporated into mostly every genre and there are also a lot of collectors all the now vintage pieces that my favorite artists used back in the day are priced insanely out of reach. Upside is there is a ton of cool new stuff coming out, too much cool new stuff.
Isn't it all software now?
Sure you can do everything in software, there's some great sounding virtual synths nowadays. I prefer the tactility of hardware and just plugging this into that and seeing what happens, away from a computer which has taken over virtually every other aspect of life. Plus blinky lights pretty lol. I don't use a computer for anything except to record a stereo mix. It's mostly just to unwind and space out anyways. If I wanted to put together a song with a traditional structure I would probably use a computer. Anyways, I guess a lot of people also feel that way because the market for new hardware synthesizers has been expanding for years now, seems like there's more new stuff coming out all the time, there's a lot of boutique makers in the analogue and modular spaces, guitar pedals as well.
Retro anything has jumped in value tremendously; for me its been game hardware.
Damn it. So it seems like I am prototypical 40-something.
Life can be fun, so trying to make the best of it.
What is a gravelbike?
Basically a road bike, but kitted out for touring instead of road racing. It's really used to be just bigger wheels and tires but these days road cyclists are running thicker tires as well.
Hybrid between roadbike and mountainbike.
Someone posted a pic of one in another comment.
I have an older one (ok, actually two...) of those:
https://www.salsacycles.com/collections/fargo
It is more on the mountainbike-y side, others are typically slightly less rugged.
I would be great at the triathlon if the three sports it combines were running, bicycling and drowning.
Are we still on for historical wargaming at 40? Or has that moved to 50 now?
What's that?
Some kind of LARPing or more the tabletop thing with historical setting? Is the latter even still a thing? Only know it from old movies...
I think it's the tabletop thing where you paint your miniatures for months and then don't have anyone to play with
Can confirm. I did exactly this at 40. Now in my 50's I just traded in the gravel bike for an ebike and bought a milk frother for my espresso machine!
Hey, gravel bikes are good fun.
I had no idea what a gravel bike was so here's for the other folks who don't either:
You're certainly not going to carry a lot of gravel with that bike. Maybe if you added a little carriage?
Yeah, itβs basically a roadbike with thicker tires, or an older mountain bike with road bike handlebars ment for going over gravel or anything that isnβt asphalt.
I heard people converting mountain bikes from the early nineties to gravelbikes, because the frame is perfect for that!
Mountain bikes have been getting increasingly descent oriented, i.e. they're good for going down rough tracks really fast. But that also means they're less suitable for longer distances in less rough terrain, which is a niche that's been filled by gravel bikes. Also road bikes are only really suitable for well maintained tarmac. Where I live all roads like that have heavy car traffic, so I prefer riding on back roads or forest tracks, which a gravel bike is much better for.
Everyone should learn new things as often as they can. Pick up a new hobby or skill, become very proficient at it, incorporate it into your life, repeat. This active mental engagement is the best way to prevent dementia and keep your mind sharp.
My midlife crisis is degoogling, switching to Linux, eating less meat, reducing the footprint I leave on this world, spending more time with my wife and daughter, treating my recently diagnosed ADHD and not giving as many fucks regarding work. Oh, and I took up archery. Pretty ok I guess. I'm 42.
I turned 40 this year and turned my office in a darts room. Does that count? I still have my office there though (far enough to not get damaged by the bounce off darts).
Darts? Pshaw, that's so 20 years ago. Make a crokinole or carrom room.
44 here and zero of this applies to me lol. My hobbies are still video games and art; the same hobbies Iβve had since I was a kid.
I'd love a bike but I can't afford it, have a place to store it out of the elements, or have a safe place to bike because horrible infrastructure. I'll dream though.
Funny how successful mid life crisis is now fancy bike and coffee machine.
30 something, regular MTB, Areopress. Iβm on the right trajectory.
Me who just went to see a friend this morning on my fixie "Neat... I totally fit the stereotype!"