After work is done, and you don’t have any more chores to do, how do you spend your time? What makes up a “good day” for you?
I retired last year, but it was a horrible year (30-year marriage fell apart, had to sell our house and find a condo, stressful move, etc.), so even though it’s been more than a year, I’ve only recently gotten to the “do what I want” phase. It’s probably somewhat colored by the recent stresses, but I find I really just like staying home and laying low. I read a stupid amount of SF and fantasy, play my guitar, play a bunch of classic wow with online friends, and occasionally go to lunch with real life friends. Maybe I’ll get to the point of wanting to go out and do stuff, but for now I’m happy with the quiet life.
Check out the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson. It’s a horse girl story but the horse is a several ton fighter spaceship.
I have one of his series on my list - probably Mistborn - but haven’t read it. I mostly read SF, but a decent amount of fantasy too.
FYI I’ve been keeping notes on the things I read - here’s my 2025 post with links to the earlier ones.
The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin is a great classic sci-fi novel, if you’re looking for more :)
I’ve read it a couple times, including a year or two ago - it’s held up really, really well.
Time to start a band??
Heh, no, I really never play for anyone. I didn’t start learning until I was 30, so even though that’s more than 30 years ago, I’m not great. But I like playing and singing along. I play for the cat. She doesn’t enjoy it.
Sounds nice to me!
What are your SF recs?
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I keep notes on what I read and have been making an annual post here on Lemmy for a few years running. Here’s my 2025 post with links to the earlier ones. There are so many books across those posts that your eyes might glaze over (the earlier posts are a little lighter on notes, the later ones a little heavier), but I generally try to say whether I like a book or not, and why.
That being said, my favorite author currently writing is Adrian Tchaikovsky, and almost everything he writes is great (and he’s really prolific). I’m currently reading Cage of Souls by him, which I’m enjoying.
If you can tell me the kinds of things you like, I could maybe make more specific recommendations.
I’m involved with my union, so I make union propaganda in my spare time. I also recently started a programming project, it’s an ereader app for The Anarchist Library.
Video games. I’m tired all the time from work and that’s all the energy and money I have for.
I think a majority of the global population is in the same boat. Honestly I think it’s a damn shame, like, wasted potential. Human beans are like the most wonderfully complex and hyper-multi purpose machines that exist in the known universe and the tasks some/most of them complete everyday are far too menial to remain fulfilling in the long term.
As someone who self identifies as a human bean, I feel seen
Chill on my patio, play video games, run around on my jet skis, watch the osprey in their nest, watch the Bay shipping and fishing boats.
Currently collecting ebooks and reading, philosophy and some fantasy fiction, Joe Abercrombie.
Books are dense for their entertainment value. 20gb is like 88k ebooks.
Fuck around with my computers and play video games. I also like to watch movies and read books. Also music, I’m a big audiophile.
Why is it so damn entertaining to fuck around with the computers? (Synology NAS with Docker in my case).
Does it help that I actually don’t work in a “hobbyist self-hosted” field?
Doing that and watching Anime/TV Shows/Movies takes a lot of time that I can’t really do other stuff that I used to love to do… Like gaming.
being in the general vicinity of my girlfriend is big on my list, otherwise time with family, listening to music and soon learning drums :)
I’ve been drumming for over twenty years and can confirm that drums are so much fun it’s unbelievable. Great choice, I hope you enjoy them! :)
yay! I’m probably gonna love it, and my dad knows drums if I ever need lessons. i like hitting things too so win win lol
Very little.
I like that I have very few social or family obligations, and most days, I wake up and I can follow my whims. Usually that means books and wine, but I like the thought that I’m married to my freedom.
gooning
Well sure, but what about the other 23 hours and 57 minutes?
wut mean
shrek is love
shrek is lifeThose are rookie numbers!
Hi, what is “Don’t have any more chores?!”
there for a bit I really enjoyed working with chemistry in my basement. Got busy with other things and haven’t gone back.
I have plans on expanding my workshop to have a small chemistry lab where I can experiment with anything from precipitation of exotic chemicals to developing my own custom 3D printing resin.
for some dumb reason I really enjoyed the math it took to increase, or decrease volume. I also liked the methodical result taking of each experiment.
Make music. I record and produce my own music in my home studio. I sometimes don’t realize I’ve been in there for hours until I need to pee.
That’s mine, too. Over the last year, I’ve been buying all kinds of super cheap used gear through auctions, Facebook marketplace, pawn shops, etc., and have built a really nice little home studio.
Go to sleep so I can do it all again tomorrow.
My whole consists of working for 10 to 12 hours then walking in circles with a screaming baby until it’s bed time for him then the wife takes him back and I sleep
A lot of my time is taken up by my kids. But on a usual day after work:
Listen to podcasts on the way back from work.
Get home and sit around the kids while they run amok and I scroll through my messages and RSS feeds.
Sort out the kid’s and my own dinner and then get them ready for bed. Putting them to sleep takes over an hour. I play games on the Steam Deck in the dark at this time and have an attachment to hold my phone above the Steam Deck screen so I can watch TV shows and movies on this dual screen gaming setup.
After bed time there’s usually enough time for a workout in the garage and one other activity (usually a project I have going, something I’m learning or life admin).
The weekends are this same stuff padded out with trips out to keep the kids entertained.
I can’t imagine a life in which I’m stuck trying to figure out what to do with my time. Even if I’m off work and the kids are looked after, there are still and endless number of things I want to read, write, hear, watch, learn, practice and make.
Damn that actually sounds exhausting with kids around. I know you cherish them but I can’t even get myself to do my things let alone care for two other mini human beings.
Spending time with people I care about or chess
