We now have something besides bicycles and blueberries in common. Can you wiggle them independently of each other? My one hidden talent now is public.

Bill

India Pale Ales are my favorite. I am a hop head no doubt. I do not much care for Stouts and other darker beers, with an Amber ale getting as dark as I prefer.

An interesting question. In addition to being a good minimalist backpacker, and a good enough veggie gardener to have my own produce through the summer, it occurred to me that I am great at practicing silence. Don't know if that counts as a skill, but for some reason it seems important to me.

IMHO silence and solitude are two very undervalued things in contemporary society

I initially gave a smart a$$ answer but I've since seen this is a serious topic. Stepfam. a fine post as it is very interesting to see what people are interested in. There are many musicians here and this is as it should be. Jimmuller, SouthernRail is a fine bluegrass band, almost my favorite music and the band clearly enjoys what they do. I cannot run in 5" heels but I'm working on it.

At one time I was an aspiring farmer but then I was an apprentice diamond cutter in Manhattan. I played a trumpet in those days and though I was not quite good enough to be a professional, I was close. These days I hack away at classic guitar and my enjoyment is in no way diminished by lack of skill. Most of my working life has been spent as a wood worker and yacht builder. For a while, in my younger years, I spent time as a boat bum sailing some of the worlds seas. There are sights to be seen mid ocean, 1000 miles from anywhere, that for me are impossible to describe but this was an important part of my life.

These days skiing and cycling are my principal interests. I'm too old for epic adventures but I believe I'll be able to do a few bike tours lasting 3-4 days in New Hampshire or Vermont this summer. My bike is ready to go and I have the necessary gear from camping. I'm just putting in base miles now so as to be able to do multiple days of 50 miles or so.

First, thank you for the kind words. (Yeah, we do have fun! )

Second, I'm not sure how old one has to be to rule out epic adventures, for epic is in the mind of the adventurer, I would think. I'm 63, have done only a little touring and that was years ago. But my sweetie and I are hoping to do a bit on our tandem this summer. We've been riding it only since October, have already done 600 miles. It's a 1982 Peugeot, not some spiffy carbon, high-tech, zillion-gear space vehicle. We'll start slow here in Massachusetts, then consider how it went. If you're interested in a joint venture later in the summer, not too aggressive just yet, drop me a PM!

There are indeed a bunch of impressive resumes here. I figure anyone riding a bike must have something interesting tucked away in their bag of mental tricks. Check out the similar 50+ thread "What career?"

At one point in time, I was the local stud on Pac Man and Donkey Kong. Unfortunately, that's a lot of wasted time I'll never get back.

Now I can juggle, both traditional and contact. It's actually kinda good exercise.

I know what you mean. I used to be able to hurdle a bar at 5' and land on my feet. Now, it's hard to remember the last time both of my feet left the ground unassisted.

Edit: With so many musicians, I should add mine : Watched Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, and told my parents that I wanted to play guitar. We went to the music center, and the guy told them that I should play an instrument that I could play at school. I said, "OK, I want to play a sax." Guy at the music center said that a sax would be too big for me (7 yrs. old), and that I should start with a clarinet. I've been bummed about that damn clarinet for the last 54 years.

Oh, I ended up being the youngest kid in the all-city orchestra, played with the high school band when I was in grade school, made the all-state band in Columbus, NE Ohio all-star band, etc. Played most of the various clarinets and saxophones by the time I graduated from high school. After HS, rarely touched an instrument again. But if my parents had just got me that guitar...

Well, the avatar is from a photograph of me that my son 'Roy Lichtenstein-ed." Let's just say, my son loves me, so he was very kind.

As it happens, my dog has the three character traits required to learn this trick: He is a gentleman, a scholar, and a gourmand.
I had the three things necessary to teach him: five minutes, a box of tissues, and a handful of treats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_iJ1eO2xDU

Independently?!? I'll have to leave that to a Marine! (but I will practice)

Play upright bass in various jazz ensambles...sing, play guitar, ukulele. Manage about 70 paid gigs a year on weekends after my nine to five job. Run, bike and love every minute.

Thanks for the words, NOS88. I am currently on a trip to the East Coast, obligated to visit Philly, Boston, and New York City, and the only peace and quiet I can find I had to bring with me. *Amazes* me the cyclists who ride through these cities, many not even wearing helmets. Saw a guy yesterday who was zipping around Times Square on a Colnago. Also saw a lot of bikes in Concord, MA, on a half-day trip I took there from Boston.