So, you're on call...

[CL-Skadoo!]

To my corporate, medevac and all other colleagues who live at the mercy of the cellphone:

What are you guys and girls doing to pass the time constructively? Some days it feels like house arrest and I feel it may be time to find some new activities to fill my day, especially during these winter days. I block about 45 minutes for some daily exercise, an hour or two for housework and the rest, well, whatever. It is disheartening to look back at a week of being on-call without having been called in and regarding it a complete waste of life.

I blame myself, not the job, I'm not looking to bitch about that aspect, I am just curious as how some of you fill up the days on house arrest.

[brownbear]

take a correspondence course to study for better career, or a back up one. Courses suck up lots of time.

[KK7]

take a correspondence course to study for better career, or a back up one. Courses suck up lots of time.

+1

[Heliian]

You would be surprised at how time flies when you're playing video games. Wii and Xbox 360 are pretty cool, great winter activities and it improves your hand-eye coordination. A girlfriend is a great way to waste time and money on too.

Searching online for better jobs also helps pass the time.

[200hr Wonder]

In all honesty get some time consuming hobbies, or several

I like to tinker with computers so I always have one that is in "project mode", built a PVR not long ago from scratch for the heck of it.
I have a model kit that I plan to build one day just never seem to get to the top of the priority list.
Take a course, read a book, learn a language.
If you have a tight knit crew that you work with trading off and making tasty meals is a fun way to pass the time, so long as there is one person left behind to pull dinner out when it is done in the highly likely event some or all of you need to go flying.
Build some model airplanes.
Organize, sort, and build albums of all your photos.
It goes on and on and on all a matter of getting motivated.

[CL-Skadoo!]

Beauty posts guys, definitely all winners. On the video game note, I've never been a fan of video games, but my family got me this remake for Wii of an old video game that I used to play when I was a kid, now of course you can play it online against people and it can eat up hours of time in my day. That is why I highlighted the "constructive" part of my original post , I can't be that guy in his 30's who sits and plays video games all day.

And don't tell me to make a baby with my wife, either. That'll eat up the next 25 years.

[ditar]

My last project was to digitize 15 years worth of the family's VHS home movies, edit them, organize them, and then create DVDs. That took a couple of months. I've now moved onto digitizing 25 years worth of 35mm slides. I estimate that's going to take a few more months.

[Scuba_Steve]

I walk my dog, read, yoga, coffee with friends and play an unholy amount of battlefield bad company on my PS3 (with my 60 in plasma it gives me PTSD

[OceansEdge]

woodworking, knitting (yes, I know several guys who enjoy the meticulous skill required), baking, a language, t'ai chi, sewing, music, reading, an online university course, fencing .. the possibilities are endless

But yeah, get a hobby whatever interests you, my husband bought himself a laser engraver, and a 3D CNC router/carver to fill his hours of retirement

[CL-Skadoo!]

, fencing

If you can fence at your $house$, you probably aren't working a job where you're "on-call", unless that is, you're building a fence.

Apparently, there's lots to do. I think we can now establish that I am just plain lazy! I'll work on that.

[OceansEdge]

, fencing

If you can fence at your $house$, you probably aren't working a job where you're "on-call", unless that is, you're building a fence.

Apparently, there's lots to do. I think we can now establish that I am just plain lazy! I'll work on that.

Unfinished basement with a couple of $15 walmart dressing mirrors - it works for practice

[Beefitarian]

Forget all about that macho sh!7 and learn how to play guitar!

[fish4life]

I'm a fan of the taking a degree or anything like that by distance ed, works well at helping the time go by and its constructive. also going to the gym twice a day, once to do cardio and another time for strength building.

[185_guy]

I've set up a table at work to build model airplanes (R/C).
While at home on call, housework and walking the dog take up good amounts of time, then there's the huge pile of firewood that needs chopping. Get exercise and cheap heat all in one. Having next years firewood all done is like having $$ in the bank! Now to build a wood splitter......

[crooked timber]

i fly corporate and had a similar epiphany after logging 50+hrs of fallout 3 in one week. the benefit of rotting your retinas in front of video games is that it has a high time-$$$ quotient so you're not blowing all your money to do something for the sake of doing something. i figured i'd better get off my ass and use some of my free time to do some selfish things before i really ruin my life by knocking out some kids so i went to culinary school in my time off to learn how to swear in french while burning and cutting myself. finished that, applied to a part time grad school program but they didn't like the looks of my aviation and chef trg diplomas so i'm about 2/3 through a distance ed undergrad right now. aside from that i kept busy with a bunch of volunteer work but had to hand the reigns over because i had my hands pretty full between work, 4 courses/semester and a part time teaching job at a college. i think the easiest and most constructive thing you can do on your down time (and on layovers) is learn a new language.

, fencing

If you can fence at your $house$, you probably aren't working a job where you're "on-call", unless that is, you're building a fence.

Apparently, there's lots to do. I think we can now establish that I am just plain lazy! I'll work on that.

Unfinished basement with a couple of $15 walmart dressing mirrors - it works for practice

i used to fence at a club until the membership fees became atrocious (gear wasn't cheap either).

[photofly]

World of Warcraft.

And you don't need a pilot's licence to fly in Azeroth.

[Scuba_Steve]

World of Warcraft.

And you don't need a pilot's licence to fly in Azeroth.

Yikes that's a time burner....got me through 2 kenora winters

[oldncold]

Know a former medevac capt that used his time hang'n out at the fbo's waitn for medic to return,to do his homework and completed his masters degree he is now at air canada. which to all those that do not know a/c prescreens it applicants regardless of exp by having a b.a . life is GOOD for him/

[Hawkerflyer]

Have kids

[Old fella]

Have kids

Thinking about it should put lead in your pencil - then you will need somebody to write to!!!!

[x-wind]

"Three grand essentials in life:

Something to do.
Something to hope for.
Something to love."

Old vehicle restoration. Philosophy/science books with the dictionary in my lap. Shinny hockey, jogging, bike riding, snow shoeing and avoiding the dentist.

Cheers dude and good luck to you.

[Meatservo]

I've been learning celestial navigation (not very well I must admit) going to the gym, and building a very complicated model. I actually have no time left for work. I hate it when they call.

[U/S]

You beat me to it Hawkerflyer! Ain't that the truth.

[fish4life]

Anyone try the Rosetta Stone software to try learn new languages? or is it just another typical infomercial?

[sky Rookie]

get some beauty sleep. Just do whateever you would normally do except travel and drink. and if travel and drink is all you do then stick with sleep