Eric Lechner's Hobbies...

(Last modified 4 September 1996)

I might actually be good at or enjoy more of my hobbies if I had the discipline to make time for them. Some of my historical hobbies have included:

I am a wanna-be adventure traveller. I think I have more hobbies than I actually do.


Bicycling

I like my bicycle. In 1995, I took a long bike adventure down the western coast of Oregon and California. I commuted almost exclusively by bike this spring, after my car was killed. I like commuting by bike, and I feel lazy when I don't. If you want to get pumped up about bike commuting, read CJ Silverio's web page on bicycle commuting.

Juggling

I taught myself to juggle during high school. I learned to do three balls, and can do them pretty solidly. I can't do four balls quite as well, but I am practicing four a bunch now, so I'll have it down soon. I am starting to learn to juggle five, but that's still scary. I can also juggle clubs and rings, but only three at a time. I am no good at tricks, but can do the mills mess, which is a really simple thing to do, but really difficult to explain.

Find out more here.

Oh, and I'm also learning to pilot a devil stick.

Unicycling

I started to really learn to unicycle in November 1994. I went do a juggling festival in Lodi, CA, and got some basic pointers from somebody there. Since then, I've been working on my own. Except for occasionally feeling like I am twisting my knee from falling off wrong, I am making good progress.

I have made it all the way down my driveway on my unicycle, and all the way back up. I am starting to feel pretty comfortable riding, and have even started to steer. I also learned to get up on the unicycle without holding on to anything else (like a person, post, etc.), which was a lot easier than I expected.

After I get going really well, I'll write up my theory about how to make a unicycle go... The key, it seems, is that you don't use the pedals to drive. You lean to make the unicycle move, and you pedal to keep it underneath you.

Kayaking

I am a beginning sea kayaker, and a wanna-be whitewater kayaker. (I'd probably be a real whitewater kayaker, but there is no whitewater nearby.) I don't have my own boat yet, but I am thinking about building one, probably using the "stich and glue" method. I am trying to learn to eskimo roll, but real life seems to have gotten in the way. Next summer, for sure.

Amateur Radio (KD6HZV)

I have a Technician class amateur radio license. I haven't been using it much lately, but when I did, I spent my time on the 70cm and 2m repeater bands. I keep thinking about learning Morse Code (and even have a nice keyer to prove it), but I never force myself to practice.

I am getting closer and closer to having rigging up my handheld radio for use on my bicycle.


|| Eric's Home Page ||

Copyright 1995-1996, Eric Lechner, eric at re dot org