Your Best Hobbies (other than Audio)

Though not nearly as accomplished as Eldragon, I also took up painting (about 5 years ago). Don't do much more than a couple of canvases per year, and basically give my paintings away to friends or strangers who express an aprreciation (usually hang them in my office, and several have gone to suppliers ot business acquaintances who bug me enough). I am also a semi-serious oenophile, collecting (and drinking!) mostly French and Italian wines (california wine is too expensive these days!). Cooking is my wekeend hobby (mostly Itlaina and French cuisine), and reading is my passion since I was a little boy. As for convertibles, I've owned two Alfa Romeos in the past 6 years, and now get lots of enjoyment out of my BMW M Roadster..got to have a ragtop!

If that is the name of it, than i am an ONEOPHILE (drinking not collecting)and far better at it than a painter! I also had old, beat-up(looked like me) '72 ALFA Spider! It was fun, except it had trouble starting on a rainy day!

These are listed in no particular order and reflect varying degrees of expertise/incompetence. Photography - allows much obsessive gear behavior, but also gives the joy of the once in a while shot that makes you happy- guitar - once the system started getting good had to start noodling with an old Martin to keep from listening to 3Am, Yoga - addict for about a year, Women- much research, nothing really learned. ...and before my move into NYC, cars- a 72 240Z, but that's ancient history. Now's it mostly the # 6 downtown, I'm very jealous of those of you can really enjoy your bikes/cars and the open roads out wherever they are.

My wife got me into Ballroom and Latin dancing when we got married 14 yrs ago and I've competed as an amateur for a few years. I now compete with my wife in what's called the Pro/Am category. I find competetive dancing to be more technically demanding than the various martial arts I've done for the past 30 years, including American and Thai style kickboxing, Issinryu karate, and ground fightning and combat grappling (which I recently realised is to punishing for my 49 yr old body). But, of course, the dancing is not as physically punishing as properly practiced martial arts. I have to give kudos to my teacher, Shihan George Gaffke. But at the end of each day I spend 30-60 all alone in front of my bi-amped OTL/SET system and heal myself in the best way I can think of.

Snowmobiling in the winter and drag racing my oo lightning past unsuspecting corvette owners at the strip in the summer.Best 1/4 mile 12.926 107.74 mph top speed 155 mph not bad for a pickup truck.