Favourite distractions

[foxgrove]

Recent banter with Robby got me thinking... what do other folks do to keep themselves distracted from the pain?

I know for myself, I end up sleeping a lot... exhaustion is very real and present about 99% of the time... the other 1% I'm asleep so I don't notice it.    Aside from that and back to the point at hand, I do a number of things. 

I have a cheap little tablet that allows me to read books and I can set it on my knees and just touch to flip pages... no more "dang it, book fell again... now what was my page number???"  Currently, I'm re-re-re-reading some old Anne McCaffrey books just for the novelty of it and finding that I don't remember the stories quite as well as I thought I did.  Some nice surprises in there. 

I also do a fair amount of putzing... web browsing for nothing in particular, Pinterest (man can you lose yourself in there!!), a small amount of Facebook (WAY too busy in there for my nerves and WAY too easy to get depressed), YouTube (just 'cause funny cat videos are always cute and stuff don't just crash itself in front of my window on a regular enough basis!!) 

I also watch some videos... often TV shows of today or ages before.  Got hold of the Season 1 and 2 of Fawlty Towers and am howling my way through them.  Have to see what I can scratch up after that.  Jo (my sweet wife) and I often spend an hour or so in the evening winding down to one of a number of TV shows we have recorded.  Right now we're watching Monk and Numb3rs back to back.  Very enjoyable!!!  I love Tony Shalhoub... he just cracks me up. 

With all the computers in our extended family, I'm bound to have at least one of them "on my workbench", aka sitting in the corner of my bedroom, waiting for a clear headed spot to coincide with low enough pain to do something constructive with it.  Everything from dead components to Windows issues to "help me, it died"... lots of interesting brain teasers in there to keep me occupied, though that one generally leaves me drained in a huge way.  Not exactly the most helpful of distractions but it does carry with it a sense of accomplishment... of being useful.  Always a good thing... well, almost always... but that's another story! 

In any case, let me throw it out there... what do you do to distract yourself and make your days a little easier to cope with?

[Robby]

Recent banter with Robby got me thinking... what do other folks do to keep themselves distracted from the pain?

I swear I don't remember this so I can't be held accountable for what I might or might not have said

I know for myself, I end up sleeping a lot... exhaustion is very real and present about 99% of the time... the other 1% I'm asleep so I don't notice it.

Me too

I also do a fair amount of putzing... web browsing for nothing in particular, Pinterest (man can you lose yourself in there!!), a small amount of Facebook (WAY too busy in there for my nerves and WAY too easy to get depressed), YouTube (just 'cause funny cat videos are always cute and stuff don't just crash itself in front of my window on a regular enough basis!!) 

I use a browser add on called "stumbleupon" it's great for finding random sites that your interested in

Got hold of the Season 1 and 2 of Fawlty Towers and am howling my way through them. 

I LOVE Fawlty Towers, or anything with John Cleese

With all the computers in our extended family, ... but that's another story! 

I've given up on pc repairs, I screw up too much 

[Barberian]

I don't read books much anymore. Haven't in the last 15 years or more. As a young teen I used LOVE reading. A few of my fav authors were Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, can't remember the author but the series was of a planet that held the souls of everyone that ever lived. They were resurrected next to a river that wondered all over the entire planet with impassable Mtn or cliffs separating the valleys. No usable metals, so no industry, etc. Another series was a planet that was divided into hexagonal "cells". Each cell had it's own biology and conditions. Most adjacent cells were poisonous  or hostile to the ones next to them so you couldn't just wonder around the planet.

I miss reading...

I occupy my time now with the computer. FB, here, and World of Warships currently. and check some news sites so I'm not totally out of the loop.

[denny]

I think,no,I know I read that last one.
I also miss reading,and mccaffery is one I read too.

I am very creative. I get out of my head that way-painting in my head,or landscaping in my head,drawing,sculpting,if I cant do it with my body I do it in my head.
I'm nowhere near my body/pain when I do this.

[foxgrove]

...can't remember the author but the series was of a planet that held the souls of everyone that ever lived. They were resurrected next to a river that wondered all over the entire planet with impassable Mtn or cliffs separating the valleys. No usable metals, so no industry, etc.

That one instantly rung bells with me.  I had to go searching through my stacks but I think you're referring to Riverworld by Philip José Farmer.  As soon as I read your description I remembered reading "To Your Scattered Bodies Go"... the cover of it is so distinctive and describes exactly what you wrote to a tee.  Excellent description!!  Is that the one you were thinking of?

Another series was a planet that was divided into hexagonal "cells". Each cell had it's own biology and conditions. Most adjacent cells were poisonous  or hostile to the ones next to them so you couldn't just wonder around the planet.

This one had me stumbling for a minute, then I remembered the cover of the Well World series, it had a series of hexagonal pictures on the cover.  I think the series had something to do with an ancient planet run by computers that had a whole bunch of hexagonal biospheres for the inhabitants... which was great as long as nobody went searching for more... the atmospheres from the next biosphere might not be breathable.  Sounds about right...

Had to look up the author, thought it might be Heinlein but it turns out to be Jack Chalker.  Sad about him... I think he was the one who was hurt in a hurricane and ended up in a coma until he died or something like that.  Crazy!!

I would be willing to look for those on audio book if you're interested...

[foxgrove]

I'm nowhere near my body/pain when I do this.

That's the most awesome way to put it, brother!

[Barberian]

t I think you're referring to Riverworld by Philip José Farmer.

Pretty sure that is it.

Another series was a planet that was divided into hexagonal "cells". Each cell had it's own biology and conditions. Most adjacent cells were poisonous  or hostile to the ones next to them so you couldn't just wonder around the planet.

This one had me stumbling for a minute, then I remembered the cover of the Well World series, it had a series of hexagonal pictures on the cover.  I think the series had something to do with an ancient planet run by computers that had a whole bunch of hexagonal biospheres for the inhabitants... which was great as long as nobody went searching for more... the atmospheres from the next biosphere might not be breathable.  Sounds about right...

Had to look up the author, thought it might be Heinlein but it turns out to be Jack Chalker.  Sad about him... I think he was the one who was hurt in a hurricane and ended up in a coma until he died or something like that.  Crazy!!

I would be willing to look for those on audio book if you're interested...

Yes, that was the author. Well World Series. I was around 14 when I read that series. I think I read the whole series. I don't remember it well [no pun intended]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_L._Chalker

[ronr]

I also miss reading

I miss it too.  Reading on the computer is OK for a short time, but any detail that needs editing has to be printerd out.  Reading on the tablet or on paper will soon make my eyes go fuzzy to where things blur and zzzzzzzzzzz. 

This growing "more mature" not older sucks.

[foxgrove]

Cool... I loved the Riverworld series... I have good memories of that one and often go back and re-read it.  I'll have to take a dig into the Well world series again... it's been ages! 

One other series that often rings through my head is the Moreau series by S. Andrew Swann (a nom de plume if ever I heard one).  It's pretty cool... post some sort of apocalypse in Cleveland of all places.  Moreaus are a genetic hybridization of animals and humans created to become the world's new soldiers.  The story spins around a second generation moreau bengal tiger who lives in sleaze and works as a detective.  Kinda weird at times but pretty good sci-fi.  Darned if I can find it in ebook format though.  I guess it didn't have a big enough following to do the republish.  Oh well... there's always the old paperbacks stuffed in my closet. 

[denny]

As a mature man...I don't get it.
I still feel like a kid...except for the pain.
A kid in wonders of creation.
Always something new to learn.

One thing I learned is kids will never listen to adults,ever.

Wow,that sounded old!

[denny]

Thanks for the scifi info.
I may look for audio books too.