May 10, 2024

What Did I Like at 13? – Retiree Edition

Man taking photo on sea coast
Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash

I have read that if you want to decide what to do with yourself look at what you enjoyed when you were 13.  This can give you hints as to your career, hobbies, or simply ideas you want to pursue.  This is especially important after we retire and have more time on our hands.  We need to decide what we want to do with our life now, and looking back at what we liked at 13 may help.

So, What did I care about when I was 13?

Astronomy

I was into telescopes and even built a couple primitive scopes.  My highlight was when I bought a simple refractor from a camera shop that just wanted to get rid of it because it had been sitting in the shop too long!

Science

I liked anything related to science.  The space race was in full swing.  I had my own chemistry lab, including a fancy lab table that my father made me for Christmas.  I was determined to become a scientist when I grew up.  The closest I ever got was programming computers eventually in my career.  (See Computers below.)

Anything Military

Like a lot of kids I was into battleships, fighters and tanks.  And of course I watched every World War 2 movie that came on TV.  (This was the mid sixties and choices were limited.)

Math

In this way I was a little weird I guess.  I actually liked math!

Guns and Hunting

I spent a lot of my growing up years in Pennsylvania, where everyone hunts and owns at least one shotgun and deer rifle.

Model Making

Plastic models were big and I made dozens of them.

Board Games

Computer games weren’t around yet, so everything was board games.  Chess was always popular and there were dozens of different wargames.

Science Fiction Movies

I watched every sci-fi movie that came on TV.  I remember reviewing the TV Guide that came with the Sunday paper and looking for when any science fiction movie was to be broadcast.

Computers

My interest in computers was just beginning.  Of course computers were giant mainframes back then.  No one owned one so you just had to read about them in magazines.

Real Life, and Life Now

So, how did I take those interests and use them in my life?  How might I use them today?  We’ll start with the one where I followed my interests the most and go from there.

Computers

In my career I spent many years in banking, so my use of computers at work was initially quite limited.  But on the personal side I was into computers as soon as my finances would allow.

First was a Timex computer.  It sold for 99.99, and I sprung for he $99.99 memory upgrade to 16K (that’s 16K, not 16 Meg, or 16Gig!)  Next was a Commodore 64, then an Amiga, and finally IBM PC clones.

I eventually started building my own computers, and that developed into a side hustle building, upgrading and repairing PCs.  Later I even wrote a couple related books about starting your own computer business.  One is available on Amazon here.  Somewhere along the line I taught myself to program.

On the career side I went from working in banks to building banking software for a small software firm.  That firm was swallowed up by a big software company and by the time I retired I managed about 60 programmers.

Now that I am retired I still enjoy programming, building websites, and occasionally building my own computers.  So my interest in computers at 13 is still there decades later!

Astronomy

I still have an interest in Astronomy as a hobby.  I read magazines and books.  My cheap homemade telescopes have been replaced with better commercial ones.  The Internet, which didn’t exist when I was 13, is now a source of limitless information and ideas.

This is one area where I can expand my involvement.  Maybe I can start keeping a journal, or increase my observing time.

Science

I still enjoy reading about science and keeping up with what is new.  I subscribe to  Scientific American, and follow science and space news on the Internet.

I’ve often considered building a home lab in the basement.  Not sure exactly what I would do with it, but I’ll have to do a little research there.  Retirement means I have more time to consider such possibilities (in theory.)

Military Stuff

Computer games have allowed grown ups to play with army men.  I don’t play as much as I used to but I still do play occasionally.  My favorite is a Medieval  warfare game called Stronghold Crusader.  Some of my game playing time has been replaced by more creative pursuits (like writing.)  But this is my choice.

I guess someone really into it could collect antique toy soldiers, or get into painting molded soldiers or 3D printed varieties.

I still enjoy watching both old and new World War Two movies.  Of course I have my copies of Patton, Battle of the Bulge, and both Midway movies.

Hunting and Guns

I don’t hunt anymore.  I guess I just feel sorry for the animals.  I do think hunters should eat anything they kill and not waste it.  Deer hunting is still popular in Pennsylvania, and most responsible hunters enjoy their venison.

Target shooting is still fun.  I have a good place to shoot and I enjoy doing it with my grown son.

Old Science Fiction Movies

I still enjoy the same old science fiction movies that I watched at 13.  I have quite a collection of DVDs and more purchased on Amazon Prime.  

My family knows of my tradition of Sci Fi Saturday.   This started as a kid when I would watch a Saturday afternoon TV movie that usually included at least one Sci Fi film.  I still like to watch an old classic on Saturday afternoons whenever I have time.

Board Games

This is one I enjoyed up until a few years ago when I lost access to my fellow players.  We enjoyed many late nights of Risk or Axis and Allies.

I guess I could reach out and try and find some new players, but I haven’t done so yet.

Computer games are kind of similar but they just aren’t the same.

Math

I still enjoy thinking about math, even if I’m not as sharp as I was when I was younger.  Except for maybe some investment and financial stuff I’m not sure where this interest will go.

Model Making

This is another interest that kind of fell to the wayside.  Of course I could give it a try again if I really wanted to.  The Japanese make some very high quality kits.  We’ll see…

So looking back at what you liked at 13 is certainly useful for generating ideas for hobbies, and considering what interests to pursue in our retirement years. 

What were your interests at 13?

Filed Under: Hobbies, Learning, Personal Development, Things To Do Leave a Comment
March 7, 2023

Old Sc Fi Movies – Part Three

Picture of rock crystal
Image by ha11ok from Pixabay

Here we have one more episode of my series on old sci fi movies.  Can you tell it’s one of my passions!  I promise after this post I’ll take a break and move on to a fresh topic.

When Worlds Collide

The year 1951 was a great year for science fiction movies, and When Worlds Collide is one of them.

The story begins with a playboy pilot being asked to fly some disturbing astronomical photographs from South Africa to the United States for analysis.  There it is confirmed that earth has only eight months until another planet crashes into it and ends all life on earth.

In the usual way the scientists are not believed but they manage to privately fund a rocket to try and save some of humanity.  One of the financiers is an unethical rich man who agrees to fund the project, with conditions.  Without giving anything away suffice it to say he gets his!

There are a couple personal crises as a limited number of people are chosen to go on the flight.  The climax has the humans just getting away in time and arriving at their new home.

The special effects hold up OK because the story is good.  If you haven’t seen this one in a while give it a try!

The Deadly Mantis

This one is not rated as well as some old sci fi movies but it is still one of my favorites.  It was released in 1957.  There must have been heightened interest in the Arctic and Antarctica in the 50s as I’ve noticed several old classics start there.

Anyway, the story is about a giant praying mantis that is released from the ice and proceeds to wreak havoc on the earth.  I must have a thing for giant creatures, but I am not alone!

I read that a giant paper mache praying mantis was built for the movie.  It was over 200 feet long and powered by hydraulics.  This, along with some smaller models and real praying mantis shots were used for the special effects.

This one is a little harder to find, but make the effort and give it a try.  I think I found it as part of a multi movie DVD on Amazon.

The Monolith Monsters

The Monolith Monsters is another lesser known film from 1957.  It takes place in the desert like a lot of movies from that era.  It seems like many of these old sci fi movies liked either the desert or ice in the Arctic or Antarctic.

The story revolves around a meteorite that crashed in the desert and begins to grow as soon as it is exposed to water.  The story continues with children on a class field trip finding black fragments of the meteorite, with one of the fragments being exposed to a barrel of water and destroying a farm and its occupants.

A rainstorm means the town is threatened by the giant crystals that grow from the fragments.  Science eventually prevails as it is discovered that salt water stops the monoliths.

I won’t give more away, so if you haven’t seen this one give it a try!

Filed Under: General, Hobbies, Things To Do Leave a Comment
December 1, 2022

Old Sci Fi Movies Part Two

Alien face
Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash

Today I’ll continue to talk about one of my personal passions – Old Sci Fi Movies.  I started this series here.  And yes, I already know what a nerd I am!

Let’s get started:

The Thing From Another World

OK, put this one on late at night in a darkened room!  It may be over 70 years old but it’s still scary!  And it is one of my favorites.

The movie is from 1951 and in black and white.  It begins with a call from an arctic research station for help investigating a downed aircraft.  The Air Force responds and discovers a flying saucer buried under the ice.  They then proceed to try and uncover it using some kind of thermite and manage to blow up the craft.

They then find a huge alien humanoid frozen in the ice and bring it back to the base contained in a huge block of ice.  A guard manages to unfreeze the alien by accidentally leaving an electric blanket on the ice block.  What follows are some scary scenes after the alien escapes and the discovery that the alien is actually plant based.

The climax is the alien attacking the isolated base and our heroes killing the alien.  I’ll let you watch this scary one and see how they do it!

An interesting fact is that when the film was released it actually made more money than “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and “When Worlds Collide,” two of my other favorites.  The year was a good one for science fiction fans!

The Beast from 20 Thousand Fathoms

This one came out a couple years later in 1953.  It is probably the first popular monster movie based on results of nuclear bomb testing.

The basic plot is of a prehistoric dinosaur released as a result of an atomic test in the arctic.  The monster is spotted by a witness, but nobody believes him.  He sticks to his belief and eventually becomes a hero of the story.

The monster makes its way down the east coast.  Along the way he destroys some fishing boats, demolishes a lighthouse and gobbles up a famous old scientist.  Eventually it ends up in New York where it causes general mayhem and destruction.   An interesting side effect is it releases a deadly bacteria or virus that had long been dormant before being released from the ice.

The climax happens in an amusement park where our hero saves the day.  Special effects were by Ray Harryhausen, who was the genius behind many films.  They hold up fairly well.

Them

Them is another sci fi monster film, this time with giant ants!  It was released in 1954.  Again the giant ants were a result of atomic testing, this time in the New Mexico desert.

I love the initial setting for this movie.  It takes place in a remote desert area and some parts are made spookier by a howling wind storm.

The queen ants can fly and they eventually make their way to Los Angeles, where they take up residence in the city’s river drainage system.  The climax involves a hero rescuing two young boys trapped by the ants, and the ants being destroyed by the army.

Like many movies from the fifties I enjoy the scenes of life from the time.  This includes things like old cars and clean city infrastructure.  It represents a simpler time, if only in movies!

I hope you enjoy this series.  There is much more to come. 

Filed Under: Hobbies, Things To Do Leave a Comment