Have 3 or 4 days time and want a new skill

[Arrendajo]

@Trom

Do you drink?

Home brewing.

If you live in a larger city, there should be a home brewing supply store where you can get supplies. You won’t be able to finish the whole process, as it takes at least a few weeks for a beer to ferment, but you could easily get 5-10 gallons of beer fermenting in a couple days. After fermentation is finished in a few weeks, you’ll need to bottle your beer. A week or so after bottling the beer will be ready to drink. I suggest The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian as an introductory book. You will need to buy some equipment, but the cost is well under your $800 limit (think $100-$150 range). After fixed costs, you’ll be able to brew beer for ~$0.80/bottle or less.

Great idea. I just bottled some Kolsch last night. I haven’t bought store beer for several years, except when I need a control to compare to a clone. >hic<

[Lightnin]

Stand in front of a mirror and teach yourself to raise one eyebrow. I did this, back in high school, and found it opened up completely new avenues of nonverbal communication.

[Parenchyma]

When I was a kid, it took me 2 or 3 days to teach myself how to whistle wicked loud. I tromped around the neighborhood as I placed thumb and forefinger tip to tip and then pushed them against the bottom of my tongue, blowing against them until I got a little sound, and worked on it until I could produce a real earsplitting blast.

As an adult it has been a useful skill on the playing fields and in the classroom, and I am occasionally requested to put it to use (judiciously) in a noisy group situation to call for attention.

I have also used it a few times to slow a car when riding my bike on the road and the car was gradually starting to make an unsignalled right turn and drifting into me.

[skearton]

Also try acquiring a concealed carry permit if it is allowed in your area. You can never go wrong with things that go bang… Just ask Ralphies mom.

[HawksPath]

Thanks for the ideas. I’m not sure yet but photography, magic, clay sculpting, or hang gliding are at the top of my list.

[DCnDC]

I’m telling you man, knife throwing. Shockingly useful skill.

[N9IWP]

Kayaking? You can lean the basic strokes in one day, advanced stuff the next, and Eskimo rolls the 3rd.

Brian