# What do people DO on weekends? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 4, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317 "2002-05-04T23:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FriendRob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@FriendRob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriendRob)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/21 "2002-05-06T15:47:53Z")
Find an _activity_ you like. Preferably one involving members of the target gender. Hiking, biking, rollerblading, ski, outdoors clubs. Book discussions, volunteer activities (museums, libraries, boys/girls clubs, scouts, hospitals, soup kitchens), Socrates’s cafes. Religious groups. Dance - take lessons, you meet lots of opposite gender people (how my wife & I met). If your school has an alumni association, hook up with them and find out if there are activities in your area. If not, start one! Do _anything_, as long as it’s fun and you meet people. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/22 "2002-05-06T16:06:14Z")
Well there’s always working on the house. Or working on the house. Or the house. Seriously, don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have my projects. It’s kind of depressing sometimes. This place should be a mansion by now. I just painted the main room. Had to buy scaffolding to do it. Used a sprayer and about 7 gallons of paint. I am dead, dog tired. Thank God I took today off. Now all I have to do is change the oil in my car and tractor, go to the landfill, go to the bank …… What I need is a 3 day coma. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/23 "2002-05-06T16:13:12Z")
Well there’s always working on the house. Or working on the house. Or the house. Seriously, don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have my projects. It’s kind of depressing sometimes. This place should be a mansion by now. I just painted the main room. Had to buy scaffolding to do it. Used a sprayer and about 7 gallons of paint. I am dead, dog tired. Thank God I took today off. Now all I have to do is change the oil in my car and tractor, go to the landfill, go to the bank …… What I need is a 3 day coma. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/24 "2002-05-06T17:02:10Z")
Laundry Gardening grocery shopping On-line surfing and chatting This weekend, we went to an art festival, but it was too hot to be wandering around outside for long - we only lasted a couple of hours. Next weekend, we’ll take my MIL out for mother’s day dinner. Weekend after that, we’ll be packing for vacation. Mostly, our weekends are boring. ---
**Author:** ![brickiebee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@brickiebee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickiebee)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/25 "2002-05-06T17:09:39Z")
I live near you, so some thoughts I had … Elmhurst has a biking club. If biking doesn’t interest you, there’s always the bulletin boards at the local library, which will tell you what sort of clubs and activities are available. Also, there’s a lot of farmer’s markets on Saturday and Sunday (the one in Wheaton is wonderful), and sometimes there are people there representing different causes that may be of interest to you. Downers Grove has a movie theater (the Tivoli maybe?)that only shows arty flicks. I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard good things. In short, maybe you need to get a local paper. The Westmont … Times? Herald? Review? Every stupid suburb around here seems to have one. It’ll have a calendar of local events. It’s hard moving to a new area and away from your friends, but finding out what’s happening in your area isn’t too hard. The Chicago burbs are bursting with activities of all kinds. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/26 "2002-05-06T19:39:11Z")
Lessee, this weekend I : Spent 6 hours RPGing babysat a friend’s 8-month old (whiny bugger) Paddled a dragon boat Entertained some kids by taking my scooter to a charity car wash Balanced my chequebook Picked wifey up from airport Got really good take-out (the kind where you wait half-an-hour and get tea because it’s quality stuff) Watched the first 2 hours of Eco-Challenge (yeah, I’m behind, whatever) Looked at apartments Watched a couple hours of a legal seminar Bought cards for Anniversaries and Mothers day and birthday. Last weekend was even more packed-- I went to the Wine Festival on the Thursday and Friday, then did a whole bunch more. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/27 "2002-05-06T19:40:51Z")
My username should provide a clue… I spend a few weekends month taking the occasional flight. Though I must point out, it’s not a good way to meet women, at least available ones close to my age… ☹ But I have to second **FriendRob** here… find stuff _you_ enjoy. If your activities do involve possibly socializing with the opposite gender, don’t go in with expectations of finding the love of your life, just meet people. It can take a while to build a new social structure after leaving school, so above all, be patient! (patronizing mode off) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/28 "2002-05-06T19:51:36Z")
Buy a guitar, take group lessons. On non-lesson days, practice. (If you get really good, maybe you’ll be a rock-god, and not need to worry about what to do on the weekends!) ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/29 "2002-05-06T20:10:51Z")
This last weekend: D&D on Saturday paintball on Sunday Next weekend: D&D on Saturday probably play with my Castlemolds on Sunday I normally do: D&D paintball Magic: the Gathering painting miniatures Castlemolds reading watching movies clean house computer games OK, none of my hobbies are good for meeting women (except me, but I’m married). ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/30 "2002-05-06T20:50:02Z")
Let’s see… Usually I stay in and sleep a lot. A _lot_. Fridays I usually knock back some beer and order in food. At some point in the weekend, I get groceries. Occasionally I’ll go visit two friends of mine, a couple that I introduced a few years ago, who now live together in domestic gay bliss. We always get really stoned :eek: and I crash on their couch. This past weekend, however, I was in a great mood, so I went to a local gay pub both nights and got lucky both nights. Yesterday I rolled out of bed late, did some Doping, picked up something to eat from the local diner, watched X-Files, then went to bed. Pretty boring stuff, although Friday and Saturday were fun. 😉 - s.e. ---
**Author:** ![brainychick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@brainychick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainychick)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317/31 "2002-05-06T21:12:36Z")
From looking at this thread, you probably have guessed that, basically, no one’s weekend is really the social blowout that beer commercials and music videos would have you believe. You probably do about as much socially as anyone else who is fairly new to the Chicago area. I’m pretty new to it as well, have few acquaintances here, and I’m not a bar person, either, so I have to be pretty inventive and proactive in getting out. A good rule is, don’t be afraid to do things alone. Going to movies, to dinner, to a museum, to wherever by yourself can be fun. Just focus on enjoying what you’re doing and not on the fact that you’re alone, which is something I still struggle with, but trying is worth the effort. After all, how can other people enjoy your company if you can’t? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-do-on-weekends/107317.md?page=1)