Need a hobby to avoid garden

Public Announcement:

Due to the ongoing drought, I have decided to quit gardening.

Yes, it is true. I will be choosing another hobby because gardening isn’t fun when it’s 100 degrees, the plants are withering or going dormant, and the only water for 40 miles is dripping off my brow.

I realize that with a shocking public statement like this I will be drawing criticism and expect backlash like: “Mangas, you call yourself a gardener? Real gardeners are out there hand-digging new wells with a trowel to save their drought-resistant tiger-eye sumac. Suck it up, buttercup, and get out there and garden, or hand over your D-handle, square-point garden spade and go find yourself a hobby for the weak of heart.”

Maybe I am making a rash decision. After all, I know lots of people who golf and rarely get that little white ball in the hole on their first swing, or second, or third. Golfing hobbyists don’t quit. They just jump in their golf carts, collect the golf clubs they’ve hurled 50 feet in every direction and keep on golfing.

I was researching alternative hobbies when I came across an ABC News report by Jilian Fama last week titled: “What Do Politicians Do in Their Spare Time?” Fama reported that Barack Obama likes to play pool and basketball. Mitt Romney loves water sports like surfing, body boarding and boating. Bill Clinton plays the saxophone. Condoleezza Rice plays piano.

Interesting.

According to an Altius Directory, the 35 most popular hobbies in the United States are:

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