Here are five things I do for fun that never get old: vinyl records, dogs, biking, smoking meats, and beer.
1) Vinyl Records: A Better Kind of Background Noise
Streaming is convenient, but vinyl feels intentional. It’s not just “put something on.” It’s choosing an album, pulling it out, checking the artwork, dropping the needle, and letting the whole experience happen.
I love how vinyl forces you to slow down. No skipping around every 15 seconds. No endless choices. Just one record, one mood, and a little bit of ritual. Even the imperfections are part of it—the light crackle, the tiny pops, the reminder that something physical is happening in the room. No screens required.
Bonus: album covers on vinyl are basically wall art you can play.
2) Dogs: Built-In Joy With Zero Agenda
Dogs are the best kind of fun because it’s automatic. They don’t care what kind of day you had. They don’t want a summary. They don’t need a plan. They just show up with that “we doing something or what?” energy.
Walks become mini-adventures. Tossing a ball becomes the most important event in the universe. And sitting on the couch becomes a group activity, because a dog will always find a way to be involved—usually by becoming a warm, slightly judgmental blanket.
Dogs make normal moments better, and that’s a cheat code.
3) Biking: The Fastest Way to Clear My Head
Biking is the perfect mix of freedom and focus. You’re moving, you’re outside, and your brain finally stops trying to run 37 tabs at once. Even a short ride can reset your whole mood.
Some rides are about distance and pace—chasing that satisfying burn. Other rides are just about cruising and noticing things you’d miss in a car: a quiet neighborhood, a trail you didn’t know existed, the way the air changes right before sunset.
Plus, it’s hard to stay stressed when you’re flying downhill like you’re 12 again.
4) Smoking Meats: The Most Delicious Form of Patience
Smoking meats is fun because it’s a project. It takes time. It takes attention. And it’s weirdly relaxing once you accept the pace.
There’s a rhythm to it: prepping the meat, dialing in the temperature, choosing your wood, checking the bark, spritzing, waiting, waiting more, and then—finally—that moment when you open the lid and the smell tells you you’re in the right place.
And when it’s done? You didn’t just make food. You made an event. The kind of meal that makes people wander over and ask, “Okay… what is THAT?”
5) Beer: Simple, Social, and Always Tied to a Good Moment
Beer is fun because it’s never just beer. It’s “one after the ride.” It’s “something cold while the smoker does its thing.” It’s “let’s sit outside and talk like we’re not in a hurry.”
I like how wide the world is—crisp lagers, hoppy IPAs, dark stouts, weird seasonal stuff that tastes like someone dared a brewer to do it. And even when you’re not being fancy about it, beer has a way of making ordinary time feel like downtime.
It’s not about overthinking. It’s about enjoying the moment you’re already in.
The Common Thread
Vinyl, dogs, biking, smoking meats, beer—on paper they don’t match. In real life, they do.
They’re all experiences, not just activities. They pull you out of autopilot. They give you something to look forward to. And they’re better when you let them be what they are: a little messy, a little slow, a little joyful.
And if I can stack them all in one day—morning ride, afternoon smoker, dog hanging around like the supervisor, record spinning in the background, cold beer at sunset—that’s not just fun.
That’s a perfect day.
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