What do I do for fun?

So I'm going into the building at work, and passing by the Ducati monster parked outside.  Today I notice the scratches on the muffler.  Huh?  I stop, go back a few steps.  Dang, the brake pedal is bent, too.  I hope the guy's OK.  I sort of miss my bike and my free-wheeling days when I used to ride (sold my bike years ago, even before we were 'planning' for kids).  But then again, there's lots of things I used to do (and sort of miss doing) that I would gladly give up to allocate resources and time for L.G

It's much easier to feel that way now that we actually have her, although I gave up a lot to complete our application process.  This means time that I might have allocated to 'me time' was dedicated to working extra hours.  Of course, in the past, extra hours and extra pay meant a little more spending cash.  Well, it's still spending cash, only for things like re-fingerprinting and renewing the I-171.  But now that we're home, it's a toss up between working less hours for more bonding time versus trying to make more money to offset the extra costs of having a child.  i.e. try to cushion the savings again or even try to cover the cost of daycare.

It would be nice to ride again.  But even if I had a free (or paid for) bike, there's still the cost of insurance (even at $50/month - there's so much more I could do with that for LG) and the impractical aspect - What if I have to go pick her up from daycare?  Then I'd have to go home, switch vehicles, etc.  And then - how would having a bike help with bonding time?  Not very helpful if I go out on a ride all-day Saturday.... So, no more bike (at least for about 5 years).

I enjoyed trips to the snow country.  Go ride the slopes.  Now at $70 per lift ticket, that makes it a $120-150 day (including gas and cheap food).  If I make a day-trip.  Except the thing is, I'm starting to feel it now, and the 4-hr up, ride all day (or even 1/2 day for $60), and 4-hr drive back would just kill me now.  So if we (my buddy who is also a new dad) stay at a dump for $120 (we're still young enough and now we're broke enough to split the cost of a room with 2 beds), we're still looking at  $200-250 (again with cheap food) for the weekend.  What?! Now we can get away and ride the slope (sans young children) for a weekend?! I don't think so, dude.  And again, you know what I can do for L.G with $200?  Dang, I used to go up to the slopes almost every weekend!  Youth.  Wasted on the young.

Then there's the broken Jet Ski.  I don't want to spend the $200 needed to repair the engine.  Again, you know what I could do with $200 (for L.G)?  And even if it was in good working order, there's the launch fees and gas costs (about $30-40/day?).  And these days, who wants to use up their gas going around in circles on a lake?  Not me.  Unless L.G can go, too.  Since she's under 2, I don't think she'll be going anytime soon.  

So for now, we'll stick with trips to the grocery store, park, coffee house (for Daddy, not L.G - although L.G can have her warm M-I-L-K there), babies-rus, and the ever so popular Tarjay.  Practically free (since we'd go to these places pre-L.G anyway) and enhances our bonding time, too.  Even better is watching Baby Einstein together. Totally free and yet, priceless.