What do you do in the evening? I need ideas. I so bored.

[ApolloandDaphne]

I'm age 61 and retired. DH still working but will be retired soon. I have a dodgy hip so a lot of exercise is out. I'm bored watching TV and i do a lot of things during the day that come the evening i don't want to do (housework, garden, dog walks, jigsaws, reading, audio books, hobby groups, volunteering etc). I am also doing a degree part time. But semester has ended now.

I need things to do in the evening to keep me busy. I haven't got the best eyesight and by the time evening comes they are too weary to read more or do anything involving close work.

DH is tired after a day at work and where i want to chat he is peopled out (this will change when he retires). I love playing board games but DH doesn't.

Is there something i have missed? What do people do in the evening?

If I'm at home I tend to go to bed! I fall asleep in front of the tv which I hate and I find reading hard in the evening. It's 8.30 by the time we've finished eating so I either go out (cinema 5 minutes away which weirdly doesn't send me to sleep, or see friends) or have an early night and get up early.

Sometimes I play the piano!

Get a cinema season ticket. Not demanding, but a bit more memorable and gives you more to talk about than just watching TV.

Knit, crochet or lego

I often go to bed early but I work and then in the evenings between us we need to cook dinner, eat, wash up and put the children to bed. There is usually cleaning to do or laundry to sort. By the time that's all done I go to bed and watch tv but I'm getting bored of watching tv myself.

Do you read? Audiobooks? Yoga (try YouTube), any crafts you'd like to do?

Bit of gardening whilst it's light until late.

Upcycle something like a piece of furniture, have a look on Facebook Marketplace near you.

Self care like pedicure/manicure.

Sort out all your photos (a massive job I keep meaning to do!)

Paint - maybe visit somewhere like Hobbycraft if there's one near you for inspiration.

That will be good when DH retires I guess. At the moment he is just too weary when he gets home. I could go myself but tbh it seems like watching the TV to me. I'm fed up just watching things.

I can crochet but I find it boring. I think I am needing things that really stimulate my mind.

I love my uni classes as I learn new things and engage in discussion with my class mates. I think really I want to talk about interesting things in the evening. I have developed an interest in bees and have been researching the different kinds in my garden.

Play online board games with others round the world. My mother is addicted to online cards (not gambling).

I love geoguessr at the moment!

The photos certainly need to be organised!

I play guitar. I learned as an adult and I'm doing the grade exams just for personal satisfaction. I'm grade 6 now, which feels like an accomplishment, because I'm the first to admit that I'm not the most musically gifted person in the world. Diligence>talent. According to my teacher, there are a few people who are gifted, but the vast vast majority of people are perfectly capable of learning an instrument, if they practice.

Can you do an online language course? Learn to play an instrument? Either online or by going out for a lesson once a week, and then a few other evenings you can do a bit of practice in the evenings.

If DH is retiring soon you will be able to have long dinners and conversations then how long does he have left?

Family or local history. Forty years in and I'm still finding mysteries to solve!

Pub?

WI group?

Choir?

Theatre group?

Have you considered joining a book club? They often meet in the evening and involve chat and exchanging ideas.

Do a jigsaw puzzle without looking at the picture on the box.
Once you've mastered that, turn all the pieces over and try doing it by shape alone.
😁

What about doing your family tree? Get yourself a 14 day free trial on Find my Past and Ancestry and get cracking. Lots of people to chat to about it on family history forums etc. It's actually a very absorbing hobby. Further on you might enjoy visiting places where your ancestors lived and worked especially once your DH has retired - it might become a common shared hobby?

Take up cryptic crosswords? There are also books like the GCHQ puzzle book you could try.

There might be solo board games you could play?

Take up cooking really interesting and complicated meals e.g. make your own pasta

Reading books on a Kindle where you can increase the font size?

There are also free online courses if you like your university course, or near me we have a place which does evening and day courses in languages, guitar, history etc. There's also the university of the third age which might be suitably interesting?

I sing in a choir. I forgot to add that to the list of things I do. That's a daytime activity.

Yes I'm in a book club that meets monthly.

I do like a puzzle. I do lots online.

He retires at Christmas. Not too long to wait. I fear he will be more bored than me as he has a very demanding job and works long hours.

I go to the cinema and watch the independent films no one else will come with me to watch. I also am a bit addicted to online Scrabble.

Learn a language!