Currently Reading Women in the Viking Age By Judith Jesch see related

Things I have done with my extra time since giving up TV in 1984: 
learned counted-thread embroidery, whitework and hemstitching
sewed costumes and made accessories and shoes for medieval recreationists (mostly early-period)
went camping, swimming, canoeing, hiking, toboganning, cycling
lazed around in the sun
made snowmen
travelled
read books and napped with them on my chest or over my head or under my face
read dozens of books aloud to friends
petted cats and dogs
learned how to cook complete meals over an open fire
learned how to card wool and spin it with a drop-spindle
learned tablet-weaving
learned how to run a business
learned copy editing and proofreading
took art lessons and university courses
studied for a year in Aix-en-Provence, France
tried to keep my French up (wish I'd done better at that one)
partied and danced like a maniac (did quite well with this )
wrote poetry and stories
learned a great deal about Saga Age Iceland and early medieval Scandinavia, a personal interest of mine
played games, including boardgames, tabletop wargames, online MUDs and rpg
visited friends and had wonderful conversations

No doubt a few other things lost in the haze... well, that was an interesting exercise.