Downtime activities

So my current game also happens to be a lunch game with my co-workers.  Save one person, they are all brand new to tabletop rpgs, though most have experience in digital rpgs.  The party make-up is as follows:

Half-Orc Paladin - raised by Elves
Drow Bard - raised by Humans
High Elven Wizard - no real background story
Tiefling Rogue (sibling to the Barbarian) - raised by deceased, Human Father
Tiefling Barbarian (sibling to the Rogue) - raised by deceased, Human Father
Dwarf Fighter - orphaned to the military

Under normal circumstances, I'd just throw them in a couple dungeons and not worry about the social situations.  However, as it is a limited time-available game where players may not be able to play due to work requirements, I have set-up the theater of action to be close to a Human town.  This allows me to "excuse" players easily.  Also, I have allowed them to create a justification for absences so that they stay engaged in the story.  For example, the Dwarf had to miss the last two sessions where the party escorted a caravan back and forth from a trade center, bringing in the last of the winter supplies.  He spent the time preparing the cave system the town uses for storage.

So why am I telling you this?  Because we all need some downtime activities.  So here's some ideas I had.

1. Training with a local expert - martial or skill oriented.
2. Prepping the ______________ for the upcoming ________________.
3. Researching a particular topic.
4. Creating a new piece of equipment.
5. Attending to a family members needs.
6. Attending to a professional organizations needs.
7. Being sick.
8. Training animals.
9. Summoned by local nobility - good or ill.
10. Constructing/repairing a building. 

Mostly just some random thoughts on a random Monday.