Time on One Hand

February 24, 2009

Sure, I’ve got some time on my hands.  I’ll be on Warmachine hiatus for three weeks due to scheduling so painting isn’t a huge priority.  If it weren’t for the extreme tiredness I’ve been feeling (SAD is making me, well, sad…) the 1.5 - 2 hours I maybe have free in the evening might be more productive.  I don’t mean chores-productive (as that has to happen regardless), I mean nerd-productive.

I know 9 to 12 hours of free time per week seems a lot, especially to other parents of small children, but here are the options and constraints we face:

• Watch TV.  Mind you, we don’t waste time watching broadcast TV, so we don’t lose precious entertainment minutes on hateful, hateful, commercials.  We don’t even follow that many programs right now:
  • BSG
  • Dollhouse
  • Chuck
  • United States of Tara
  • Burn Notice
  • The occasional interesting documentary, but rarely movies.
• Paint.  Usually combined with the above whilst the wife knits.  Multi-tasking is a fine thing, when you remember to actually tear your attention away from the screen.
• Games.  I swore I wasn’t going to do it, that I would finish what I had before buying anything new, but then February happened.  As with every February, game publishers decide to unleash a pile of quality releases.  It also doesn’t help that my computer can now run everything at max.  Last week it was Left 4 Dead on sale and  Dawn of War II; and this week Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and possibly (god help me), Killzone 2 and Noby Noby Boy.  Oh, and the TF2 Scout update.  PC gaming is less obtrusive than console gaming, but both require balancing the TV and computing needs of my significant other.

Notice something missing?  Time with friends, which can only really occur on Saturday nights.  Every other Saturday night is claimed by our D&D campaign, which, unless Mel and I drink one hell of a lot of caffeine, tends to lack  a certain amount of energy.

Time out to go to dinner or a movie?  Nigh impossible with no easily available babysitters in the family.  While it may technically be possible to see Watchmen on opening weekend, I just realized I’m on call and wouldn’t be able to go anyway.

None of this is new to us, but this year it feels particularly draining.  My bet’s on the weather and the lack of light.

Written by kingmob | Filed under: RL |