Oh, it's Monday now , isn't it?  Ah.

At least it's a 4 day week for me this week.  In your face.

I'm taking Friday off (and leaving work early-ish Thursday night) to get a game that's coming out.  Oh yes, I am a 30-year-old man who likes to play video games still.  I'll give you a minute to make fun..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Anyhow, yea a video game.  I'm picking up Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and plan to game my face off til at least 6AM-7AM Friday morning beginning at midnight after I have to go to Gamestop and pick up my copy that's been pre-ordered since I think early May.  Most people who know me I'm not that type of gamer who puts in work like some of the most experienced WOW players.  But when it comes to Elder Scrolls, I'm kind of a big deal.

Perhaps the best game ever.

I looked up my play time for my character on the last EScrolls (Oblivion) I named Listerfiend after the mentioned villain in Clerks 2 that hides in your mouth or whatever, and I am clocked in at 147:36:15, which translates, to those who don't know how to read that format, roughly 147.5 hours.  On one character.  I even logged in that much time without even beating the main storyline.  I just went dungeon diving.

That particular amount of time was probably wasted so easily mainly because 1) I was single and I lived with 2 other guys in a big 1 bedroom apartment.  The living room was large enough to have plenty of furniture in it, so I rented out my couches. 2) I didn't have a GF at the time, so I was free to do whatever without fear of reprisal ("Oh well if you love your Xbox that much, why don't you sleep with it?!")  and 3) I worked 3rd shift, which if anyone has ever worked that shift before, it really fucks your whole day up if you like to plan stuff.  I think I may even had went through a bout of narcolepsy.  I would randomly fall asleep at various times of the day, but after 1 AM, I was ready to rock.  I would have already been through half a pot of Columbian coffee, and maybe an energy drink or two. Hell, there were times on the weekends when I was off, that some friends and I would be getting ready to go out to the bar, and I would just...take a nap.

Yes, you can walk on water.

"WTF dude, were leaving in like 5 minutes."

"Oh no, i'll catch up to you here in a few.  I just need a nap."

This would happen time and again.  I mean occasionally I would wake up in time to walk over to the bar and get a drink or two, but by this time most of my friends would have been either gone already, smashed, or getting a ride with someone else to somewhere else.  So, I would walk home hoping no one would be there and if they were not using my TV to play my Xbox so I could bury my loneliness in the great world of Elder Scrolls.  And I would.  I think my longest bout of playing lasted one time from 1 AM to 3 in the f'ing afternoon the next day.   Yeah.  Don't worry, I got up and moved around from time to time.

Back then, I didn't care.  I was fresh off of a debilitating injury, and struggling through college.  And trying to keep myself out of ex-GF drama, which for some reason hounded me until I moved to Columbus for a short time. After the move, I didn't play that many games.  A lot of things changed in that 2-year period.  With not just me, but with everyone I knew.  I was making my transition out of my 20's, I saw friends go down paths I never would have thought they would undertake; I lost a lot of friends to the ever changing dance of life.  Maybe I didn't notice then because I was so engrossed in what I was doing, which really wasn't anything.

However, regardless of that half-assed theory of time loss through gaming, I will continue my hobby.  It brings me enjoyment, and to me it's like reading an interactive book.

I wont be doing that again, the marathon thing though.  With the advent of age, you don't get to play for marathon sessions at a time.  When you support other people, you know damn well your'e not going to get away with it.  I'm at least getting to play the game for a good while Friday night/morning.  But I know this weekend there are plans that have already been made, and I know work would not be happy if I took an additional day (or 3) off.  It's bad enough trying to get one day off!