Leap days and too cold to not play

Patty

Shared on Sat, 03/01/2008 - 00:39
Actually, I'm lying. It was gorgeous out today (warm enough for snow to start to melt, the sun was warm, and I have the weirdest-shaped ice-dagger hanging in front of my dining window). But instead of getting outside for some air, I spent most of the day inside playing Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.

I have a theory about why I do this. I'm a news junkie. Lately, the news, is well, let's just say I would rather hear about Jondur being in jail and his poor wife (!) being broke because he hid all their ill-gotten gains. Sounds so much better than, you lost $4,000 in stock value today. Now, I can certainly be happy being out $4,000 if I WENT OUT AND SPENT IT!!! Heck, if I have a nice 60" plasma TV on my wall to counter the loss, I won't cry for too long.

This is different. I know it is, I have a background in investment banking (no big deals...backroom). We still knew (if we had aspirations beyond file clerk) what was going on. My banking career began when interest rates were in the 17% rage, remember that? I learned tons about inflation, recession, but honestly the fifteen years after ward were not bad. It was the getting there that was painful.

Knowing all that, I think that all my troubles finding gold in Cyrodill are, well, more satisfying. I can whip up a few potions, or go dungeon crawling and looting, and, viola! I have gold again. My horse was free, and somehow teleports everywhere I go. I got a magician's tower for free, and it's got a greenhouse! It's just where I'd want it to be. And if all goes hopelessly to heck (like an Oblivian gate opening on my front door), I can always save and reload. What's not to love?

Except eventually the xbox (my computer's too slow...need a new one...that would be a nice way to miss $4,000, coming to think of it) gets too hot, and I have to turn it off, and watch the news or get int he car for a burger and slide off the road because of a little freezing rain, and meanwhile, I keep wondering what I can do to safeguard my $ without cementing paper losses into real ones.

I'd much rather be in any universe than this one, some days. I'm not even sure why the young folks like these games. What do they have to escape from? Us older players, we have real issues we are working hard to avoid! I speak for myself and I know it. But heck...wouldn't the unreality be nice for a few days?

Oh, yeah, leaping. I spent the day doing weird leaps to increase my athletic skills. While skipping down streets, or jumping off walls. Leap day. Ahhh...to have such problems.

Patty

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