beep beep beep sproingadah sproingadah beep
Okay…bad attempt at imitating a computer game. Especially bad, because the game I’m imitating doesn’t sound like that at all. In fact it sounds like Roman soldiers yelling at each other. Seriously. I think it’s got some really creative name like “Rome.”
I came home last night after a lovely evening out with MFA folks, assorted writers, AND assorted knitbloggers. (More on this in a bit.) There was my beloved on the couch, a new laptop in front of him. Now, I knew there was a good chance he’d be coming home with one; we’d talked about it that afternoon. I have my iMac, but he didn’t have his own computer and I DO NOT allow games on the iMac. It’s the novel machine. It must be treated gently.
So there’s my baby with his new laptop and totally absorbed in some game he played at his best friend’s house the other night. (These men, I remind you, are 37 years old.) He looked up at me long enough to grunt and then turned back to the game. Fine. I get that way with my knitting. This was a little bit after midnight.
I went upstairs, sat down at my own computer and poked at the novel for a while. Still these Roman battle sounds were coming from the living room. Two a.m. I called downstairs to say I was going to bed. “Yep, I’ll be right up.” Right. He came to bed at five in the morning. Yes, he had to go to work this morning. His own choice, right? Well, next time I’m closing the bedroom door and making him turn the sound way down. I was half-awake most of that time, listening to the battle noises, and when I did fall asleep my dreams weren’t exactly restful. Boys. Oy vey.
So on to what I was up to before I came home to find the boy transfixed by this game. Francisco Goldman read at Brooklyn College last night (where I’m an mfa student). Afterward, a few of us went out with Francisco to the dive bar in Park Slope that we tend to gravitate to after workshop. Let’s see how many recurring blog characters you can recognize: Ernesto was there, as was my friend Cree. Emily and Lon and Alexei were also there. (I don’t think Emily and Alexei have been mentioned here before.) (I’m getting flashes of the closing scene of Wizard of Oz. This disturbs me, but Em might be pleased.)
Into this motley mix of writers standing as close as possible to Francisco and Ernesto in hopes that their genius will somehow rub off come a lovely gang of knitbloggers. The visiting Carolyn met us there, joined by Em in her fantastic Clapotis (yes, I tried to steal it), Jackie, and Amy. Alas, I didn’t parcel my time well, got sucked up into an mfa conversation and didn’t get to hang out with the knitbloggers quite as much as I had wanted to. Next time, though. It was still great to see them, and to mix my two little worlds a bit. No, they didn’t collide. They fit rather neatly together.
Now do I hide the computer game before he comes home tonight, or just invest in earplugs comfortable enough to sleep in?
I vote for the earplugs. Give him a week and the game fixation should mellow out. But if you interfere with his ability to get at the game, it’ll just drag it out. He’ll start feeling withdrawal symptoms and try to use the game at his friend’s house. Soon, his absence will become more pronounced. Sadie and Diego will look at you questioningly, asking “Did we do something? Doesn’t daddy love us anymore?”
Think of the dogs.
Or, to put it another way: if you keep him from playing the game, then the Visigoths have already won.
Posted by: David
yeah i have trouble goint to bed if my DH is in his office playing games. I tend to stay up till he comes back, or I don’t rest well if I rest at all. He thinks im weird, im sending him a link to this post lol
Posted by: pixie
Earplugs. Definitely.
My cute boy has lost, er spent, entire days playing his video games, and I have also experienced the “I’ll be to bed in a few minutes” thing. I figure it works out – I don’t complain about his video games, he doesn’t complain about my knitting.
And isn’t it fun when different aspects of your life come together?
Posted by: Elisa
Nothing helps me unwind more than gaming. A total escape, and for the stress it creates, it at least sub-dues that which incurred, and more.
I hear sex is supposed to do that too, which is cool, but it’s apples and oranges. The only problem I have is that games are so engrossing, ecspecially when your brain is fried and you cannot do another constructive at all (knitting/coding, cleaning, and there’s nothing on TV). Therefore, you have little reason to NOT play for as long as possible, since it’s easier to stay awake to the wee hours.
…however, there is a reason, it’s called sleep, wife, dogs, kids, etc. My mother would always remind me to go to bed, so her majesty merely fills that role x5 until I actually quit. It’s tough, though. A lot of times, your only release, as a guy, is to lock yourself in some hidden area, and escape through the game. It’s the cave on Mars of the 21st century.
Do what we did; schedule a time to come to bed, and stick to it. That way, I can play all I want during a set time and be left alone (…hehe, well, generally).
Posted by: JesterXL
Forget the earplugs – they don’t work so well… make HIM get headphones. He should be agreeable because it allows for even more immersion in the game, and better sound than comes out of crappy computer speakers.
Trust me, I lived with a video game designer for several years. Like so many things these days, I suspect it will get worse before it gets better.
Posted by: Maria
I recommend wax earplugs. Very malleable. You pinch off exactly the right amount and they adjust shape as you adjust position. Since you can smoosh them into place you can eliminate any air/noise gaps.
Posted by: Sutton
Earplugs, darling.
Posted by: alison
So, what laptop did the boy get???
Says me, a new convert to laptops. love ’em.
Posted by: claudia
I vote for the earplugs. Give him a week and the game fixation should mellow out. But if you interfere with his ability to get at the game, it’ll just drag it out. He’ll start feeling withdrawal symptoms and try to use the game at his friend’s house. Soon, his absence will become more pronounced. Sadie and Diego will look at you questioningly, asking “Did we do something? Doesn’t daddy love us anymore?”
Think of the dogs.
Or, to put it another way: if you keep him from playing the game, then the Visigoths have already won.
Posted by: David
yeah i have trouble goint to bed if my DH is in his office playing games. I tend to stay up till he comes back, or I don’t rest well if I rest at all. He thinks im weird, im sending him a link to this post lol
Posted by: pixie
Earplugs. Definitely.
My cute boy has lost, er spent, entire days playing his video games, and I have also experienced the “I’ll be to bed in a few minutes” thing. I figure it works out – I don’t complain about his video games, he doesn’t complain about my knitting.
And isn’t it fun when different aspects of your life come together?
Posted by: Elisa
Nothing helps me unwind more than gaming. A total escape, and for the stress it creates, it at least sub-dues that which incurred, and more.
I hear sex is supposed to do that too, which is cool, but it’s apples and oranges. The only problem I have is that games are so engrossing, ecspecially when your brain is fried and you cannot do another constructive at all (knitting/coding, cleaning, and there’s nothing on TV). Therefore, you have little reason to NOT play for as long as possible, since it’s easier to stay awake to the wee hours.
…however, there is a reason, it’s called sleep, wife, dogs, kids, etc. My mother would always remind me to go to bed, so her majesty merely fills that role x5 until I actually quit. It’s tough, though. A lot of times, your only release, as a guy, is to lock yourself in some hidden area, and escape through the game. It’s the cave on Mars of the 21st century.
Do what we did; schedule a time to come to bed, and stick to it. That way, I can play all I want during a set time and be left alone (…hehe, well, generally).
Posted by: JesterXL
Forget the earplugs – they don’t work so well… make HIM get headphones. He should be agreeable because it allows for even more immersion in the game, and better sound than comes out of crappy computer speakers.
Trust me, I lived with a video game designer for several years. Like so many things these days, I suspect it will get worse before it gets better.
Posted by: Maria
I recommend wax earplugs. Very malleable. You pinch off exactly the right amount and they adjust shape as you adjust position. Since you can smoosh them into place you can eliminate any air/noise gaps.
Posted by: Sutton
Earplugs, darling.
Posted by: alison
So, what laptop did the boy get???
Says me, a new convert to laptops. love ’em.
Posted by: claudia
That was nice, meeting people from your other world.
I vote for headphones. Why should you have to stick things in your ears?
Posted by: Em
my boyo loves his xbox…I invested in earplugs…but if it’s on the pc…definately headphones.
I always tell my gal-pals…at least I can find him….he’s home playing his game! It’s an outlet…we have our knitting they have their little cyber-wars 🙂
Posted by: heather
My mister has headphones and I *highly* recommend them. Love to Cree…
Guess who’s hanging out with Reyna this weekend!
Posted by: melanie
my boy plays some horrible game that involves people yelling in german. and same thing- he has been known to play those things for days at a time.
your blog made me happy- which is tough on a day when i’m ready to kill the corporate world and wish i had a blog devoted to the evils of fedex and the nightmares of ‘customer service’. who do you ship with when you can’t trust fedex not to lose important documents? and they don’t even care? (sorry for venting!)
Posted by: rebecca
I was there in spirit. I was.
xo
Posted by: Rachael
Headphones.
C’mon, he’s been dealing with your yarn obsession how long now? (Then again, yarn doesn’t go beep sproingadah beep.)
Posted by: Iris
1.Headphones for him. Peace for you. And let nature (and lack of sleep) take its course.
2. I had a “special” computer that was only for me when I was writing too. A very nice thing to have.
Posted by: Steph
EARPLUGS!
Posted by: Silvia
The thing to remember with video games is that generally people we be totally obsessed by them for a while, and then it starts to fade back into a normal pass-time. Whoever said to give it a week had wise council.
Just be thankful Billy hasn’t gotten ahold of Halo 2: Full Spectrum Warrior (the follow-up to last year’s game of the year). When that puppy arrives in the mail, I’m calling in sick to work for about a week.
XOXO
Cree
Posted by: Cree
I have two words. Championship Manager. You probibly have a version of your most popular team sports. Take your team, decide what leagues your playing in, pick and rearrange your team. Play your games. Win or Loose your games (this usually involves shouting at the PC, banging the desk, waking you up to tell you that he’s just won x league with x players and sold x team mate for x amount of £/$ and has been voted manager of the year) continue as such untill you come in, and remind him of those Japanese students who ended up with a brain hemmorage and died from gaming too much, hoping that he’ll go wash or do something about the smell he’s eminating from sitting there for three days and not moving.
I hate that game.
Posted by: Jacqueline
My man is a computer techo addict too.I agree with Cree and others: HEADPHONES for him, if he wants to play for hours on end.
I also note that it does pass; Well, at least until the next ultra fabulous, outrageous, biggest, bestus, noiseiest, coolest game is on the market.
I also note from first hand experience that they can be very addictive and absorbing things, these computer games. My man got me briefly addicted to Fable, but I just don’t enjoy hacking other beings to death, even if it is virtual, so my interest has kind of faded.
Posted by: clementine
I vote for Headphones. My guy plays the WWE wrestling one. It’s not that noisy. When he has a tough day at work when dealing with co-workers who don’t have brains and make his work more difficult, he just loves to beat up the wrestlers. He likes to vent that way. I either knit or crochet.
Posted by: Ceci R
That was nice, meeting people from your other world.
I vote for headphones. Why should you have to stick things in your ears?
Posted by: Em
my boyo loves his xbox…I invested in earplugs…but if it’s on the pc…definately headphones.
I always tell my gal-pals…at least I can find him….he’s home playing his game! It’s an outlet…we have our knitting they have their little cyber-wars 🙂
Posted by: heather
My mister has headphones and I *highly* recommend them. Love to Cree…
Guess who’s hanging out with Reyna this weekend!
Posted by: melanie
my boy plays some horrible game that involves people yelling in german. and same thing- he has been known to play those things for days at a time.
your blog made me happy- which is tough on a day when i’m ready to kill the corporate world and wish i had a blog devoted to the evils of fedex and the nightmares of ‘customer service’. who do you ship with when you can’t trust fedex not to lose important documents? and they don’t even care? (sorry for venting!)
Posted by: rebecca
I was there in spirit. I was.
xo
Posted by: Rachael
Headphones.
C’mon, he’s been dealing with your yarn obsession how long now? (Then again, yarn doesn’t go beep sproingadah beep.)
Posted by: Iris
1.Headphones for him. Peace for you. And let nature (and lack of sleep) take its course.
2. I had a “special” computer that was only for me when I was writing too. A very nice thing to have.
Posted by: Steph
EARPLUGS!
Posted by: Silvia
The thing to remember with video games is that generally people we be totally obsessed by them for a while, and then it starts to fade back into a normal pass-time. Whoever said to give it a week had wise council.
Just be thankful Billy hasn’t gotten ahold of Halo 2: Full Spectrum Warrior (the follow-up to last year’s game of the year). When that puppy arrives in the mail, I’m calling in sick to work for about a week.
XOXO
Cree
Posted by: Cree
I have two words. Championship Manager. You probibly have a version of your most popular team sports. Take your team, decide what leagues your playing in, pick and rearrange your team. Play your games. Win or Loose your games (this usually involves shouting at the PC, banging the desk, waking you up to tell you that he’s just won x league with x players and sold x team mate for x amount of £/$ and has been voted manager of the year) continue as such untill you come in, and remind him of those Japanese students who ended up with a brain hemmorage and died from gaming too much, hoping that he’ll go wash or do something about the smell he’s eminating from sitting there for three days and not moving.
I hate that game.
Posted by: Jacqueline
My man is a computer techo addict too.I agree with Cree and others: HEADPHONES for him, if he wants to play for hours on end.
I also note that it does pass; Well, at least until the next ultra fabulous, outrageous, biggest, bestus, noiseiest, coolest game is on the market.
I also note from first hand experience that they can be very addictive and absorbing things, these computer games. My man got me briefly addicted to Fable, but I just don’t enjoy hacking other beings to death, even if it is virtual, so my interest has kind of faded.
Posted by: clementine
I vote for Headphones. My guy plays the WWE wrestling one. It’s not that noisy. When he has a tough day at work when dealing with co-workers who don’t have brains and make his work more difficult, he just loves to beat up the wrestlers. He likes to vent that way. I either knit or crochet.
Posted by: Ceci R