Thursday, August 27, 2015

What does #8 mean?

This post is not what I was planning it to be. This was to be a detailed summary of keeping track of my steps for 42 days and comparing it to the 100+ coworkers in my company. The 690,000+ steps I walked put me 8th overall which would have won me a t-shirt that won't fit my 3X body. It would have been 2nd in my building out of about 40 people only less than someone who has ran a marathon but did not win any "team" prizes since two of his randomly assigned "teammates" ended up in the bottom 10.

I was going to compare steps on days at work and not working, mention that during the 5 days of Gencon, I took fewer steps than if I was working, wonder how many more steps I would have taken had I played in the 3 disc golf tournaments I didn't play, and most of all, I was going to wonder how an old, fat, broken down, arthritic man who takes medicine used in chemotherapy to manage his 24/7 pain could finish 8th.

Last Sunday, day 38, I walked about 4,000 steps to a place that has a wings special before 4PM. After placing my order, I emptied my pockets of my phone, Ipod, earpiece, and pedometer to make it more comfortable to eat. The pedometer fell to the floor and the display became illegible. I decided to get a FitBit because the idea of other people seeing the number of steps I am taking does inspire me to take more at home and no doubt that has helped me lose 7lb during the step challenge. Since it was cheaper and that I don't like the idea of one on my arm, I got the one that attaches to my pants just like the one I had.

Once I synced my device to my tablet and got FitBit friends, I noticed something. Their daily step goals are less than 1/3 or 2/3 of my average and comparing my steps to theirs is futile. I then realized why. Those people have a job or life that doesn't require them to walk anywhere near what I take just like most everyone at my company. Those people also know that if they spend an hour sitting at a computer typing, they won't be doubled over in pain after getting up.

The phrase "5 decades of excuses" then applies as I try to justify everything that is wrong. Even though I lost the weight I demanded of myself to play in a tournament, a practice round played yesterday shows that my right arm/elbow is still not healed enough to compete so I can't play on Sep 13th liked I hoped.

Disc golf tournaments as well as conventions are the things that give me reason to drag myself off the couch at 5:15 to get to work. When those things are not able to provide the relief from life that I need, it leaves me empty especially when they disappear. As I hustled at work today trying to get things done as someone needed a day off to see a doctor, ugly thoughts rampaged through my brain. The concept of "accidentally" falling on the tracks as a commuter (or freight train) approaches always makes itself known when I walk across tracks even if there is no train in the area. The thought of making a public statement in November about making sure there won't be "6 decades of excuses" then ending things suddenly also appeared.

I have stated for years that if I did everything I wanted to do in life, I would have died in a JV home in the 70s. I know I lack the courage to attempt to make any those thoughts real. If I did not have courage while alone and friendless in 1996, I won't have it now. Life is special because it is finite and during many days, I am reminded about that including while typing this entry. More than likely my arm/elbow will heal and I will play in a tournament again even if it means next year in which I am qualified to play in the 2016 amateur worlds in Madison, WI July 9-16 2016. I am already registered for Windycon in November as well as Marscon and FuMPFeST in 2016 and to be honest, things are looking real good for the Dolphins this season.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

What is a home game?

As Super Bowl XIX wound down to the 38-16 49ers win over Miami, I was not happy. I told my father it was a home game for the 49ers who claimed that since the 49ers did not play home games in Sanford Stadium in Palo Alto, CA it was a neutral site game. I stated that if Candlestick Park was ever unusable due to an earthquake, the 49ers would play in Stanford and reminded my father of that statement when in November 1989 the 49ers had to play a home game there after the same earthquake which disrupted the 1989 World Series.

That conversation came up again as the 49ers moved to Levi's Stadium in San Jose which as the map shows is farther away from San Francisco than Stanford Stadium and today after hearing ad rates, looked up Super Bowl 50 on Wikipedia where it states: The San Francisco Bay Area last hosted in 1985 (Super Bowl XIX), held at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California, won by the home team 49ers. (49ers head coach Bill Walsh is quoted as saying if felt like a home game)





So what do I have to gain by presenting this information for someone who died almost three years ago? One of the reasons I post to this site or to a private Google doc is to get it out of my head. Hopefully this post will do that.

Monday, August 3, 2015

13 years in downtown Indy

Yesterday finished my 13th year at Gencon. Unlike most of the previous ones, I got to Indy about 6PM on Wednesday and left about 3:15 on Sunday. In the past I have arrived later and left earlier and in the first couple of years was there only one or two days.

Originally I would go only to help Luke sell and move merch but now to me it is a gaming convention where Luke and others perform and I along with others I know go for various reasons. There are 17 different tracks at Gencon and the chart explains who have participated in which category over the years in the event and not just in a dealer's room demo.


Breakdown per category with examples:
Anime:
Board Games: Redneck Life, Shootin' Ladders, Puerto Rico, Empire Builder.
Non tradable card games: Zombie Ninja Pirates, Dominion, Cards Against Humanity
Electronic gaming: Video games, Battletech pod simulators
Entertainment: Music concerts
Film:
Historical miniatures: Battle games played on created landscapes using representations of former soldiers
Kids events
Live Action Role Playing (LARP)
Miniature hobby events: creating and painting miniatures
Non historical miniatures: Warhammer, Battletech game
Role Playing Games
Seminars: Most are on Wednesday where people talk about being inside gaming
Spouse events: For those dragged to Gencon who don't care about anything with gaming.
Tradable card games: Mostly Magic, in one large section of a hall.
Workshop: Teaching how to create games or miniatures.
Misfits: Anything else.