Monthly Archives: October 2014

The Buffet Conundrum

Do you ever find yourself wanting to do something, but also wanting to do something else? Do you ever find yourself torn between the two decisions? Does everything seem like a good idea, even though you know you can’t possibly do it all? Are you slightly annoyed by your inability to DO ALL THE THINGS? Well,, I do believe you’re familiar with what I’ve just dubbed the Buffet Conundrum.

Why do I call it this? Because I have this problem when I go to buffets: everything looks good, and I really want to get my money’s worth, but I know I’m not a big eater and there’s only so much space in my stomach. This often ends one of two ways: either I end up getting small samples of everything and leaving unfulfilled, or (more likely) I fill up plates with a bunch of stuff that looks good and then find myself too full to really enjoy myself. And I still can’t seem to get my money’s worth!

I’ve recently faced the Buffet Conundrum when it comes to gaming. I know, I know, I’ll be the first to admit that this is the pinnacle of First World Problems, but it’s an inevitable result of me getting a proper job like an almost-respectable adult and not having as much free time as I used to.

See, I have a lot of video games, most of which I haven’t even played. But for the most part, I picked them up because they sounded like something I wanted to play. So what if I haven’t gotten around to them yet? So what if I’ve bought games that my computer can’t run? I’ve got enough of a backlog to keep me occupied for years!

But I digress. Right now, I find myself wanting to play a game in my collection, but also wanting to finish the current game I’m playing. What do I do? Do I try to play both, thus impeding overall progress and dragging the stories along? Or do I suck it up and finish the game I’ve become less excited about but have sunk a lot of time into, before moving on to something new and exciting? Or do I play this little flash game that I just came across, pushing off both of the others?

In the past, I’ve found myself in this conundrum in regards to books. In those cases, I try to be reading only one book at a time, and line up my queue accordingly. But my free time is so limited now (seriously, I have one night to myself during the work week) that I don’t even have time to really read!

Part of this is the fact that I now have a job where I actually have to do work. I know that sounds bad, but when I worked in computer labs I had a lot of downtime where I could putter around on my laptop, and working early mornings at Costco left my afternoons wide open. I’ve also apparently become busy, with some activity or another filling up my evenings. Oh, and a girlfriend who wants to spend time with me for some reason.

I don’t really have a conclusion to this, just a gentle rant about having too many options and not enough time. Add to this the annoyingly-ingrained background thought that video games are a “waste of time,” and you can probably see where I’m coming from. Not to mention all the other interests, hobbies, and interpersonal relationships that vie for my attention. Oh well, I guess all that I can do is keep plugging away at things, and reminding myself that “time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”

Dog Sitting

So, my girlfriend and I are thinking about getting a dog.  It’s something that we’ve both thought about for a while, but both individually decided that we weren’t home enough for an animal beyond a snake or fish.  But between the two of us, we thought it might be doable.

Like any good group of too-smart-for-our-own-good introverts, we’re of course massively overthinking this decision.  After all, what if we decide on the wrong breed, or can’t give a dog the attention it needs?  You know, that sort of back and forth.  But this weekend, we have a chance for a trial run: dog sitting!

One of our friends was heading out of town for a long weekend, and needed someone to watch their laid back little lap dog.  After a couple of days, we could really get a feel for how things would go while having a dog.  And so far, it’s been pretty good.

One of the biggest things to get used to is something else moving through the house.  Sure, my girlfriend and I live together, but the dog makes a distinctly different set of sounds.  Much lower to the ground, too.  It’s a little unnerving, hearing something moving around when you realize that you’ve already accounted for the usual troublemakers (the snake and guppies aren’t exactly loud).

Both our workplaces are dog friendly, so that’s been interesting too.  If nothing else, having the dog in the office with me makes a good excuse to get away from my desk for a few minutes and go for a walk.  Like I said, the dog’s pretty laid back; after a short barking session with my coworker’s dog, it spent most of the day sleeping on the floor.

But the biggest lesson for me has been that it doesn’t pay to be too nice for one’s own good with a dog.  I’m generally quite eager to please, and thus often find myself going along with other people’s plans or desires.  And at first, I started doing this with the dog, too.  But then I realized that “Hey, I’m the one with the opposable thumbs here!”  Maybe being more assertive with a canine companion will be good practice for me when it comes to standing up for myself in general.  It’s an interesting thought.

Although there’s not much more amusing than a little lap dog being put out because you had the audacity to sit in “its spot” on the couch (even though that’s where you usually sit, and it’s only been there an evening) so it decides to sit on you instead.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

I’d like to talk more about the topic from yesterday, but not right now. Writing that, and thinking about those things, put me in a weird mood, and I’d prefer to enjoy the rest of my day. Hey, I’m glad I talked about the topic as much as I did!

So what should we talk about today? How about the weather; that’s always a good change of subject, right?

I love the weather this time of year. It’s starting to cool off, which means ample opportunity to curl up under covers with a good book or entertainment of choice. But at the same time, it’s not too cold that you can’t wander outside in just a long-sleeved shirt. Autumn weather occupies a Goldilocks Zone for me: not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

I being able to wander outside in the sunlight and not feel like I’m baking; as a pasty white nerd, I don’t get out nearly enough, so this time of year feels great. I’ll admit to liking it a few degrees cooler as a general rule, as well. Growing up, my bedroom at my parents’ house was in the basement, which was always a few degrees cooler. Always. This was great in the summer (in fact, I think my dad still has his office downstairs for much the same reason), but could be problematic in the winter. But fall? During fall it was just cool enough that I could be comfortable with a light bundling, like a fuzzy blanket.

My bedroom is my current apartment is also in the basement, so I get much of the same effect. Of course, Colorado being Colorado, the weather isn’t the most consistent. It could be 50 degrees one day just to shoot back up into the 90’s over the weekend. So I enjoy the cool temperatures while I can.

I also enjoy the rain we’ve been getting. While too little sunlight can make me a little SAD, it’s definitely a nice change of pace from our state’s ever-present sun. It reminds me of the Pacific Northwest. Fun fact: I almost went to college in Seattle! Of course, that was back when I was still an overachieving high school student that planned on pursuing a dual science major.

Anyway, long story short, I like this time of year. I should remember to enjoy it more often.