Project Noob Box

Some of you may be aware of my penchant for Lan Parties; the gathering of people for the purpose of connecting computers together and playing games.   Now you may say that it's not cool and we are nerds, and those statements would be undeniably accurate.  You'll find we don't mind though as after all, there are worse groups to be associated with such as the Australian Labor Party.

As we have aged these parties have evolved with us.  While it is still best described as several puerile males embracing their computers and eating junk food, there is another group that needs mentioning; the families.  These annexed members now quite often out number the lanners.  Their needs can not be disregarded as it's become as much about them as us.  Disastrous to be sure, but unavoidable.

Inconceivably it seems that there is a limit to the number of times a female can watch "The Notebook" or "A walk to Remember".  The girls have practically begged us to let them play with us*.  So I have come up with a solution.  I disassembled 3 old PC's and installed them in a primitive box dubbed "the Noob Box".  Now we have three spare computers that the girls can play on when they get bored with gossip.  Problem solved.

At this point even I will concede that the Noob box is on the dark side of geekishness.  Enjoying Lans is one thing, building a computer project specifically for it is another.  But what fun is life if we can't explore the dark side sometimes?

*denotes a presumptuous and most likely false statement

Marrying the job

Have you ever stopped to consider that you spend 40 hours of your week with workmates?  Its insane.  Forced to associate with these randoms, each possessing varying degrees of tolerability, day in, day out.  Don't get me wrong, some of my workmates are NORMAL.  Some not so much.  There have been occasions where a convenient blunt object would have been invaluable.
It is just ironic that you focus so much effort in finding the right girl and marrying her just to spend the majority of the best part of your week talking to Derek.  Or Mary, Bob, Steve-o.  You get the idea.  I exchange more words with those I work with than my own family.
But what is the solution?  You could marry someone rich, then you both just continuously holiday on her fathers dime.  Or marry Derek.  Well perhaps not Derek, but someone at work that wasn't TOO annoying.  A tough assignment to be sure.  At least you could carpool.  I guess an alternative would be to not work at all, live it up in your in-laws garage, you both hanging around the corner shop on your BMX's.  Sounds fulfilling doesn't it?
Unfortunately my wife is not rich, she won't work with me and her parents garage has been deemed "inappropriate" by those child welfare snobs.  I guess it will be back to work for me tomorrow.  I just hope my kids remember who I am......    
  

Kiss life

I watch the kids with envy sometimes.  Jasper's biggest concern is putting his pants on so the zip is at the front.  Eli is satisfied if he can get his considerable store of boogers to his mouth before lunch.  Zach would trade it all for 5 minutes alone in the fish tank while Cheyenne sees world peace and obtaining a lollypop as equally valuable  achievements.

KISS.  Keep It Simple Stupid.  A great strategy for life.  I've spent the last 12 months endeavouring to simplify my existence.  To whittle down life to the barest essentials, allowing me to focus on the things that matter and free up time, that slippery little sucker.

I'll admit the journey has been predominately more enlightening than successful, at least measured by the goals I started with.  The problem I discovered is that I did not have a concrete plan for my free time.  Sure, I had a generalised intention, but nothing specific.  Spare time it seems is like water.  If you don't have a container prepared it will slip through your fingers.

My advice for life simplification?  Find somewhere you want more time.  Write it down, be specific.  Then when you adjust your timetable you have somewhere for that time to go.  Now I just need to work out whether I give up blogging or showering....