World of Warcraft (WoW) is my husband's MMO drug of choice. If I was willing to re-donate hours to game playing, it would also be my drug of choice. Yesterday, my gamer asked me if I wanted to level my character up for him when the Cataclysm expansion is released. I just don't know how I feel about that. I love to play the game...that's not why I stopped. I wanted to get out of the house and see friends I hadn't seen since college. I wanted to meet new people. I needed to plan our wedding, and I needed to research home-buying. Well, in my pursuit to learn more, I stumbled upon the WoW Insider Blog called "Drama Mamas" that deals with drama issues involving WoW and WoW gamers. The following are my (so far) favorite posts:
Wife Aggro
http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/11/13/drama-mamas-wife-aggro/
Divorce Drama
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/drama-mamas-divorce-drama/
Make It Work
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/05/14/drama-mamas-make-it-work-friday/
When a Partner Wanders Astray
http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/11/28/drama-mamas-when-a-partner-wanders-astray/
Introducing Friends and Family to WoW
http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/05/27/azeroth-interrupted-introducing-friends-and-family-to-wow/
What Are You Here For
http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/18/drama-mamas-what-are-you-here-for/
Tips on Getting Wife Back Into WoW
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/07/09/drama-mamas-tips-on-getting-wife-back-into-wow/
That last one might just get me back into playing...at least until my bank account says I can go shopping again.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How It All Began
"Do you want to play anymore?"
I remember my fiancé (now husband) asking that while we ate dinner in our over-priced, amenity-laden, money pit (apartment) in the ritzy part of town. It had been a few days since I logged in to play my WoW character, and he wanted me to mine ore for him to sell in the auction house.
"Not really," I responded...which was the first time I had honestly answered that question in a while. He had already come to that conclusion on his own when I had given him my login information and neglected to comment on the character changes he made.
That was a little over two years ago. Tonight, my husband is downstairs in the basement of our much more affordable house in the suburbs playing my character, as if she had always belonged to him. His own characters are well-equipped, but WoW has redesigned the game to make playing my lady more enjoyable.
The clock reads 9:12 pm. He said he MUST be in bed by 9 o'clock.
When we lived in the apartment, I would have stomped around the corner or yelled from bed...
"8:40!"
"8:50!"
"9!"
"Are you coming?"
"It's 9:10!"
Wow, I was really annoying back then. Now, I sit cozily in bed. I kissed him goodnight at 8:30, let the dog out, brought the dog back inside, petted the cat, sent the dog to his bed, and snuggled into the covers to write. I do not function well with less than seven hours of sleep. Many nights, I aim for 9 hours.
When we were in college, my gamer husband would tuck me into bed in my dorm room and walk to his room to continue playing with friends. In our apartment, I convinced him to cuddle with me until I fell asleep...then he would go play. Today, I recognize that he loves me. If I was really needy, I could convince him to come upstairs (for a minute or two).
Instead of complaining, though, I load up on affection that he is willing to provide early in the evening, like a peck on the lips if he is busy, a good (quick) kiss if he is waiting for a game to load, a hug if he waits for a friend to join his game, or a steamy 20 minutes when no one is online.
In his way, I am glad he is predictable...because I know I can get the attention I want or need if I am patient. (I wish I had learned patience years ago)
Now, I will just shout once "It's 9:30!"
I remember my fiancé (now husband) asking that while we ate dinner in our over-priced, amenity-laden, money pit (apartment) in the ritzy part of town. It had been a few days since I logged in to play my WoW character, and he wanted me to mine ore for him to sell in the auction house.
"Not really," I responded...which was the first time I had honestly answered that question in a while. He had already come to that conclusion on his own when I had given him my login information and neglected to comment on the character changes he made.
That was a little over two years ago. Tonight, my husband is downstairs in the basement of our much more affordable house in the suburbs playing my character, as if she had always belonged to him. His own characters are well-equipped, but WoW has redesigned the game to make playing my lady more enjoyable.
The clock reads 9:12 pm. He said he MUST be in bed by 9 o'clock.
When we lived in the apartment, I would have stomped around the corner or yelled from bed...
"8:40!"
"8:50!"
"9!"
"Are you coming?"
"It's 9:10!"
Wow, I was really annoying back then. Now, I sit cozily in bed. I kissed him goodnight at 8:30, let the dog out, brought the dog back inside, petted the cat, sent the dog to his bed, and snuggled into the covers to write. I do not function well with less than seven hours of sleep. Many nights, I aim for 9 hours.
When we were in college, my gamer husband would tuck me into bed in my dorm room and walk to his room to continue playing with friends. In our apartment, I convinced him to cuddle with me until I fell asleep...then he would go play. Today, I recognize that he loves me. If I was really needy, I could convince him to come upstairs (for a minute or two).
Instead of complaining, though, I load up on affection that he is willing to provide early in the evening, like a peck on the lips if he is busy, a good (quick) kiss if he is waiting for a game to load, a hug if he waits for a friend to join his game, or a steamy 20 minutes when no one is online.
In his way, I am glad he is predictable...because I know I can get the attention I want or need if I am patient. (I wish I had learned patience years ago)
Now, I will just shout once "It's 9:30!"
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Online Gamer Wife
Almost five years ago, I met my gamer husband. Our college education earned us full-time employment, cars, pets, computers, gaming systems, and an extravagant wedding. Reality set-in after the honeymoon: he is a gamer, and I can't keep up. While we dated, we started growing our long distance ties (on summer breaks) by playing World of Warcraft (WoW) together. When my social responsibilities during semesters interfered with playing the game, though, he would play with his buddies...which meant he always knew more and played better than me. Being a competitive person by nature, I recognized that I could not keep pace. So, I stopped trying. Just before our wedding almost four years later, my playing ceased entirely. [I find it hard to pursue goals that I am sure to fail at achieving, and that's how I felt about my goal of playing at the same level as my spouse.] The last year has been hard, because gaming is a lifestyle that takes hours, days, and weeks of dedication. Leaving that lifestyle, while my husband still lives it has taught us a good deal about gaming and marriage. We fight, grumble, and hide, but we have also learned how to forgive, love and cherish.
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About Me
- ~ The Wife Of A Gamer ~
- My gamer husband and I sleep ~7 hours each day, drive an hour to/from work, and work 40+ hours each week. So, our time together to talk, grow close, and enjoy life is limited to the six hours of free time leftover each day. When I cook dinner, time shrinks to five hours. When I buy groceries, visit my mom, call my sister, walk the dog, wash laundry, stack dishes, and plan for the future...well, let's just say we have no time for talking. So...you might wonder why I do not drag my husband with me to talk while finishing these errands...The simple answer? He's a gamer.