I’m tired, buddies.
This weekend was great, but also didn’t leave much space for down-time, and I’m reallyyyyyy feeling that lack of rest today.
I spent Saturday at the Cleveland Gaming Classic. That’s a convention which happens every year. I’ve never made it there before, and I’m so glad I went! I had the chance to play a bunch of old video games, enjoyed a bunch of cosplayers wearing incredible costumes, and also got a very impulsive tattoo just because I felt like it.
I played Q*Bert on an original Atari 2600 (which apparently came out in 1983, when I was six). I’ve played it before, but it’s been a long time. I played a Fallout pinball game. I played Double Dragon 2 on an NES. I played arcade games and Sega Genesis games and SNES games. It was just all lovely. For an old school gamer such as myself, it was a real treat. And I love my impulsive tattoo! Here’s a pic.
Have you ever seen The Knight from Hollow Knight in a duel with Michael Myers? I hadn’t before Saturday, but I can no longer make that claim.
It’s so fun to see people really put their all into showing off things they’re really passionate about, and it was a really positive environment. Yes, an incredibly overstimulating one as well. But it’s hard to not excited by passionate people.
When I couldn’t bear the passion and the lights and sounds and other forms of sensory overload any more, I spent some time checking out a bookstore on the West Side of Cleveland (Book Brothers, if you’re curious). It was a very calm place to spend some time and de-stress a bit. Books will always be a source of peace and calm in my life, and I’m so grateful that they exist.
My friend Nate then met up with me and we got to hang out and catch up for a few hours. There were only six men in my cohort in grad school, and Nate and I connected right away. I’m so glad we’ve stayed close for all these years. Neither of us had any facial hair when we began at Case back in 2007, if you can believe that. I guess social work just ages a guy/guys?
I also wanted to show off the latest roses on the new rosebush in Kellie’s garden. Aren’t they beautiful? No filter, mind you—it’s so cool to see how different they are in spite of literally growing on the same plant right next to each other. Diversity absolutely rules.
It was an extremely long day for me today, on top of everything else. I saw some counseling clients, did some work for school, drove to the Kent Campus while on a Zoom meeting (also eating lunch), had my three-hour Faculty Senate Meeting, then drove back home (also eating supper), while on another Zoom meeting.
The final meeting of the day was a spiritual exploration meeting with a group of Quakers that are dear to Kellie and I. It’s probably more conducive to deep thoughts about the nature of our existence in the universe to not be on an interstate during the meeting, but sometimes you make do with the time that you’ve got.
I’m so grateful to Ashley (as always) for caring for the girls while I was gone. She’s very quickly become a pretty big part of their lives, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without her support.
I’m looking forward to a few much more mellow days before my big weekend plans. I need some rest!
And with that, I’m done for the night. Take care, and you should also get a random tattoo. I think more people should get random tattoos! Get on the bandwagon, people.
XOXO,
Matt