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November 23, 2003
geeksuality
This afternoon we'll be playing D&D. For the most part we get together every two weeks or so, depending on everyone's schedule. During the summer we tend to play less, and moreso in the winter. One of our infrequent players has a condo in Ocean City, and once in a while we get out there to pretend we're playing, but most of the time we end up going out, eating, watching geeky movies and playing video games. We even have a small gift exchange during the holiday season.
Most of the playaz in my current group are in their 30s, and most are gay. We aren't exclusive to queers, but in my ghettoized lifestyle that's sort of how things happened here in DC. Some players come and go due to certain circumstances, but we've maintained a core group of geeks since I moved here about 7 years ago. Now don't be thinking we sit ourselves down for power gaming for 4+ hours either...most of the time we are gossiping much like a group of old ladies playing bridge. Several of us have problems focusing.
I started playing my freshman year in high school way back in 1985 or so. (Yipes! 18 years of geekdom!) Since then the D&D gaming system has seen four revisions, and is a lot easier to facilitate and play. I've played with five different groups over the years, and have tended to see certain patterns and ways to keep a group playing together as long as possible.
Now you'd think that geeks are sexless eunuchs. This is not true. It can be just as drama-ridden as Real World Paris at times. Since then I've constructed three rules to keep the drama to a minimum:
1. Bring Food. Geeks need massive amounts of sugar, caffeine and carbs to role play fanasty characters successfully. Healthy foods tends to stunt the creative process.
2. No Boyfriends/Girlfriends. Since my days of playing in high school, bringing a significant other along to play always leads to favoritism, and ultimately the loss of one member or another due to resentment or break-ups. Male or female, I've never seen it work.
3. No Inter-Geek Tricking. See #2. The more geeks mess around with each other, the more things start to get ugly. This wasn't much of a problem until I moved to DC, and is a relatively new rule. Again, it tends to forment resentments, drama and drop-outs.
We ain't getting any younger, and D&D isn't getting any less geeky. Finding new players in our age group is getting harder these days, and more and more players are focusing on career or other projects (eyes rolling).
In other news, I've had a pretty monastic weekend catching up on chores after last week's travels. The best thing that happened is that I got my first big, fat paycheck and was finally able to catch up on outstanding bills, including paying off a long-irritating chiropractic bill that I've been paying off for over a year. It feels really good to check off one of those thorns in my side.
I'm also off to the gym for the first time in a week. Due to the constant feasting from being home and the wedding I've gained back any and all weight lost due to a violent stomach flu I had over a month ago. The break seems to have done me some good too. Either that or all the luggage hauling in various airports beefed me up a bit. I also got a membership at my workplace, and can now work out at the university fitness center. Focus will be an issue there.
Went out to Blowoff last night because I didn't want to drive anywhere, and smoke there is usually at a minimum. It was a scant crowd, but I chatted with John for a bit and even got to dance for a few songs. There was this cute Jerseyesque cutie there whom I assumed was straight. The whole time he was eying up a small group of women there, but gazed at me for some time when I said my goodbyes when leaving. Honey, some of us are blonde...you really have to get the message across to grampaw jimbo before bedtime comes around!
I had a few moments of weakness yesterday. Remember the Good Apple from Ohio? I was really digging him when we were going on dates, but I don't think the interest was mutual. It was the first time I've been excited about someone in several years. In a nutshell phone calls were never returned...and I got the picture so I stopped calling as well. Still, I was hoping the disinterest was due to the crazy situation of my life at the time when we were going on dates - I was quite manic due to joblessness and job expectations, and am fully aware I wasn't the most stable-seeming interest in anyone's life. Still, I had to give it another try, so called again. No call back though, so my assumptions are probably true.
:' (
The other moment of weakness was calling Dreamy Ron. Yeah, I know we may not see eye to eye on sexual extremes, and I know he seems to only date men from other cities. But the weekend was free, so I gave him a call with the same results as above.
I know the holiday season in DC is crazy at best, frenzied at worst, so do not have high hopes for romance the next couple months. Eh, better to focus on the new job I guess.
Posted by jimbo at November 23, 2003 12:53 PM
Comments
I missed Res at Blowoff, I am so bummed.
Posted by: enrt at November 24, 2003 9:00 AM
Dude
you didn't show up at the Eagle late Sat nite did you?
Posted by: Andy at November 24, 2003 11:35 AM
nope. I was at Blowoff.
Posted by: jimbo at November 24, 2003 12:08 PM
I was hit on bigtime by some guy at the Eagle named Jimbo - looked like he could play rugby too.
wouldv'e been cool...
Posted by: Andy at November 24, 2003 12:42 PM
I think its funny when a guy in a Klingon uniform calls me weird for knowing how to speak Quenya.
But anyhoo geeks are like gay men, they thrive on drama, whether its due to an argument on who is hotter (T'Pol, Major Carter,or Padme Amidala)(my vote goes to T'Pol) or discussing the flaws in every sci-fi film in history.
Now when you add the two and have a geek that is gay, well thats like playing with antimatter right there in regards to the drama department.
Place them in a room of 5 or more stand back and let the magic begin :-)
Posted by: Dax at November 24, 2003 3:27 PM