Digging In

While my paper for the DIGRA conference has long been done (Game Fiction: Playing the Interface in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Asheron’s Call), I’m still putting together my PowerPoint, since the 12 page paper certainly will not fit in the 12 minute time slot each person is allotted (not to mention that outside of English departments, conferencing seems to switch from “reading a paper” to “clicking a PowerPoint”). I’m looking forward to the trip, recalling the rejuvenating effects gained from my last major conference (AoIR 2003 in Toronto).

At the same time, this is lining up to be the Month That Won’t Stand Still. The days slip by, much as my daughter did the other day, shrieking with joy as she danced and sprinted her way through the aisles of Office Depot. There’s nothing more enjoyable than a row full of staplers, except perhaps for those metal-frame staircases that linger about, dangling signs that read “Employees Only.” Those signs mean little to a 17-month old who has that dangerous combination of illiteracy, no sense of danger, and a love of climbing.

While the eBay spam at my “day job” might seem to be the most pressing issue, based on the frequency those emails seem to visit my inbox, we have a deadline looming at the end of the month, making my trip to Vancouver less convenient that it possibly might have been otherwise. There’s also the unfortunate aspect of leaving behind my family, and missing the wedding of a cousin. Our household will be split three ways for a short while next week, and this is an unfamiliar occurrence. Toss in a few other obligations and hopeful aspirations with a looming deadline and I feel like I’m running, wishing for some wind at my back.

As my wife reminded me, however, as we sat watching the lightning bugs rise from the grass in our backyard, once the plane takes off and heads towards Seattle, I’ll lean back and relax. A visit with two very good friends bookends my trip, and I get to revisit Seattle briefly, which I loved the last time I was there, and see Vancouver for the first time (I’ve been to Victoria on Vancouver Island, but never on the mainland proper). By this Sunday, my PowerPoint should be finalized. I’ll have a laptop and about 4 hours on the train from Seattle to Vancouver to just get some other work done. The month isn’t over yet – I just need to stop feeling like it is.