Roller Derby and Gaming Don’t Mix

I was thinking about how today is the 25th birthday of Tetris, and now I've made myself really sad. I just was thinking about how little gaming time I've been getting since I started roller derby. I miss my old video games!

I love Final Fantasy, and there are two new FF titles coming out in the next couple of years (XIII and XIV)! I still have to finish XII!

Guild Wars, my favorite MMORPG, has been seriously neglected since the beginning of April. I'm pretty sure the last time I logged on was on April Fool's Day, when everyone was turned into chibi Gwen. (So cute!)

This is what I'm missing!!!

The Sims 3 just came out this week, and I'm dying to buy it. However, I'm terrified that if I do get it I'll skip practice for three weeks, lose my job, and this blog will go to crap. Think I'm overreacting? When the Sims 2 came out I lost 20 pounds. I didn't sleep or eat. I did manage to make it to class, but it was only a five minute walk.

I'm trying to fit time in for zombie/monster/sim killing, but it's hard. Here's my schedule for a typical weekday:

6:45am -- Wake up
7:45 am -- Leave for work
6 pm -- Get home from work
6:50 pm -- Leave for practice
10:00 pm -- Practice ends
11:00 pm -- Get home from practice
11:00 pm-1:00 am -- Catch up on internet (blog, Twitter, etc.)
1:00-ish am -- Go to bed

Days when I don't have practice are when I typically write blog posts and chat with my online friends. And any blogger can tell you that it takes much longer to write a decent post than you may think. I can easily spend two to three hours on a personal post (like this one). A post requiring research (like that massive Crackerjack post a few months back) can take days.

Six months ago I'd get home at six o'clock and spend the rest of the time playing games. I had far fewer friends, was barely on Facebook, and never Twittered. I was involved with local theatre, but that only lasts for a month or two, and then everyone moves on.

So I'm wondering... Am I growing up? Roller derby has many benefits that can't be provided by video games. And my blogging has the potential to provide me with lunch money. (My AdSense earnings so far... $.09 w00t!)

I'm conflicted. Gaming is a large part of my past, but I feel that it can't be in my future. Not if I'm going to move onward to bigger challenges in my life. Whenever I feel like logging on to GW, or turning on the PS2, I think, "No. I could be doing something creative or productive. This is a waste of time."

I'm also trying to get into law school. It's impossible to add studying for the LSAT to my crazy schedule if I'm stuck in Ascalon for hours at a time.

And I'm sad to say... killing a virtual zombie is nowhere near as satisfying as it used to be. Not when you've experienced the rush of annihilating your adversary (or your hero!) on the derby track.

So... is this a sign of maturity? I'm not sure I like it!