Flees.net

Trying to stay busy in Texas

If you are married and have had the unfortunate circumstance of being separated from your spouse for months at a time, you'll probably have a pretty good idea of what I am going through right now (provided you actually love your spouse, which I wholeheartedly hope you do).

In the weeks leading up to leaving, I am was fine. Maybe that was because I was so busy with preparations to sell the house and such and did really think about just how long 4 months really was. When I got in the car and left and first realized that I had seen my wife for the last time in nearly 4 months, I got really sad and nearly teared up. It got a little better and I got on the road and focused on my objective. For the first couple days after arriving I was doing well, adjusting to my new surroundings, trying to get into good patterns.

After about a week, the newness of the situation wore off and the loneliness starting seeping in. You know it is bad when you miss someone and you know it is going to be more than 3 months before you see that person again. I found it difficult to do anything productive (like working on websites or projects) and instead found myself spending most of my time watching movies and playing video games. I was like a zombie. It was difficult to break out of that mode, and I may not be 100% out of it, but I am getting there, more every day.

I still have a lot of time to burn, and I can't spend it all watching movies and playing video games. I have probably watched 30-40 movies since I have been here and I am working on my third game. I have worked on this site some, and I have found a few online diversions that I am going to share with you.

Alphabounce
I have always liked breakout style games (where you control a paddle and bounce a ball to break all the bricks) and this one has the coolest concept I have ever seen. It is an RPG breakout game, in that as you travel around the various stages, you collect various power ups to make your ship more powerful. You can play 3 stages per day for free, or purchase the ability to play 100 stages for around $6.

KadoKado
This site has a truckload of Flash games, but with a twist. You can only play 4 times per day for free, but you are competing against the entire community and by reaching scoring goals you earn Koins that you can use to buy access to more games, or if you acquire enough you can get Amazon.com gift certificates. The Flash games are not anything special, but adding the competitive angle helps a lot. I have even joined a clan!

My Brute
This is yet another once per day thing. You start by creating a brute, which can fight up to three times per day in the arena. You do not control the brutes, you just watch them beat on each other. When you gain levels you get access to weapons, or special abilities, or pets that will help you win.

My Mini City
This is like SimCity super lite edition. Every time a unique IP visits your city page each day, a new resident moves to your city. Eventually, you'll have a huge metropolis. Again, you do not control what or where they build. An interesting concept, certainly.

I am really just trying to get through these last 38 days until I get home. It is rough, but I have made it this far, so I know I can do it. I am just trying to stay busy and keep my mind off how long I have to go.

Tags | games | military | TDY | tech school | training |