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macintologist · Mar 6, 2007, 02:47 PM

I assume that many of you either work 9-5 jobs or are students. For those of you who work office jobs, how do you find time at home to play games and do leisurely stuff when you might have kids and/or a wife to tend to?

For the students, how do you find time to play games etc.. when you could be doing your reading assignment, writing your paper etc..

I just feel really stressed out right now, like every minute I spend surfing the web should have been used to do my reading assignment. So I feel like I can't have any fun anymore.

Do any of you identify with that? or used to?

Railroader · Mar 6, 2007, 02:52 PM

Time management.

I don't play games.

I do read and watch TV though.

I do it either when the kids are sleeping or the wife has taken them out. I do all of my studying/reading for school as soon as possible and get it out of the way. I use idle time like driving to compose (in my head) papers that need to be written or make any phone calls that need to be made.

Jawbone54 · Mar 6, 2007, 02:53 PM

I'm a full-time college student, work around 60 hours a week (this number is about to go down for the second time in just a few months - people are realizing that I'm taking on too much of a load), and I'm still a month away from my one-year anniversary. I post in between tasks at work, usually. Some days are less intense than other (obviously). At home I usually have to wait until bed-time to surf the web, play a game, or whatever.

Lately the only video game I've played is Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 for PS2 (not counting my DS, which I play in bed if I can't sleep and other places throughout the day when there might be 5 minutes to spare).

TV? Nope. don't even have cable. It would be wasted money for me.

Movies? Rarely. Don't have 2 hours to spare in big chunks like that.

::maroma:: · Mar 6, 2007, 02:54 PM

I have worked long and hard to structure my life around my video games/TV/web surfing. All other things revolve around those 3 key events in my day.

Railroader · Mar 6, 2007, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

Movies? Rarely. Don't have 2 hours to spare in big chunks like that.

Same here. Movies are broken up into chunks and watched incrementally. Last semester I had 8 hours between exams so I watched Casino Royale and Children of Men. Probably the last movies I'll see until exam week this semester (some time in April).

::maroma:: · Mar 6, 2007, 03:13 PM

Ahh finals week. I don't miss that part of college at all. Some of the most stressful times of my life. A time of sleep deprivation and ulcers.

Dakar² · Mar 6, 2007, 03:17 PM

I don't have a wife and kids. Problem prevented.

Doofy · Mar 6, 2007, 03:24 PM

Insomnia. Gives you a longer day to fit stuff into.

Games: Only Sonic whilst performing the daily sit.

TV: Recorded. Maybe an hour per day whilst I'm drying off/airing out from a bath.

Surf: Two monitors. Work (or what could loosely pass as work) in one, you in the other.

exca1ibur · Mar 6, 2007, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I don't have a wife and kids. Problem prevented.

macintologist · Mar 6, 2007, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

Movies? Rarely. Don't have 2 hours to spare in big chunks like that.

Maybe it's the way my girlfriend grew up but she always wants to watch a movie with me, but I feel differently, I'd much rather spend those 2 hours talking to her, hanging out etc, not idly staring into a screen. I agree, movies are a waste of time unless you seriously have a lot of free time.

::maroma:: · Mar 6, 2007, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by macintologist

Maybe it's the way my girlfriend grew up but she always wants to watch a movie with me, but I feel differently, I'd much rather spend those 2 hours talking to her, hanging out etc, not idly staring into a screen. I agree, movies are a waste of time unless you seriously have a lot of free time.

I think it depends on the movie. Cuddling up on the couch with your special lady friend, dimming the lights, popping a nice hot bowl of popcorn, and watching a good porn movie together can be pretty special. Plus, the post-movie events tend to be much more interesting.

Gossamer · Mar 6, 2007, 04:15 PM

I try and stay on these boards during work only, and leave time at home for schoolwork and other stuff. I generally only have one video game at a time. When I beat it, I'll trade it in for another. I have stuff going on 3 of the 5 "weeknights," leaving video games for study breaks or stuff like that. I spent 7 hours on Sunday studying for a test Monday morning, which is probably the most I've ever studied for any test ever, if I include the 2 hours on Wednesday night and a few more on Thursday.

Jawbone54 · Mar 6, 2007, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by macintologist

Maybe it's the way my girlfriend grew up but she always wants to watch a movie with me, but I feel differently, I'd much rather spend those 2 hours talking to her, hanging out etc, not idly staring into a screen. I agree, movies are a waste of time unless you seriously have a lot of free time.

The times that I do watch movies are almost always with my wife. We'll see that one is coming out that we want to see and will literally schedule a time to watch it weeks in advance. If we both don't have tests to study for or work to do, we might decide to finally sit down together and watch it.

But when we're either on vacation (not often enough) or have stumbled across that strange Saturday where we don't have tons to do, one of the most relaxing things we can do together is watch a movie at home, preferably after going out to eat at a nice Italian restaurant.

MM-o4 · Mar 6, 2007, 04:37 PM

haha, I have two monitors at work also. One always has a webpage open

Games - I try to fit in around crap tv. I have been real keen to play on my new Wii+Zelda so I have had some late nights, currently played about 30 of the 90 hours of game play. I have actually taken a day off with the plan to play all day, but then the girlfriend came over with a better offer

I have been really holding myself back from buying another game till I finish cause I don't have time to play 2 games.

Tv - I have it on in the background while at home on the computer doing freelance stuff (graphic design) so I kinda get both done at the same time.

Around all this I work in time with the girlfriend, motorbike rides, gym and all other boring things that just have to get done.

I guess it's all about priorities, but yeah working full time does suck up a lot of time.

-MM-

zerostar · Mar 6, 2007, 05:12 PM

I have been making it a point to leave at 5 every day. Too many "just finish this" days in the last several years. Top priority now is family/home life. Wife goes out once a week with the girls and I usually spend 2 or 3 hours on the Wii. Movies on weekends and once in a while during the week. We are going to see Black Snake Moan tonight actually.

Its really a balancing act, If I can get in a few hours earlier and bust butt I can usually get everything I need done even on the crazy days.

starman · Mar 6, 2007, 05:19 PM

I make time.

jokell82 · Mar 6, 2007, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by macintologist

For those of you who work office jobs, how do you find time at home to play games and do leisurely stuff when you might have kids and/or a wife to tend to?

When something is important to you, you make time. And very few things are more important than games and leisurely stuff.