Blood Money

Blood money. I don’t mean the traditional sense of the phrase, but a much more literal interpretation. I donated plasma yesterday and got paid $40 for it. Technically, they didn’t pay me for the plasma, just “compensated me for my time.” Okay…

It’s kind of a weird process: They extract about a pint of blood at a time and it goes into a centrifuge-type machine that separates the plasma from the red blood cells. When the container of red blood cells is full, it is pumped back into your system (along with a saline/anti-coagulant solution). This cycles happens several times until they get the amount of plasma needed. I’ve been told it averages about 45 minutes to an hour. At the end, you have a large bottle of stuff that look (I swear I’m not making this up) exactly like urine. Weird.

Apparently the human body replenishes plasma (which is mostly water) quickly – you can donate twice a week. Other than being bored, I had a good experience. I didn’t get dizzy like I sometimes do when I donate whole blood. Admittedly, it is an odd feeling when the machine reverses and pumps the red blood cells back in, but after describing it to Leslie, she said it sounded exactly like having an IV drip. I’ve never had an IV, so I can’t compare. All I know is that it is cold…the saline solution is sitting there at room temperature (which is cold). Having something cold flush through the INSIDE of your arm is just plain weird (notice that I’ve been using that word a lot? It’s not by accident).

So why did I do it? Well, first off…$40. If I go a second time (which is likely), I’ll get another $40. After that it drops to $25. It’s nice to have a little extra “fun money” sitting in my pocket. Other than that, why not donate? In the past, I’ve tried to give blood whenever the opportunity arose (since I’m AB+, I figured it was my duty). When I saw the advertisement for the plasma center, I figured it would be an interesting experience.

My only warning: The first time you go, plan on spending several hours there as there is a TON of paperwork to fill out (the industry is highly regulated by the FDA) and you have to have a physical, get blood drawn for testing, pee in a cup, etc. After the first time, you just go in, sign in on the sheet, and wait for your name to be called. I almost certainly will not be going in twice a week. I don’t want my arms to look like I’m a drug addict. But I figure once a month would be enough for me to buy a game or a book or whatever I have my eye on and not feel guilty that I’m spending money my family needs for everyday living.

A Week Late and Several Dollars Short

Well, I’ve been back for a week now, so I guess I should post an update. Gen Con was…well, I could have made it better for myself, but there were just too many things that I just didn’t understand how they worked. Not only that, but I was really missing my family. Between them being gone the week before and then me being gone, I was a little lonely.

So…Gen Con. It’s really not a place for someone who is alone and broke. I took a total of $3 with me: $1.50 for the bus ride from the airport and $1.50 for the ride back (I packed my 10+ year old MREs to eat…not great, but I survived quite nicely, thank you very much!). As it turns out, most of the events at Gen Con cost money. So I spent a lot of time wandering the exhibitor hall playing demo games and browsing through stall/shops. I did attend a few panel discussions (which were free), but that was near the end of the convention. I didn’t realize that I could get in without a ticket to those. So there was a lot of wasted time. Also, never having been to a convention before, I didn’t know what I was doing or where to go for the things I was interested in. It was a bit frustrating.

While there, I had the interview for the Ultimate Gamer Test. Long story short: I didn’t win. Which is fine. I really don’t have the time to commit to something like that. I’ll be happy to do my little part and have fun with it along the way with no expectations or onus of responsibility. I still plan on doing the blog on gaming with kids, but it isn’t something that is being required of me.

And then there was the airplane trip back home. Must have been amateur night up there in the cockpit. I don’t want to fly again for a long time.

The worst part about the whole trip is going back into work on Monday morning and having 200+ emails to wade through – most of it pointless and irritating.

Updates on that Other Stuff

So, besides this Ultimate Gamer Test, what else has been happening? Last Saturday I got some tickets for the local minor league baseball game through work (along with free food and drink coupons) and took the kids to go watch. For what it was and for how old they are, the kids did a fantastic job. Isaiah got chosen to go out on the field and announce the first batter. He was THRILLED! He got a free T-shirt and one of the game balls to take home. I think he wants to be a professional ball player now.

Everyone else enjoyed the game as well. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it...not in a rabid fan sort of way either. There were two home runs and quite a few really good defensive catches. All in all, it was a great weekend.

However, after the game, Isaiah went down to spend a few days with Leslie's parents and younger brothers. He got to go hang out with his uncles and I'm sure they had a great time. I can't say for sure because on Wednesday, Leslie took the other kids to the family reunion/camping trip and will come back this Saturday. That means I won't see my girls for three days and my boy for a whole week. Let me tell ya...I hate coming home to an empty house. You'd think it'd be relaxing. I don't like it.

Why didn't I go to the reunion? Work. And GenCon. I don't have enough vacation time to attend both and I certainly can't afford to take unpaid leave. I'm sad to miss out on the camping - and even more sad that I'll miss most of next week with my family as well. At least I'll have four days of mad-crazy gaming to make up for it...

In other news, I've thrown my hat into the ring for an electrical apprenticeship. Because the parent-company of my work is the local utility, I am able to see all the internal-only job postings, and one of them is for a candidate pool for electrical mechanic apprentices. I've taken and passed all the required tests and submitted my application packet (complete with test scores, military training certificates - in electronics nonetheless - and I even found a letter of recommendation from my training squadron commander about my average military tech school grades...98%!). If I do get accepted, it will nearly double my annual salary...and that's just the start. Apparently electricians who work for a utility company (as opposed to construction) make an unbelievable (to me anyway) amount of money. If I don't get it, no worries...but with the luck I have been having lately, I think my chances are higher than average. The posting doesn't close until the end of this month, so I'll just have to wait and see.

Anything else? Oh yeah, I've been asked to write a blog about gaming with kids to post on this Gleemax site once it gets up and running in the next week or so. I won't be reproducing my posts for that here, but I'll make sure to put up a link so you all can read my less-than-expert advice and thoughts on playing games with kids between the ages of 5 and 11. I've got the first two posts already written, but you'll just have to wait like everyone else. So nyeah...

The Final Test

The final test:

"As we near Gen Con the Ultimate Gamer Test final contestants are being asked to complete one more task here on our forums. They are to write an essay of up to 1000 words that will discuss their biggest hope and greatest concern regarding the upcoming Gleemax web site and its features.

These essays will be posted in the Gleemax Feature/Suggestions forums for community feedback and discussion by Sunday, August 4th at 11:59 pm EDT. These threads will remain open for discussion until August 12th. The posts will be judged on the articulation of their thoughts and the quality of the subsequent discussion.

Results of this final round in conjunction with the interview at Gen Con will determine the winner and runner up who will serve on the Gleemax Advisory Board."

Okay, honestly, I really don't care to write a thousand word essay. I graduated from college last year, remember? I should be done with essays. Oh well. And second, I really don't care. Period. Let the site be what it will be. I don't want to have to spend a lot of brain power on my entertainment. This isn't a job offer or anything. It's for a volunteer position. Not sure if I really even want it. I've already won a trip to Gen Con. I'm happy.

Be that as it may, here is my entry...in all of it's unarticulated glory:

* * * * *

I haven’t read a lot of gaming articles. I don’t spend much time reading through online forums. I certainly don’t claim to have years of research into the esoteric aspects of the greater gaming community. I am not a businessman. I am not an analyst. I am not a person with a finger on the pulse of any online (or offline for that matter) game. What I am is a husband and a father; I am also a (casual?) gamer. It is through my interactions with my family that I view my gaming activities. I use my game time to strengthen the bonds between myself and my wife and my children.

When I first discovered Gleemax, it was the last day to take part in the multiple-choice part of the Ultimate Gamer Test. I took it because, having been around games for the last thirty years, I wanted to know how good I would do. I completed it and logged out, not planning to return for a few months; the concept of a “Home For Gamers” appealed to me, but there didn’t seem to be any reason for me to hang around until the site was up and running. I definitely didn’t expect to hear back about the test.

Three rounds later, I have to admit that I never gave any serious thought to what I wanted the site to be. I was just going along, having fun. And it has been fun. So when I actually stop to think about what I would like (with no knowledge of what is planned or even what is reasonably possible) for Gleemax to be, it would revolve around having the fun continue. Because opinions about what is fun can, and do, differ greatly, I can only speak to my own (and my family’s) fancies.

The very first thing that comes to mind is the concept of “games within a game.” I would love to see Gleemax as more than just a website with text and hyperlinks. Imagine a sort of meta-game where this world is brought into existence and within that world is a theme that brings people together to play games online or organize offline gatherings. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a MUD-type environment with avatars running around, but there is an appeal for me in something like that. I can visualize little Gleemians, Gleewians, or Gleexians (male, female, or other) sitting at a table playing an online game, or standing around a black/white board that links to a wiki or modifiable map where several people are creating a community-made RPG setting. It is a “social” meta-game instead of one that has a way to “win.”

Part of being in a community is a sense of ownership. Individuals won’t feel like they belong unless they “own” their own little corner – be that customized home pages (with databases of games and or characters, links to favorite online games, and ways to showcase their latest RPG creation) that others can visit or a virtual reality home that they can decorate how they want and invite their friends over to play games privately without worrying about strangers dropping in. “Come over to my place and play (insert your favorite game here)!”

Another aspect of community is feeling that your own piece of the world is part of a larger whole. From his/her own corner, an individual could then travel to their city or region (such as Spokane, Washington, USA) to see what is happening locally with other gaming groups or sales/events at brick-and-mortar stores. Not enough happening locally? Planning to do some real-world traveling? Go to another area to see what is happening at that locale and find out about people, groups, and stores before you even leave home.

Of course there would need to be a central place for games to be played…like a Convention Center of sorts where people from all over the world can come together to play old favorites or try new creations (Gen Con Online anyone?).

In the public areas of Gleemax, I would like to see (and this will be extremely controversial) a Public Code of Conduct where there would be optional chat filters for those who desire such things. Violations of the Code (such as circumventing chat filters, spamming, harassment, etc.) could be reported and dealt with by administrators, in a way they feel is appropriate. Now, before people start screaming “CENSORSHIP! Heresy!” this would only be for the public areas. Within the games, forums, or whatever areas are created/controlled by individuals, anything goes (with “anything” being determined by the creator of the game/area). This would allow the freedom of expression that some desire while allowing those who choose otherwise to have that option (perhaps with a splash screen/popup showing the “settings” of the area before entering) as well.

My four biggest concerns for Gleemax are: lack of players, lack of games, lack of multi-platform support (Win/Mac/Linux/etc.), and lack of organization. First, there is nothing worse than having a great game site but not having the critical mass of people so a game can be joined at any hour of any day. Second, there might be plenty of gamers online, but if the games aren’t there, or if a wide variety of games doesn’t exist, it can grow stale quickly; socializing will only take me so far. I want to PLAY! Third, if Gleemax does move beyond a simple web browser-based site, as a Mac user I would hate to be shut out because I don’t have the right technology (this could even be expanded to those like me who are on dial up or even to those who don’t have regular Internet access…can casual gamers log in once a week/month/whatever and not have to overcome a maze of terminology and culture?) Fourth, there can be gamers and games and support, but if I can’t find what I need/want, all of that effort is wasted.

...and here is the associated "discussion"...and I will use the term very lightly as it has a high potential for butt-headedness.