Monday, August 1, 2011

I'm a GenCon...

I'm struggling with my title, oddly enough.  The common phrase would be "I'm a GenCon widow."  The idea being that my husband is so focused on GenCon (huge gaming convention that come to Indianapolis every summer), that it's like he's dead to me.

I don't want to say that.  He's very much NOT dead to me.

I thought maybe "I'm a GenCon Divorcée" but that didn't feel right, either.  I'm not any less married just because we're apart for the week. 

"I'm a GenCon Single Mom"  That pretty well covers it but just doesn't have a good ring to it. 

This could be a stressful week or it could fly by.

Since I met Jeff, there has always been a period of time each summer that he is away.  When we were dating, he worked for 2 weeks at the State Fair for the Pork Producers.  The first year- I was a terribly clingy and whiney girlfriend.  I was just so lonely without him and missed him so much.  But this was also when I got hooked on the Fair.  I'd go to work, come home, jump on the Fair Train, spend the evening enjoying the Fair or just tooling around with him (he was a golf cart guy- he delivered whatever was needed to the various tents) and then ride home with him at the end of the night. 

He'd been working the Fair for years and finally decided to stop when another opportunity came along- GenCon.

Now, I'm not a gamer.  I've never played Dungeons & Dragons.  When the guys start talking gaming, it's like a foreign language.  But it's his thing, his hobby, something he really enjoys so I'm all in favor of him having this time with his friends. 

GenCon is a Huge Event in which very many gamers descend upon Indianapolis for 4 days to play games, learn about new games, and dress up like their favorite sci-fi/fantasy characters.

Jeff is in charge of a dungeon.  He works for a game called True Dungeon- it's like a "real life" Dungeons & Dragons game.  The game is set up in the ballroom of a hotel near the Convention Center.  Tickets start selling months in advance and it sells out quickly.  There are, I think, 2 dungeons- one is more focused on solving puzzles and one is more focused on combat.

For 3 days, the True Dungeon crew builds the dungeons, sets up all the special effects, makes sure the rooms all run smoothly.  Then the game is played Thurs-Sat.  And the game starts early in the morning and the last group starts late at night.

This means that Jeff is hard to get in touch with.  It's tough to guarantee that he will have a few minutes to spare for a bedtime phone call to the kids.  He tries but it's a challenge.

Today will be the most challenging of all the days.  Teagan has gymnastics tonight.  I will need to leave work a few minutes early.  I'm going to make their dinner at work before I leave- peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  Gourmet, I know.  It is local honey, if that helps.  Pick up kids, hand them sandwiches, fruit leather, raisins, water bottles in the car.  Get to gymnastics, get Teagan's clothes changed and get to the gym in the nick of time for the hour long class to start.  Home and straight into the bedtime routine.

After tonight, the rest of the week should be pretty easy.  I've prepped our mornings as best I can.  I've got cereal, cereal bars, and granola bars easily accessible so the kids can get something to eat when they wake up.  I've got a laundry basket set up in the hallway of clean clothes- outfits picked out for each day for the 3 of us right down to socks and undies.  There will be no frantic search for clothes in the morning.  I've got dinners planned for the nights we will be home.  One night will actually be a treat because of the junk I've got planned- mini chicken sandwiches (frozen) and these microwave crinkle cut french fries (and there will be baby carrots for Zach and some sort of fruit for Teagan).  Blergh.  But easy and something the kids are actually excited for since we never have that stuff at home.  One night is cheese ravioli because my kids will chow down- it's easily their favorite meal these days.  One night is dinner at church.  And we might treat ourselves to sushi this weekend. 

So I'm on my own.  I miss Jeff.  We've been enjoying each other's company lately.  And I've also been relying on him heavily with the changes to my workload.  So standing on my own two feet completely is a little overwhelming but I'm really just excited for it.  I actually enjoy having all of this time for just me and my kids. 

It's my turn to be a "GenCon Single Mom Who Loves the Challenge of Getting Organized, Having Evenings to Herself, and Having Great Times With Her Kids for a Full Week." 

Now that's a title!!

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9 comments:

Deborah said...

How about "I'm a GenCon Surviver?"

kbiermom said...

"GenCon supporter," maybe? Not as bad as "athletic supporter." ;) Sounds like you have your ducks in a row, so you'll be fine. Hope the ducklings go easy on you :)

kbiermom said...

I'm thinking something like Rosie the Riveter -- "keeping the home fire burning while my husband is away fighting dragons" :) Or, more likely, putting out fires at home and at work... ;)

Jen S said...

I'm a Gen-con single mom Thursday-Sunday this week too!

KPCL Girl said...

But wait, wait, wait until the kids are old enough to GO!!! What fun you will have. And you will be the best, bitchin-est mom in the UNIVERSE. Your kids will say, "Your mom bakes cookies, but MY mom takes me to GENCON...." And the other kids will go home crying because their moms are ordinary, average cookie-bakers when they really want their mom to tour them personally through the vendors' hall, sign them up for True Dungeon, be serious contender in the Settlers of Catan tournament. In time, in time, THIS is the Mom you will be.

;-) I've been working for two weeks on Ben's Tron costume. Can't WAIT to share the photos with you. And maybe I'll get my new medieval-style dress done...., but OH, that Tron costume. Outdone myself, if I do say so myself. ;-)

Amy said...

We like to go people watching during GenCon. Does Jeff wear a costume?

Love PB&H sandwiches! Sounds like a great dinner to me.

Hope the week sails by smoothly.

Jessica Nunemaker from little Indiana said...

We've got the same thing here--only it's not GenCon, it's SOCCER.

Hubs helps coach the girls HS team. He's gone. A lot.

First they have two weeks of intensive practice before school starts--in the AM and the PM.

The games start in two weeks, too. Blargh.

Garret said...

Wow, sounds like you got this nailed Liz. So organized. How's that happen?

Nej said...

Oh my gosh!!!

I used to be a WoW (World of Worcraft) widow. I actually threatened divorce and bodily harm!!! He's a fireman, so his hours are screwy (24 on, 24 off). I'd come home from work, and he'd have been on the computer playing the ENTIRE time I was gone...and keep playing until late at night. And, there was always a pyramid of empty energy drinks on the desk. It was completely nuts!!! :-)

This dungeon crew thing sounds pretty cool though!!

(PS We have all of hubby's old D&D books on our bookshelf up in the den.) :-)