Wow, I haven't posted here in 5 years.
Let's get this part out of the way: it's been a rough time for my hobby. When the Pandemic hit, we pivoted to work from home instantly, like many. Except, just months before, we had converted our spare bedroom office into a hobby room with a pair of benches. So, I began working from my hobby bench.
In 2026, when I talk to people about how deeply the pandemic affected me - still affects me - I get puzzled looks. It's also become an uncomfortable political hot button, which I hate. The impacts to me were, and are, very real.
My job at the time was deeply involved with the pandemic response. I had emotional, stress filled days for the better part of two years. It's now been 5+ years but I find myself sighing and swallowing hard to even type this as memories flash. But my point is this: after finishing for the day, I wanted nothing to do with the hobby space in which I worked. I had to get away, had to go outside, go watch a movie, go sit on the couch. Anywhere else, but not there. When I sit there now, some of that aura of stress and dissatisfaction comes back. Later, I added a sit-stand desk next to the hobby bench to have a permanent workstation, but that aura in that chair remains.
And the cat. We got a Pandemic Kitten. A tiny little orange orphan that someone dropped at my parent's. He was exactly what we needed at the time, and he enjoyed working with me and became part of my email and meeting routine. He's 6 now, but grew up in a house with both of us teleworking and me, his primary human, spending most of his day in the hobby room. Although we are back in the office now, to this day he begs for me to sit in the email chair and goes berserk with happyness when I'm in that room.
Which means he goes berserk when I try to sit down and hobby. It's tough. He's a good little guy, but I get irritated fast with his shenanigans. While I could break him of it, it's such a fundamental thing about him and our relationship, that it would be cruel to do so. He simply doesn't understand why I'm mad, he just wants to do emails. As a result, my hobby sessions are fewer and often end in frustration.
End result: I have a hobby bench that I don't really use; between my lingering anxiety from the pandemic, and sacrifices I make for a neurotic furry overlord, my hobby time has been sporadic and dwindling.
I haven't painted in probably 8 months and haven't done any serious contest work since 2022. Four years ago.
Gencon ... All of those burdens are still there - work, life, whatever. Before the Pandemic, I used to be excited for Gencon. It was nerd Christmas. I posted here about shenanigans and planning and results. It was an event to be min/max'd and we went all in.
- Gencon 2020 didn't happen. We hosted Gencan't with friends and gamed at the house.
- We went to Gencon 2021 for a single day. It was an odd, small affair. We walked the vendor hall - which was about 1/2 the size of the normal sprawling hall, said hi to a few friends, and then went home sad.
- I missed Gencon 2022 due to work; I was assigned out of state for almost a year.
- I honestly don't remember much about Gencon 2023 and 2024. Fizzles. I walked the vendor hall and checked out a few things, bought some Brimstone and Kingdom Death but wasn't adding any new lines to a hobby I really didn't participate in.
- Gencon 2025 was an interesting one. I got into 3 Kingdom Death factory games. We had a blast with those. I don't remember buying much, and what I did buy is still in the bag that I brought it home in.
