There’s a delightful work of art happening on my left wrist, where a bruise is blooming into yellow and purple flowers. I’ve taken the bandages off (when you run out of Batmandaids you’re done wearing bandages) and even though it still hurts like hell, it’s clearly healing. So I’ve got that going for me, which is itchy.
In my continued forced downtime, I’ve watched more Adventure Time, and concluded that it really is that awesome and weird. I’m glad the episodes are 11ish minutes, because that feels like the perfect length. Now, I will begin the long and impossible process of finding a way to perform a character on that show. It’ll end in tears, but I’m still going to try.
… boy, I have a weird life, where I can love a show or a writer or a director and think to myself, “I sure would love to work on that/with him or her” and have a non-zero chance of it actually happening, even if that chance is one in a million. It’s important to me that I never take that for granted, become entitled, or stop being grateful for the potential opportunities, even if they never turn into anything real.
But that’s not what I’m writing about today. Today, I’m writing about PAX and Dragon Con, which happen this weekend. I won’t be attending either, because I’ve spoken at almost a dozen different conventions this year, and I’m just completely burned out on travel and large crowds of people. I’ve had a magnificent time at PAX every year since 2007, and I had a great time at Dragon Con the last time I was there, but I need a break. As much as I love those shows, I don’t get to experience them like a normal attendee (no matter how hard I try), so I’m taking this year off.
So what does this mean for Acquisitions, Incorporated and my beloved Aeofel? I’m not sure, to be honest. I think Pat Rothfuss is doing a great job as the new intern, and we may find out that Aeofel got into a chariot driven by Poochie, where they were both killed on their way back to Poochie’s home planet. We may find out that the party grows by one, and that it was Earth all along. I’m not sure, and it’s not entirely my decision to make.
It feels a little sad to me that I’m not going to nerd summer camp in Seattle tomorrow, and if I’m honest with myself, I have some regret that I won’t be Mario Karting and Pictochatting and dungeon crawling with my friends. But I also know that staying home is the very best thing I can do for my mental health, so I’m going to listen to my scumbag brain for a change.
I’m a little bummed that you wont be at PAX, because I’d talked myself into standing in line to have you sign some CAH cards for my bro and his new wife, BUT, I’m glad that you’ve decided to do what’s best for you and stay home and relax.
Maybe some year you can say you’re not going and actually cosplay all weekend and no one will know that you’re there but you’ll be able to experience it like a normal person. Here’s hoping anyway.
Enjoy your break from travel, try to scrounge up another point of CON from something; you seem to need one.
If you feel up to it and the technical details can be worked out, you might consider playing the D&D session via teleconference.
I have no skin in that game though. I won’t be at PAX either.
I’m very sorry to hear about PAX. I have only been to one large con before, that being Tampa Comic Con this year. I was a volunteer in large part thanks to watching con videos on Youtube and your show Table Top. I love the fact that you are completely open to youtube shares and such for your appearances as it gives me a chance to experience them with having no money to go myself. One of the things I have recently become addicted to watching were your PAX D&D games. They are fricking hilarious! However, I can totally understand needing a break. Thanks for helping me let my geek flag fly! Can’t wait to see your next vid! If it be on Geek and Sundry or a con video! Also, next time you are in my neck of the woods I am so stopping by to say thank you in person!
Please don’t let them do Aeofel in in your absence! I have never played D&D but was friend adjacent to it many years ago. Two years ago I found the videos online of your return to the living. I could hardly wait for the next year’s video. Patrick should be a great addition. But Aeofel NEEDS to be heard from again, even if it’s just to say “Don’t call me Al!”
Will said “… boy, I have a weird life, where I can love a show or a writer or a director and think to myself, “I sure would love to work on that/with him or her” and have a non-zero chance of it actually happening, even if that chance is one in a million. It’s important to me that I never take that for granted, become entitled, or stop being grateful for the potential opportunities, even if they never turn into anything real.”
You never know, while it’s more likely that a person like me has a zero chance of working with those talented people whose work I love, maybe it’s not really zero. The world works in wonderful ways sometimes, and even us ordinary people can have miracles if we are willing to put ourselves out there. I guess what I’m saying is I’m not willing to believe that all my chances for meeting and working with my idols is zero!
We will miss your presence so incredibly much at PAX! But as a fan, I would rather have you be mentally happy and healthy, and come to the cons when you really feel like it is the best time for you, instead of feeling forced to come to a con and not having a fantabulous time.
So while I’m selfishly sad that I won’t have another Wil Wheaton At PAX picture to add to my “list of things” this year, I’m more stoked to hear that you’re able to tell us when a mental time-out needs to happen.
Looking forward to your hopeful-return in the future =D
You could always play over Skype or something like that. I play Battletech with my friends like that a couple times a month since I’m disabled and they all live on the other side of town. It’s basically the best of both worlds since I can have fun beating the crap out of them but don’t have to wear pants.
LeVar Burton was on a semi-recent episode so the producers would probably be more than okay with a Wil Wheaton character.
You’re definitely good at making the best of a not so great situation. I only come to the blog once every week or two, as reading one blog post is never enough for me, I have to be saturated with all the wilw stuff at once, so I didn’t read the dog stuff until just now.
I’m glad you’re healing well, and as someone who was also on Vicodin and antibiotics for the past week (dental shit), good job making it to the other side! Hopefully you will be geeking the fuck out in no time. 🙂
Best wishes for fast(er) healing.
Let’s hear it for scumbag brains.
*thumbsup*
It’s like I tell my gamers, when they mention missing anight to visit family, or holidays.. “Real Life comes first” Yes, it still sucks when you are looking forward to a game and have to miss, or to an event and have to miss. I play in an Earthdawn game every other week, and last week on the way there, I blew a tire. Spent an hour moving tires around and putting the spare on, and came back home, because I didn’t want to be out in the car with my son and something happen again until I could get the tires look at. It sucked that we missed the game. They might have played without us, or just BS’d a bit, I will find out in 2 weeks.
As for getting your game on.. there’s this nifty thing called the Internet. Many different tables you can use to play. I personally use RPGTableonline.com It’s free (you can unlock more perks for a price, but can play and DM for free). It’s built for D&D 4e, but I have used it to run a Cyberpunk 2020 game, and am going to test a Shadowrun 5th ed. game on Labor Day with it. It has it’s own voice client, so it’s not like Google hangouts where you need a camera.. you could always create an anonymous username.. sure, people might recognize your voice, but the community of gamers is rather mature, I doubt anyone would harass you or go total fanboy crazy (unless you want that, then sure, it could be arranged, lol).. otherwise, I can refer you to a few select DMs.
OR, you could invite your own group of friends to play, and never actually let the general public know that you are there. Just sayin.
In any case, enjoy your time off, and don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t deserve it.
Two tear chords will strum down the cheeks of many many of my fellow geeks this year, in your absence. But, good on you for taking care of yourself.
In reference to your opportunities: finally heard you in that episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I don’t even remember which character you played, but I think it was Incidental Man #3 or something to that effect. Either way, it was really cool to hear you on there, and it gave me a happy. So if Adventure Time is the next show you want to guest your voice on, definitely go for it! We will all be happy, you will be happy, and I daresay Adventure Time will be improved by it in some way!
Rest easy, Wil.
There will be another con, and you have to come first sometimes.
And perhaps, if you are very lucky, the internet might help you out with that Aeofel situation?
Very sad to hear you won’t be at PAX this year, but enjoy your well deserved break. I need a break after attending 1 con, I can’t imagine attending as many as you’ve done this year.
The totally awesome thing I made to give you at PAX and what I think is a really awesome/hilarious Sparks McGee cosplay that I was going to do will just have to wait until the next time you attend a Seattle Nerdfest.
Firstly, I’m glad your hand is getting better and I hope Riley is calmer!
Secondly, sad face! Aeofel will be missed. I hope he is able to return.
Most importantly though, I think everyone who cares understands and doesn’t want you to have a burnout. So have a good rest and good luck for all future endeavours.
Ahhhhh, adulthood – that time where we realize we actually DO have to take care of ourselves to extend our quality and quantity of life. I’m glad to hear you are on the mend – even gladder to hear you are taking your recovery seriously by resting both your brain and your body until you are healed.
Now if you could just help me figure out how to get my son to take his health seriously…
I have central sleep apnea which is caused by a brain error instead of most people who are dealing with obstruction issues. Basically my brain doesn’t tell my body to breath sometimes so I have a Bi-Pap machine. My son is starting to have sleep issues and even though I tell him that I may have passed on bad DNA to him I can’t get him to take it seriously. He just turned 27, got his first “real” post-college job last year (at a salary befitting his college degree) and I so don’t want this to ruin it for him. I don’t think this is one of those “imagine him mature enough to do something” things where you can positively think it to happen. What’s a mother to do?
Have you thought about shaving off your beard? I bet no one would recognize you and you could roam PAX unmolested. However, being a fellow beard wielder myself, I understand how you’d have to mourn the loss of such a big part of your life, plus that ever important 30 spf that beards provide (source: reddit/r/til). I mean I constantly have a flock of women following me, asking me if they can stroke my beard and it’s a tough responsibility to bear, but if I want that ever important breather, I sit for a good 20 minutes, do a manly cry and go through a good 3 thousand razors to slay the beast.
What I’m trying to say is – there are options… drastic options. Consider carefully.
No matter what happens in his absence, we all just need to keep in mind: AEOFEL LIVES!
I suppose you could try attending a future con as a cosplayer…
First, nice Wilco reference.
Second, have you seen the Adventure Time episode entitled “Monster” yet? If not, go find it. It’s the best. We’ve taken to referring to all teenagers as LSP’s.
Just a thought, next Con your at dress up and blend in like Adam Savage did. You don’t have to go all out like him but you could walk the floor like a boss.
And the “making of” video of that costume is pretty spiffy as well,
In addition to Adventure Time, you have to give Regular Show a try. It’s brilliant in the same kind of surreal way. We’re big fans of both at my house.
Ran out of Batmandaids? I would suggest Baconaids. Or maybe just Bacon.
When play feels like work, it’s time to take a break.
Well, I’m sure glad now I didn’t fly across the country for Pax Prime just to go to the AInc game and not have you there.
Like I went to Pax East in hopes you would be there a couple years ago.
We’re just not fated to be in the same place at the same time WHEATON!!!
Half way though the article he writes “But that’s not what I’m writing about today.” Pulling a Jedi Mind trick on us! This is not the post we were looking for, I guess we better move along. 🙂
You know, if Wil is not at PAX, they are going start calling Aeofel by the nickname they love so much. I can hear it now.
“Where’s Al?”
“Al can’t be with us today”
“You know Al would have like this”
“We did OK even without Al”
That or they will make some wise-arse remark about Aeofel falling into another pit of acid. (sorry, too soon?)
Rest, Consider PAX East? -Shameless East Coaster
Hi Wil,
I just saw the PAX 2013 D&D game and missed you there.
I got an invite to play a game of D&D and wanted to know how a game would go. I found Acquisitions Inc just last weekend and started with the 2010 show. Laughed my ass off. You guys are a great group of people.
6 hours later i wanted to see the 2013 show, which obviously wasn’t there. Looked into when it would air and it was only a weekend away. I couldnt believe my luck.
Well saw it now and missed you and looked into where you were and read on your accident.
I hope you are doing well and will you be playing with acquisition Inc again?
Just wanted to drop a line and thank you for the fun you guys gave me! 😀
Thanks,
Dennis Teusink
Ha-ha! I’ve been volunteering with Go To Games all-weekend where I do nothing but introduce people to board games. It has been a ton of fun,
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-To-Games/149661541909018
I occasionally think of how much fun Wil would have (assuming he did not catch con crud) playing games all day and meeting cool people.
Wil, I’ve worked in a couple plugs for Table-Top since you reviewed some of the games we played – Once Upon A Time and Gloom.
Hope your weekend has been relaxing and that you worked in a couple of games.
🙂
We missed you at PAX this year, but I completely understand the con burn-out. You can rest easy knowing that Patrick Rothfuss was a delight, but a completely different kind of delight, so I don’t think the door has been closed on Aeofel’s return. Hope your continued convalescence is successful!
I just started looking for this year’s live D&D game after two weeks of solid work trying to at least relax me a bit as I continue working and came across this unfortunate bit of news. I hope you get well soon, personal and mental well being is always a priority. It’ll be sad to not have Aeofel when they finally do upload it, but I found their precursor podcast which is entertaining and it’ll be fun to have playing while I work regardless. Besides, I get a decent amount of exposure to you through tumblr. Just focus on getting better. You’ll be in my prayers.
Also, if you happen to enjoy minecraft in any kind of fashion, i know a popular con guest who needed to get across the con and did it with one of those cardboard creeper heads. There are enough of those at cons to give you complete anonymity without the complexity of a full cosplay, although the only downside is apparently a little bit of reduced visibility.