“Beep beep, beep beep, beep beep” – there it is, the death toll for all restful enjoyment. The morning alarm. “beep beep, beep beep, beep beep”. Putting it on snooze won’t help. You’ve got a busy day ahead. Family commitments, cleaning, shopping, getting work done; the list mounts up in your head. This insurmountable pile of tasks weighs on your fuzzy morning mind, filling you with a sense of primordial dread. How awful. Snooze goes on again, you toss, you turn, you just do NOT want to get up. It gets later, and you just can’t lie in bed any more.
Throwing back your covers, the cold morning air hits you like a tsunami.
Then, it happens.
Glistening from beside your television, that beautiful technology, the mystical machine of dreams tips you over the edge.
Today, is a duvet day.
Decision made, relief washes over you and an excited smile cracks quickly on your face. Phone in hand, commitments are re-scheduled, and apologies are made. Very quickly you handle your morning ablutions and grab a nice big bowl of (preferably sugary and unhealthy) cereal. Running up the stairs, spilling milk on your way (or in my case, soy milk) you leap into bed and horf down that cereal as though your life depends on it.
It is time.
As you pick up the controller your hands fill with warmth, a tear of bliss appears in your eye. A duvet day is generally pleasant, but the duvet day of a gamer pales in comparison to all other duvet days.
Today, you defeat that boss that’s been getting you down.
Today, you finally get your ranks up online.
Today, you play that game that’s been gathering dust from the start, right through to its blissful finish.
Matches are made and completed, achievements are earned and games with only a couple of hours left are finally polished off. It’s a beautiful feeling, the gaming duvet day. Food becomes a secondary thought, and you turned your mobile off long ago. Toilet breaks are infrequent and very rushed. Each leap back into the duvet is met with renewed vigour and picking up the controller gives you the bliss of a snow day at school all over again. Thumb cramps are ignored, all frustrations are trivialized by the sheer naughtiness of this day. Today is the day you smile about all year, the wonderful day that wore the lettering off your Playstation controller. The day all the bandwidth belonged to your Xbox 360. The day you spilled fizzy on your duvet while it’s huddled over your shoulders by the PC. The day your portable console got the attention it deserves.
Hours pass in a square-eyed state of concentrated, pure, bliss. Today, you don’t exist in this realm. You are in Gaming Nirvana.
As the day draws to a close, you sleep that night with thumbs still twitching. Tomorrow, you will wake up refreshed, with the pure serenity of a Buddhist monk.
It is my honest and core belief, that every human being needs a duvet day every now and then to regain their sanity. Next time you feel the urge coming, try and find yourself a day. Whisper sweet nothings to your consoles and promise them their day of attention is coming very soon. It’s preferable to book this day in advance (tip – it’s more fun if you can book this day out from work as opposed to waiting for a scheduled day off; never pull a sickie for it as it’ll only sour the beauty of the day). Make sure the kids are with a sitter, pets are taken care of. This is a day you’ll look back on for years to come.
This is your day.
Your Gaming duvet day.
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May 21st, 2009 at 11:15 am
We don’t have duvet days in my work. It’s been talked about, but it hasn’t happened and likely not to. I can only imagine wanting to save the duvet day for a later time, but having the temptation to use it every monday morning.
However, when those days you have booked off as holiday roll around, then its the late nights, early morning (because I used to waking early for work) and gaming from bed begins. Usually to try those downloaded demoes that have been building up. At least I don’t have to get out of bed again to put a disc in for those. :D
May 21st, 2009 at 11:18 am
OMG I want I a duvet day. *wipes tired bleary eyes*
I have sooo many great games. Unplayed, unfinished, but not unloved.
Right! *determined sounding* I hereby swear to find a day for me and my duvet! It shall be called an Alex Day, and it shall be soon! For many are the games which deserve to be duvet-ed, and great is my tiredness and hacked-offedness at work!
So says me, on this day, at this hour, and being of sound mind, etc, etc. :)
Duvet!! :D
May 21st, 2009 at 11:33 am
Haha, awesome! Trust me, you won’t regret it ;D
I’m planning one for sometime next week, I’m gonna have to start scribbling up a snack list!
x
May 21st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Yea baby!! Gaming duvet days are what I live for. When I was at uni I used to have the, um, odd one or two. It just feels so wrong, so bad… I love it. But in my experience you have to have some kind of prior engagement of sorts to reschedule for another day in order to obtain maximum satisfaction from the experience. It’s just gotta feel wrong.
And I’ve got that whole toilet-going minimisation business down to a T. Involved is a complex formula balancing fluid intake, room temperature and physical energy expelled throughout the day. It’s a tough formula to nail, but it’s well worth it.
Great post Alex. Love the enthusiasm.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:39 pm
I love that, “It’s just gotta feel wrong” ;) lol!
I want to know more about this formula of yours, I think I may have to start my own experiments. Could make a fortune among gamers!
x
May 21st, 2009 at 9:48 pm
We could make millions Alex. We should chat… ;)
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:45 am
Really good post Alex, you’re on form. I’m due about a week of duvet days, but they are impossible for me to have. I’ll just have to settle for duvet nights.
Lovely read, thanks. :)
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
We should indeed Celeste! ;D Let’s get rich together!
Thank you, Martin :D You really should try and have a day, I’ll try and send some “give me a break” chi your way! Here’s hoping it works and gives you some extra time ;)
x