I've been thinking about my life lately. Well, our lives, really. We live in a dark place. By that, I don't mean that there's not enough lighting in the house. We are like ghosts that linger around hoping that something will happen. We lack focus.

As much as I complain about Mara not doing anything around the house, my own track record is lacking of late. Most of mine and Mara's problems, I believe, can be traced to Everquest II. I spend far too much time there. So none of the things that need to be done around the house get done.

In Mara's case, I think her EQ life is more real to her than her marriage or her life at home. I'm well aware that if I'm to dig us out of this hole, I can't rely on Mara for any of the heavy lifting. She contributes a paycheck every week, and apparently thinks that's all there is to it. If pressed, she would point out that she also goes to the grocery store and sees that the bills get paid. There's nothing about housekeeping in her resume'. In fact, just mentioning it is a guaranteed way to trigger a patented Nickell hissy fit.

More and more I feel like I'm not going to get anything done as long as the Everquest distraction is there (talking specifically about myself here). And I'm beginning to wonder that if Mara and are going to have a life together, Everquest has to go.