Sucked In

My dad and I both have addictive personalities when it comes to stupid, competitive things.

Best example I can give you is Tetris. There were several 8-bit Nintendo video games that dominated my youth (Mario Bros., Duck Hunt and Arch Rivals to name a couple). When we got a computer, it was Solitaire, Hearts, Minesweeper (which always infuriated me) or that game where you bounce a ball off a floating bar and knock it into bricks, which disappear when you touch them.

But whether it was on a Game Boy, a computer or a tv, Dad and I would always come back to Tetris. We could play for hours, and then I'd have dreams about bricks falling into place. It was almost compulsive. And we'd get over it and forget it after a month or so, but to this day, I find myself steering away from most forms of online gaming because I KNOW I'm going to get sucked in. I don't need something keeping me awake and staring at a screen through odd hours of the night! And that's exactly what would happen. That, plus MORE procrastination.

However.

Lately, I have happened upon a new game that I occasionally, compulsively find myself playing. At first it was Word Twist (which I still love), but now it's Bejeweled. I encountered it on my phone on a really incredibly boring day at work, but I only had the free trial version. Not wanting to drop $7.95 on an unlimited subscription, I decided to come home and check out the full version on facebook...

And now, as of the past 5 days, I waste at least 30 minutes a day blowing up multicolored gemstones before time runs out. And even though the newer version, Bejeweled Blitz, only lets you play in one minute increments without paying, it gives you tons more points and bonuses.

I am so lame.