Friday, February 11, 2011

Favorite Things Friday

My favorite thing this week is something with which I have a love/hate relationship. No, it’s not the devil cat (although I do have a love/hate relationship with him as well), but rather it is computer games, or as I fondly call them, stupid computer games.  I don’t play the complicated roll playing games, like World of Warcraft, but rather the mindless ones.  My old favs were Spider Solitaire and FreeCell which are freebies on PCs, and before those I played Hearts and Mine Sweeper, also freebies on PCs.  Oh, and I used to play two on facebook: Mafia Wars and Farmville.  And then there’s Tetris.  I’ve since stopped playing those.

I currently play four different games: 

Bejeweled Blitz (on FaceBook),


Texas Hold ‘Em (on FaceBook),

Drench (http://www.flashbynight.com/drench/) and Pacxon (http://www.gamesolo.com/flash-game/pacxon.html). 


I play these games compulsively and obsessively.  

Wikipedia defines compulsive behavior as behavior which a person does compulsively—in other words, not because they want to behave that way, but because they feel they have to do so.

Mirriam Webster defines obsessive as excessive often to an unreasonable degree.
I can play for hours at a time.  I try to limit myself to three games at a time, but I rarely stick to it .. “just one more,” I tell myself.  I decided to take a one day game break last week - and probably should do it regularly or perhaps allow myself only one day a week to play games.


This is something that started a long time ago.  When I was in high school, we would go to the Student Union at the nearby college and play pinball .. until I ran out of quarters and since I was a waitress at the time, I always had lots and lots of quarters.  I can’t imagine how much money I wasted on those games .. 

then in the 80s Pacman came on the scene.  The first time I played, I spent at least two hours and $10, and didn’t even get past level 1.  


I just have one question:  why can’t I be this way about good things, like exercise or eating healthy? 

Anyway, that’s my “favorite” thing this week. 

8 comments:

Paulette said...

I'm with you on all the ones you mentioned in the first paragraph (except the FB ones, because I'm not on there), but I haven't evolved much beyond that. Although my daughter's boyfriend insisted I play Bejeweled on his iPhone, and that was pretty darn fun. I think my favorites are still Minesweeper and Tetris. Oh, and that Marbles one, remember that? Pinball on the computer was pretty fun too...I'll stop now...

Katie said...

Well obsessive video games is better obsessive ice cream eating. I am not one to play many video games although I am a little crazy about bannagrams for my iphone

Kirsten's Cooking said...

very interesting - I can see how you could get hooked!

It probably serves the same purpose that reading does for me - it's an escape and some mindless recreation!

Happy FTF

Marg said...

I used to be a little obsessed with Cafe World on Facebook, it took me awhile to wean myself off. I spend too much time reading blogs now to have free time to play any games.
I agree I wish I could be even a little obsessed about exercise.

Elizabeth said...

I used to play free cell and solitaire a ton. Kind of addicting. And I'm with you? Why can't good things, like exercising and eating your vegetables be addicting that way?

xo -El

Shay said...

Darn you Thea! (insert shaking fist here ) I went over to Drench and got obssessed with it. Another reason to be on the computer.

Ahhhhhh Pacman. I used to love Space Invaders too.

It's only an obssession if it stops you going to work ....

Very cool FTF!

Anna said...

Ah! Games! You know that elementary school kids and teenaged boys love those things too. There is a whole industry built upon the addiction of which you write. I myself prefere cards with people and sex but there you go you can control a computer game better.

Baa-Me Kniits said...

I used to love pacman, these days all my spare time is spent reading and commenting on blogs...that feels a little obsessive??? Who cares I have met so many wonderful people from all around the world it is more than worth the bigger butt that I seem to be getting :-)

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