Xyzzy!
posted in Computers, Games, Illnesses, Internet, OmegaMom |Or, alternatively, “Help me, Obiwan Kenobi! You’re my only hope!”
What OmegaMom has been doing for the past two days, while sorting and washing laundry, is quickly becoming addicted to puzzle games on the computer. Specifically, “hidden object” games.
Let’s back up a year or two. At one point, OmegaDotter wanted (gag!) La Casa de Dora, a computer game. We had a trial version, which lasted an hour. So I signed up with BigFishGames–the “Jumbo Club” option–thinking that we would be downloading games on a regular basis, and downloaded La Casa de Dora.
Then I promptly forgot about my Jumbo Club membership.
So…OmegaDotter has gotten more mature, more able to figure things out, more deft with a mouse, and a month or two ago OmegaDad downloaded trial versions of some other games for her, specifically SuperCow, The Scruffs, and Feeding Frenzy.
Once again, the trial versions expired.
The dotter really liked SuperCow. I really liked The Scruffs, a hidden object game with a sense of humor. I decided–o brilliant idea!–to buy her these games for Christmas.
But when I went to BigFishGames, I tried signing up with my regular email address, and The Powers That Be told me I was already registered.
Whoops!
But!
But!
I now had 9 game credits! Woot!
So rather than spending $10 per game (with the super-de-duper holiday game savings coupon), suddenly they were free!
I promptly downloaded the three games, and then spent hours the night before Christmas working my way through The Scruffs.
And then I decided I wanted another “hidden object” game, so I went to the game site and found “Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst”.
And then on Christmas day and the day after Christmas, I went through Ravenhearst.
And then I decided I wanted another Ravenhearst game (because I had seen it on the front page of the game site) and I downloaded it.
And I have been playing these damned games for days on end.
This is not good. I need a magic word (like “Xyzzy!”) to transport me away from this sudden addiction. Or I need a rescuer, like Obiwan Kenobi, to fight off the Dark Side of the Force. I have a real life, dammit. I have a dotter (who is enjoying working the puzzles with me, at least, so we’re doing a Family Fun Time Activity). I have a husband. There are errands to run. There are stairs to shovel, because we’ve had a foot of snow on top of older snow, and 45-mph winds blowing the snow hither and yon. We have a broody hen segregated in the garage (more on that later). I still have laundry to do.
…but I still need to free the twin girls’ ghosts and find all the objects and figure out all the puzzles, and it’s calling me. (Cue ominous music.)
