Addiction!

Addiction

About two months ago during one of our weekly trips to the Garage Sale Store, my eyes spied a came cube in a box with all the controls and attachments. I took a quick look just out of curiosity and found that it also came with several games. For $10 it seemed like a good deal. As I started looking closer I noticed that a couple of the games were Zelda . .. my heart started pounding and my eyes I’m certain were sparkling. I thought to myself that this would be a good thing to get for the boys to play with when they game over . . .

Isn’t self denial grand! Who was I kidding . .I wanted that game . . .Visions and memories filled my head and I smiled - - -I recall hours spent putting quarters into a machine to play PacMan outside of Foster Freeze while my oldest child was a baby slept in her carseat - -we eventually bought our own Atari to feed the addiction - -and then I recalled the hours and days spent with Bratty Brat while we both played Zelda on the Nintendo. - - the kids were all little and we were hopelessly addicted - - -when I say that we played for hours and days .. I’m not kidding . . .and we would take turns and then stop just before everyone got home and make a few vaccum marks on the floor and take some towels out of the linen closet like they were freshly laundered - - - -we were an absolute mess over that game! I had to have the game!

And so good ole’ Nineandahalf – oblivious to my previous addiction – agreed to buy the game . . . . I carted it home on my lap smiling all the way. Once home tho . . I couldn’t bring myself to get it out . . . . I knew it would take over my every waking moment. Again . . good ole Nineandahalf was oblivious . . and so after it sitting in a box for a couple of months he hooked it up for me for a surprise! What a surprise it was! I can’t tell you what I ate for dinner that night as I played Zelda well after my usual bedtime. It was fun . .I was hooked again . . . .and so the next few nights went - - until I was stuck . . .At my age most of us didn’t inherit the “Video Game Gene” and so we aren’t quite as good at it as the younger generation. I gave Nineandahalf instructions to spend the day getting me past that point and was very disappointed when I came home and asked him about it and he said he had forgotten and didn’t have time to play the video game . .. Didn’t have time????? DIDN’T HAVE TIME??> He clearly didn’t understand the importance of it all . . . . I was disappointed - -even resorting to checking the internet for any tips . . .See just what this type of addiction can do?

Ahh . . I knew the answer - - -Pool Boy was coming to dinner! I know that he has that “Video Game Gene” of that I was certain. So when he came over for dinner and picked out a movie for us to watch together . .I casually . . .well okay . .I was doing my best to be casual . . .but honestly I ordered Nineandahalf to turn on Zelda and thrust the controller into Pool Boy’s hands so he could get me past the obstacles in the room. I started to explain how the controller worked and before I could even get started Pool Boy was snapping up Rupees and whizzing thru the game. I was speechless . . . I sighed and was relieved . . Yes . . .PoolBoy has the gene . . .and so in about 5 min (while I had spent 2 complete evenings frustrated beyond belief) Pool Boy was thru the room and beyond .. .That was great . .. Oh no . . .what was happening . . .Pool Boy was continuing to play . .Oh No . .this is MY ZELDA . .what am I going to do . . .About then dinner was ready and for Pool Boy the choice of food or video game was simple . . .Food wins!

During dinner my oldest, Stefanie, called to say she, Superman and the grandbabies would be by on Sunday, Mother’s Day, morning to drop off something they had made for me . . . .I smiled! Nothing beats those corney gifts made so lovingly by the little ones . . and I smiled as I remembered all the hand prints and homemade flowers of years gone by made by my own children. What a nice surprise to have them stop by . . .

And then , , ,Kyle called. He sounded so tired and stressed . . . This is final’s week for his first year at WSU and he has been studying and worrying so much about his finals. He’s doing great and while I feel bad he works so hard and frets so . . I’m proud that he takes it so seriously and is doing so well . . .

So what started out as an uneventful evening .. .turned out to be great . . .my Zelda problem was solved . .. and all three of the kids called and on the same night while one of them was there for dinner. What a great day! And no even Mother’s Day at all and yet one of those perfect days for a Mom . . so whatever happens on Sunday . .. .I had today and it was great!

Life doesn’t get any better than this! Have I said that before . . . hmmm . .I think so . . ..