Games - Tues., Apr. 8

I like games. Most games are social and made to be played by two or more people. It's fun to match wits with others and spend time getting to know them.

My favorite game is Scrabble. Why? I am a word person. It's fun to anagram the seven Scrabble tiles to find the best combination of letters and high-score tiles on the board, also because there's quite a bit of strategy involved. (At any one time I have 15-20 Scrabble games going on Facebook. The games aren't played real time; one person takes a turn, then waits for the next person to take a turn. It can take days to weeks to play one game depending on how quickly your opponent(s) play.)

Other board/card games I enjoy include: Sequence, Rummikub, Dominoes, Qwirkle, Pit, Milles Bornes, Yahtzee, Pinochle, Risk, Monopoly, Connect Four, Topple, Rummy, Spoons, Hearts, and Spades.

For over 25 years, Bob and I were in a pinochle group in Oregon. We played once a month and alternated whose home we played in. It was a social event with potluck, a top prize for first place and a "booby" prize for last place. We had so much fun and made life-long friends.

Qwirkle

When I was in high school I loved chess, but I haven't played that for years. My skills are rusty.

Physical games were played in high school. My favorites were basketball, softball, and volleyball. Soccer was fun, but that wasn't introduced in our gym curriculum until late in high school. I also enjoyed bowling, square dancing and archery in high school.

In college, I was in love with roller skating and ballroom dancing. I played basketball and volleyball there as well.

Mental "games" I scratch my head over are crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, quizzes, brain teasers, Numbrix, Word Scrambles, Cryptoquizzes, etc. When I have time, I'll pick up a puzzle book or do Numbrix puzzles. Other people love Sudoku. (I've never played Sudoku.)

Even TV game shows pique my interest. My favorites are Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Reality shows fall into the TV game show category. I regularly watch Amazing Race, Survivor, Bachelor/Bachelorette, Shark Tank, Millionaire Matchmaker, and Project Runway.
The reality shows are for entertainment value, not for mind exercise.

And that, my friends, is what I do with the little spare time I have.

Travel Bug out.