Scrabbling about

I've come to the conclusion that it is not Facebook alone that will destroy my life. No, I like it, but up until recently I wasn't spending hours and hours addicted to the site. Certain the fact that work blocks Facebook helps as I suspect many of my friends who manage to waste hours and hours on the site do so at work.

No, is is now my ability to now play Scrabble on Facebook that will destroy my life. It's the first time I've been able to play a game in years since Cathy hates it.

Early in our relationship, after a particularly disastrous game of Trivia Pursuit, myself and Cathy came to an agreement to not play games where one person has a clear, vast superiority in skill. Because it sucks to be constantly losing with no hope of victory for years. So we do not play most versions of Trivia Pursuit or Scrabble because of me and we don't play Disney Trivia Pursuit and Monopoly, where she is an evil, ninja wench. For awhile Guitar Hero was in danger of falling into that category, but Cathy's skill has improved considerably to where we're now evenly matched.

But Scrabble is proving to be addictive. It's been at least three years since I've had a game. I'm in the middle of three right now at the same time. And yes, one friend is beating me soundly in my first game, and the second game is stalled until OM can get more reliable internet access.

But the other day I put down "tea" for 23 points in a game with two friends and I was still cackling hours later. Because hell, 23 points isn't much, but it's where I put it down that makes me ever so happy. And let's face it, 23 points on "tea" is still pretty damn good.

But it's not that I can now play Scrabble with friends that will ruin me. In a face-to-face game, if you spend more than 10 minutes trying to come up with a word, you will get surly looks. As one friend said, if you go 20 minutes, people will just get fed up with you and either quit or start forcing tiles down your throat. But playing it online like this means you can literally spend hours trying to find the perfect word in the perfect spot. Because the game is likely going to take days to complete anyway, so why not take your time with a move.

This is bad. Trust me.

Clearly I need help. Especially if I want to get going on that novel. Hopefully the weather will suck this weekend and it will force me to stay in and write. And that everyone will be too busy to play...