The Evils of PC Gaming & Other Addictions

Doctor Hoo & Dalek Wormy

Last night I spent waaaay too much time solving the endgame for "Jewel Quest: Heritage." It's a match-3 game attached to a story line. Joy and I have worked our ways through the other quests in the series. Sunday, Kim persuaded me to play the Hidden Object game on her Nintendo. I'm not a big fan of HO games, but this one worked for me ... especially when I recognized the villain Sebastien and the hero Rupert. It did hurt that this quest was set in Valley of the Kings in Egypt. I'm sure there are Doctor Who-inspired games, but those are tough to get in the good old US of A unless you have the techie hook-ups with friends overseas. If you're curious, check out the official BBC web site -- unfortunately some of the best video bits are not available in Texas. SIGH!!

The heat wave finally broke last night ... and the kids complained all day that it was cold -- on the first day of school, the high was 107. We were warm, but relatively comfortable. So, they get no sympathy from me. If you're cold, bring a sweater -- the alternative of no AC is unthinkable. Monday if you stepped outside about 4 o'clock, you felt as if you were melting into a puddle of pink goo. Summer isn't over -- on my birthday, the temp is supposed to top out about 98 degrees; still, that's not as bad as 107. (Or the dreaded 110 -- in 1980, we had 30+ days when the high temp hit 100 or more.)

If you haven't read Andy Runton's comic Owly, give it a try. It's nonverbal, for the most part, but the plot and theme are clear. Owly helps his friends with their problems -- and they help him with his. It's touching without being cloying or over-the-top. Kids as well as adults can get into the stories ... and I enjoy Andy's gallery of Owly costumed as various media characters. The "Wolver-owly" is hysterically funny. http://www.andyrunton.com/ will introduce you to the world of this "bird of play" and his friends. He's even animated now! The illustration at the top of the blog is borrowed from Andy's site as an homage to both Owly and the Doctor.

Dance Quote: "To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love." -- Jane Austen