Crushing the Candy Crush or Not?

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Dear Reader,

who knew I was in such good company?  A friend, who shall remain nameless, read my last post and replied via email the following:

Good morning.  As I sit at my desk at 7:30am (when I don’t need to be here a minute before 8am)… I will make an admission.  I am here to play Candy Crush – alone – with no interruptions.  I must exit my facebook screen at 8am, when the day officially gets started…  But then anxiously look forward to my mid morning bowel movement, when I take my iphone and resume play on the ceramic throne.  I, too, am a candy crush addict.  Perhaps Sept. 9th is also a good day to delete.  But not today. X

So, while I do feel a bit better about myself- I am deciding whom I should invite to her intervention.  I also am so grateful to have such funny and “regular” friends.

Candy Crush Crushed Me

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Dear Reader,

Please forgive me.  I went dark.  I was in the throws of an extremely grounded life that included lots of kid shuttling (why is summer school only from 8:30-1:00?), kid food prep, work, and parties (throwing them- not as fun as going to them).   Thankfully, I am 24 hours out from a plane trip to Ireland (more on that later).  I figure I should explain why my budding blogging efforts failed to continue after Tahoe.  I can point my finger only at one specific issue.

Candy Crush

 My pal, Hilary (actually another Hilary), told me that sometimes after work all she wanted to do

“was lock herself in dark room and play Candy Crush.”

Hilary is a hardworking, professional, and intelligent woman.  She has two kids, a great husband and she was consumed by this game.  I had downloaded the game one day when she was over but I really couldn’t understand the obsession.  She tried to show me the game, explain to me the objectives and relay her strong desire to get to the next level and still the game seemed a little dumb.  I didn’t give the game another thought until Tahoe.

Cut to the long drive from Tahoe to Las Vegas, a perfect opportunity to write, to muse, to recap, but I was still feeling a little foggy and thought

“Do something mindless until you get out of the altitude and then your senses will come back to you”

 Note to all you drivers it takes about 2.5 hours of driving to get out of the altitude- enough time to create a deeply rooted obsession with Candy Crush.  I don’t know if it’s the bright colors, the resounding plaudits of “Amazing” and “Incredible” when I unwittingly made a good move, or the notion I formulated that Candy Crush was a lot like chess (it’s not but the rationalization worked during my two week obsession).  On the drive, BB would try and start conversations, she wanted to talk, the kids wanted to play games, and I, Dear Reader, only wanted to play Candy Crush.  I’m not proud of this admission.  I was helpless.

In Vegas, we watched a movie in the room with the kids.  I played Candy Crush.  On the plane ride home, in between scrabble turns, I played Candy Crush.  On the drive from the airport to home, I played Candy Crush.  Yes, I filled my days and nights with that infernal game until I finally decided that Candy Crush was taking away too much time from things I loved.  I hit bottom one night when I realized as I was trying to fall asleep that I was dreaming and enjoying the dream of falling candies matching and exploding, of saccharine accolades appearing and of finally beating the game.   I was powerless.  The game was changing my brain and I knew that there was only one solution.  I deleted the app.  Unceremoniously.

 And lest you, Dear Reader, say

 “Wow, maybe I should see what all the fuss is about.” 

 I would, Dear Reader, employ the fine words uttered by Nancy and Ronald Reagan in the wake of a cocaine and heroin epidemic.

“Just Say No”

*On a final note, I do believe the fact that I have cut out all refined sugar from my diet and feel much better for it to be a clear sign that deleting that hellish app was the right move.

California, I love you.

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Dear Reader,

I hate to say it and I don’t mean to sound sentimental , but the RV has brought me closer to my undying, completely biased and utterly cloying love for our state. The beauty of California is breathtaking. I also have to tip my hat to the National Park System (http://www.nps.gov/index.htm) and the California State Park System (http://www.parks.ca.gov/) as one of the greatest investments our nation and state have made and I applaud the fine political minds that still deem these parks a suitable investment. I look forward to hearing about the joy the next generation feels at seeing Half Dome for the first time or swimming in Tenaya Lake as you can see from the following video it’s been nothing less than amazing.

TimTim, I don’t understand you…

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So, Big G has been obsessed, nay overtaken by a love of sheep. His brother and pal P attribute this “sheep amour” to his favorite, mind-numbing video game “Minecraft”(which makes me like the whole thing a lot less)…. While I could go on about my dislike of video games, I will spare you, Dear Reader, as you are not reading to learn about my soapbox moment. Regardless,
Big G has created an imaginary world in which TimTim a magical sheep who likes “thumpin’ music” and can save the universe through different machinations of wool and ingenuity has adventures big and small. The stories are daily and anticipated (notice the word eagerly has been cleverly omitted here). So, when today on the way to Bodie Ghost Townhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodie,_California we ran into a flock of sheep, you can understand how and why the following was created.

Looking for the Griswolds? They’re Waiting for You at Yosemite Pines RV Resort

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Dear Reader,
I understand that the following cinematic reference may be before or after your generation, but Chevy Chase (early years and before finding out what a sexist he was) as Clark W. Griswold was some of the most brilliant comic screen time I can remember (although Cousin Rick would vote for Chevy’s role in Fletch which was granted funnier but less nuanced than his role in Vacation) just for reference’s sake, I offer you the following trailer.

Now that we are clear about who Clark W Griswold is you may come to understand the Yosemite Pines RV Resort as a full service destination for the contemporary Clark W Griswold. There was a modern day “hay ride” picture a John Deere pulling a flat bed and folks jumping on or off from the convenience of their RV, there was a petting zoo with a couple goats, and there was we were told “a very well attended marshmallow roast” every evening. The showers were clean but serviced many folks so keep those shower shoes on your feet! The owners were incredibly nice and we had no close neighbors (they can really pack ‘em in). We came to understand that there were long term vacation owners in this park and a history of repeat customers which must mean they’re doing something right. Our night YPRVR was quiet, clean, and quick! Here’s a some video for greater detail.