Early Christmas present

I got my Christmas present early this year - a new laptop. I'm thrilled with it. It means I can futz away on the computer while sitting in front of the fire in the family room or at the dining room serving table overlooking the front yard. I can type while watching squirrels in the trees and type with Maddie draped over my feet on the sofa or type in a comfy chair... The possibilities are all wonderful. And of course I had to have my own printer (they keep getting better for photo printing and I am thrilled with this new one!)

You would think that this new set up would inspire me to get back to production on the blog but it hasn't. I haven't been keeping up very well with my email correspondences either. Or even photo processing. What have I been doing?

Playing solitaire. Hundreds of games of solitaire.

And not doing well, for all that. The new computer came with a game loaded, of course, and unlike the old computer's game this one keeps track of your winning percentage. It turns out that I am terrible at solitaire! I miss stuff all the time. I blame my poor eyesight but really it is likely to do with all the distractions aforementioned regarding squirrels, cats, and falling leaves. In any case it is maddening. The game tells you when you have no more possible moves - a message I am by now quite familiar with - and it is just an innocent click from there right back to a new game, which you can't just 'quit' because it will affect your winning percentage. You can see that I'm hooked.

And Mark - ever competitive - keeps asking for a report on that all important 'winning percentage.'

At first I told him I am just getting used to the look and feel of the game and not doing well. Then I had to get evasive about my 'number' while speculating about what a good winning percentage might be, in his opinion, to see how far short I would fall... (33% he declares. Imagine! I should win every 3rd game without cheating? I think not!)

I finally had to admit it. I am solidly stuck at 13% and can't seem to get much higher.

Useless activity. And embarrassing