Happy Saturday!!! So, several weeks ago, a few weeks after school got started, Lisey (roomie), Frankie (roomie), and JP (random friend) were all in the apartment (home) when I walked in. They were playing Apples to Apples. I have another story on that particular game, but that's not what I want to blog about today. So, I joined the game briefly, but then we got bored, and JP recommended that we play Hearts. I've never played Hearts, I had no idea what it was or how it was played, and the only time I'd ever heard about it was on my trip to Europe with the O'Rourkes when Mrs. O claimed to be the world Hearts champion, who no one had ever beaten. Several girls on the trip challenged her, and all lost pathetically. I didn't stick around to watch, though. I was writing in my journal the whole time.
Anyway, so JP grabbed my deck of cards from our little stack of board games on the TV stand, and started dealing and explaining at the same time. Needless to say, intense confusion set in on my part. After a few hands, though, I started to get the hang of it. I still lost brutally, and was kind of annoyed about it, but once JP left and we all went into our corners to do our homework, I realized something once I got a bit bored and turned to Cake Making on Purble Place to make myself even more bored
I have a computer.
My computer has games.
Most of those games are things like Spider, Solitaire, Poker, and Mine Sweeper.
Hearts must be there.
I can improve my game play by playing against the computer.
And so I did.
Every day while doing my homework, I would take a brain break (reward/reinforcer for good behavior - blame my psychology class) and play a few hands of Hearts. Quite a few hands and 45 games later, I finally did it. I won a game of Hearts. I came in first place, and beat the computer. An entire.... festoon of little red hearts floated like balloons up to the top of my computer screen, and then popped one by one into other little showering festoons of hearts. I was so excited.
2 weeks later (about 3 days ago), I did it again. It's not getting easier, I'm just developing my strategy. But still. It was exciting.
I think that's what it was that made it worth all the time I wasted playing and losing. Winning was exhilarating, and incredibly satisfying. I know I need to cut back, but hey - it's better than baking imaginary cakes for hours and hours.
Love all, trust few, do wrong to no one. ~ William Shakespeare
Willow
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Fall
It is officially "autumn," ladies and gentlemen! Fall is here, ushered in by October and the fact that school has been in session for almost 5 weeks. No, seriously, all the little LA kids are freaking out because it's cold after weeks of intense heat, and we don't know what to do. I saw people in scarves and hats yesterday. What is that about, really?
I do love fall, though. It's a "settling season", because we're all settling in for winter, and school, and no vacations except Christmas and Thanksgiving and President's Day and Halloween and and and... Of course, on the East Coast, all the trees are turning colors and it's actually getting cold, so pulling out scarves and hats and sweaters is legitimate. But out here, the temperature dropped down to 60F, and in some places, that's downright balmy.
Enough about the weather. Fall is an exciting time of year because it's the beginning of "the Holiday Season," which is one of my favorite parts of the year. People are already carving pumpkins and planning Halloween costumes, making travel arrangements for Thanksgiving and some (like my mother) are already buying Christmas presents. Like, whoa. The crisp, cool air, mostly clear skies, and Santa Ana winds always make me feel like something's officially beginning. Maybe it's the school year, maybe it's the holidays, or maybe it's just a more "settled" time of year. I know that in SoCal, it's one of the best times to be outdoors, and for me, it's a time to settle into school and try not to get the seasonal cold that usually comes with it.
Love all, trust few, do wrong to no one. - William Shakespeare
Willow
I do love fall, though. It's a "settling season", because we're all settling in for winter, and school, and no vacations except Christmas and Thanksgiving and President's Day and Halloween and and and... Of course, on the East Coast, all the trees are turning colors and it's actually getting cold, so pulling out scarves and hats and sweaters is legitimate. But out here, the temperature dropped down to 60F, and in some places, that's downright balmy.
Enough about the weather. Fall is an exciting time of year because it's the beginning of "the Holiday Season," which is one of my favorite parts of the year. People are already carving pumpkins and planning Halloween costumes, making travel arrangements for Thanksgiving and some (like my mother) are already buying Christmas presents. Like, whoa. The crisp, cool air, mostly clear skies, and Santa Ana winds always make me feel like something's officially beginning. Maybe it's the school year, maybe it's the holidays, or maybe it's just a more "settled" time of year. I know that in SoCal, it's one of the best times to be outdoors, and for me, it's a time to settle into school and try not to get the seasonal cold that usually comes with it.
Love all, trust few, do wrong to no one. - William Shakespeare
Willow
Monday, October 5, 2009
Beginnings
You've reached Willow's blog. Congratulations.
I'm a little of everything - scholar, writer, lover, dreamer - and I believe that life is the greatest adventure. Words are like oxygen, and I am never without a book. I love movies, because watching a movie is like ghost-walking through someone's life, and the voyeur in all of us just loves that concept. I love music (who doesn't?), because nothing really connects with the human soul like music and lyrics. I'm going to be a famous writer someday, so watch out. I'm fascinated by people, I think the human disconnect is our world's greatest tragedy, I believe in love and life and loving life, and that there is beauty in all of us, we just have to let it out.
My blog will include my thoughts on books, movies, and music, as well as my own little ponderings, on life, love, etc. etc. Feel free to follow me, I think stalkers just need a little love (and possibly mace), and feel free to love me or hate me - just know that either way, I am who I am, and your approval is not required.
Thank you, and I leave you with one of the greatest contradictions in the English language:
Happy Monday.
Love all, trust few, do wrong to no one. ~ William Shakespeare
Willow
I'm a little of everything - scholar, writer, lover, dreamer - and I believe that life is the greatest adventure. Words are like oxygen, and I am never without a book. I love movies, because watching a movie is like ghost-walking through someone's life, and the voyeur in all of us just loves that concept. I love music (who doesn't?), because nothing really connects with the human soul like music and lyrics. I'm going to be a famous writer someday, so watch out. I'm fascinated by people, I think the human disconnect is our world's greatest tragedy, I believe in love and life and loving life, and that there is beauty in all of us, we just have to let it out.
My blog will include my thoughts on books, movies, and music, as well as my own little ponderings, on life, love, etc. etc. Feel free to follow me, I think stalkers just need a little love (and possibly mace), and feel free to love me or hate me - just know that either way, I am who I am, and your approval is not required.
Thank you, and I leave you with one of the greatest contradictions in the English language:
Happy Monday.
Love all, trust few, do wrong to no one. ~ William Shakespeare
Willow
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