Tag Archives: game

‘bring your peace to the table.’ – n. hoffman

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i finally tiptoed my way back  into doing jigsaw puzzles at home

with a planned delay after having pete the cat come to live with me

he’s a rowdy teenaged cat who loves to jump and play

i started out by trying a 100 piece puzzle sent by my friend

i could work quickly and cover it if needed

that went pretty well

he jumped up on the table 

laid down on it and grabbed a piece but put it back when i ‘suggested it’

this was the gateway opening wide for me

i knew a 1,000 piece puzzle

would take up too much space and time

so i went for a 500 piece

quietly got it out

sorted, made the frame

he jumped up to check it out

 suddenly i had an idea

he loves to play, especially laser chase games

i love to solve puzzles, especially jigsaw and crosswords

so i armed myself with a laser pointer in my left hand 

while i worked on the puzzle with my right hand

each time he jumped up

i aimed that pointer across the room and he took off running 

i had a couple of minutes to work on the puzzle again

then he would jump  back up and we did this all over again

i assumed he’d tire after 5 or 6 jumps

but no

pete the cat had energy to burn

 we must have repeated this close to 20 times

finally i finished by puzzle

 he went to take a nap 

a win for both of us

 while my team may have come in very last

in our recent jigsaw puzzle competition

i have taken it to a new challenge level

two-fisted gaming 

‘jig-laser-tag-puzzling.’

“let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel.”

—j. jackson brown, jr.

 

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dress less.

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Women’s fashions at the University of Michigan/University of Minnesota football game

midcentury fashion – October 1954

big rivalry game day in ann arbor

university of michigan vs. michigan state

 dressing for the game has changed a bit since the 50’s.

go blue!

“anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their days off that are the most intriguing.”

-alexander wang

 

 

malfeasance?

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A British chestnut-whacking champion was cleared Monday of cheating after an investigation into alleged malfeasance at the World Conker Championships.

Organizers of the nutty annual event said that Dave Jakins, a veteran competitor nicknamed “King Conker,” did not use a steel chestnut to conquer his rival.

The traditional game, played by generations of British schoolchildren, involves players using conkers — the glossy brown seeds of the horse chestnut tree — threaded onto a string to try and smash their opponent’s chestnut.

More than 200 conkers enthusiasts entered the annual competition in the village of Southwick in central England earlier this month. Jakins, 82, won the men’s tournament. But organizers launched an investigation after claims that he might have used a steel chestnut that was in his pocket.

Investigators said they studied film and photo evidence and took testimony from judges and umpires, and concluded that “it would be near impossible for Mr. Jakins to have swapped the conkers unnoticed.”

Organizers said they accepted Jakins’ claim “that he had had the (steel) conker to amuse people and as part of his role as ‘King Conker,’” and had used a real chestnut in the contest.

Organizers also said the losing finalist, Alastair Johnson-Ferguson, had “accepted defeat with good grace and sportsmanship,” after media reports that he had made the cheating allegation.

The overall title of World Conker Champion was won by Kelci Banschbach, originally from Indianapolis. The 34-year-old was crowned “queen conker” after beating Jakins in the final. She was the first American to win the title since the World Conker Championships began in 1965.

“this malfeasance must be stopped,” said flora in a deep and superheroic voice.”

-kate dicamillo,’flora and ulysses’

malfeasance

 

 

source credits: abc news, ap

let it rain.

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at the moment of kickoff

at my grandson’s game

the skies opened up

serving up a main course

of biting sideways rain

with a side dish of high-winded temperature drop

no lighting or thunder

so the game went on

 having just taken the umbrella out of my car

at least there was a rain jacket still on the seat

yet quickly apparent that it wasn’t built

for sudden deluge-level weather

nor were the fans’ soon to be inside-out umbrellas

but they kept on playing and playing

while they didn’t win

they stayed in the game

as did the families/fans

showing a lot of heart

 when we got to the car

as we  made our way out

and onto the road home

the weather left

just as quickly as it had arrived

not one more drop of rain fell

not a wisp of wind was blown

not a chill in the air to be found

as we dripped and dropped in the car

laughing about the crazy storm

 so looking forward to hot showers, warm food, and cozy, dry pajamas

our just desserts

after a game

well-played by all.

‘the best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.’

-henry wadsworth longfellow

tag!

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not me, nor my moose playmate, but i was caught equally unaware

have you ever played a game of tag and you didn’t even know you were in it?

this happened to me recently when a couple of bloggers/friends tagged me

inviting me to play a game of blogger tag and to then pass it on.

oh my, i didn’t have my glasses on! i should have looked behind me! now i see, i’m it!

i’m all in now, and i’ll start by answering a few questions:

how did you come up with your blog name? (beth kennedy – ididnthavemyglasseson.com)

it was something that my daughters have said to me, about me  –  that things in my life have happened or have not happened because i didn’t have my glasses on. so many possibilities. (good name for a future book?)

if your blog was a person (fictional or real), who would it be?,

my blog is a bit all over the place, but it’s always me. maybe pippi longstocking?  no stranger to counterculture, pippi can be seen around the world in tattoos, celebrity photographs, works of graffiti and on catwalks as a symbol of female strength, resilience, kindness, fairness and acceptance. while i’m not famous like pippi, and my dad was not a pirate like hers, i love that she had her own way of seeing and living in the world, and i try to embody all that she symbolizes.

what helps you create new content if you feel like you need some inspiration?

mostly just from being out in the world, with my eyes wide open and with glasses on. there are endless people, places, things, conversations, thoughts, and circumstances out there, and also right inside of me. i read lots of articles, especially the tiny almost forgotten ones, love the real newspaper and books and magazines. i’m drawn to the often-overlooked, the unusual, the details and nuances of life, and learn so many new things every day from endless sources. living is an inspiration in itself, and i’m still so excited when i wake up in the morning to see what each day will hold, just like when i was a little girl.

is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

i am a huge fan of collaboration and enjoy working and creating ike that. everyone has a different perspective, experience, and has something to bring to the table. before i changed careers and became a teacher, i worked in the advertising world, and i’ve always loved to brainstorm, bounce ideas off of each other, and be open to all ideas. the world is so interesting because of the fact that we are all unique. together we can make each other even better.

is there anything more you wish you had or would like to learn as a blogger?

yes! everything in the world of blogging has been mostly trial and error for me, heavy on the error, but somehow i’m doing it. i happened into blogging kind of  by accident, through a series of circumstances, and i have never looked back.

tech is an important part of blogging, and it seems to be my nemesis. while we continue to be at odds, tech and i are polite with each other most of the time. i learn a ton from other bloggers, how to do things, what not to do, and i’ve learned so many things along the way, especially that the connections made through blogging are what make it all a worthwhile enterprise. i have no financial motive in blogging, just a creative outlet for me, where i really enjoy the give and take of the readers and writers.

“i think one of the most beautiful gifts to self is: saying ‘i don’t know how, but I’m going to find a way for us to get through this.’-helen marie

do you have a specific style of blogging?

my blog is a jumble of lower case letters, (i love how they look on a page, they seem more poetic to me), stories, poems, quotes, photos, movies, news, nature, children, family and friends and pets, emotions, places, food, and everything else, all rolled into one. you never know what it will be. i often don’t even always know what it will be when i begin writing it and putting it together. i’m a bit of a minimalist, so they’re often quite short, but i love mixing things together that are generally not seen in one place. a collage of life. in the last number of years, i’ve tended to blog every day, and i like the rhythm of that.

here is how a blogger friend described it in response to one of my posts:

‘The Peanut Car looks like something that I would see passing by in a Parade. I expect the clowns (at least 50) to jump out any moment. In fact I always think of your blog as an entry in a Parade. Each different, yet in the same style. Not too long. Not too short. I’m always looking forward to the next float. ” (thanks, ladysighs)

now that i’ve finished the first part of the challenge,

the next part is to pick a few fellow bloggers/friends to play and to pass it on, so here goes:

(no worries for non-participation, there is always an option for a 3-day long marathon game of monopoly with people who each have their own set of rules, and my feelings won’t be hurt at all.)

so – tag, you’re it! and i hope you play:

Mark at: https://markbialczak.com

Joy at:  https://joyful2beeblogs.com

Roy at:  https://reelroyreviews.com

 this game of tag is a not so scary after all. 

 

‘blogger because badass isn’t an official job title’

-author unknown

 

 

image credits google.com

play ball.

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enjoyed the gift of a baseball game
with family/teaching partners/friends
detroit tigers at comerica park
we lost and it rained and we spilled a few things
but it was a beautiful night.
the holy-ish trinity of daughters
“baseball is ninety percent mental. the other half is physical.”
-yogi berra

white elephant.

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white elephant action shot

(not meant to be artsy, more of a testament to my photographic skill level)

 

enjoyed a holiday party with friends

food, drink, chatter, and fun

 white elephant game is always a hilarious part of this event

each and every game is different

and this year certainly did not disappoint!

many people participate in secret santa gift exchanges. but others like to take things a step further and plan a white elephant swap. if you aren’t familiar, white elephant is a game in which everyone brings a wrapped present, places it in a pile and draws a number to determine the order in which the participants will select gifts to unwrap. as the game progresses, people have the option to unwrap a new gift or “steal” a previously opened present.

the game can get pretty heated, so naturally it offers a lot of opportunities for twitter humor. see today’s quotes below – a sampling of tweets about this very exciting game –

A white elephant gift exchange is a great way to secretly resent someone for swiping the dollar store bath bomb you didn’t think you wanted until you were stuck with the dollar store candle.
Teen came home wearing a fluorescent alligator around her neck she won from a white elephant exchange. She’s shocked no one else wanted it.
Every time I play White Elephant, I always say I’m not gonna get too intense. But 10 minutes in, I’m already yelling at people I’ve never met. Then by the end, I’m chasing Nikita down the block, in the pouring rain, for a pair of sunglasses. I need help.
You don’t know hysteria until you’ve played White Elephant with 10 girls under 13 and a One Direction toothbrush gets in the game.

wheel of fortune.

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our first foray into vegas life

was a spin on the wheel of fortune

easy come, easy go. 

 

“anyone who is prosperous

may by the turn of fortune’s wheel

become most wretched before evening.”

-ammianus marcellinus

“nobody roots for goliath.” – wilt chamberlain

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in a snow bowl game

with rivalry roots from way back when

that hadn’t been won

by

the university of michigan over the ohio state university

in so many years

at last the wolverines bring a victory home

and with the win

michigan stadium is filled with jubilant fans

spilling out onto the field

and into the very, very happy town of ann arbor.

“you don’t have a real rivalry unless both sides are great teams.”

-carson palmer

 

 

photo credits: mlive

cruciverbalist.

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 a wonderful surprise

from one cruciverbalist to another

this full-page spread crossword puzzle with 723 clues

what madness is this?

my dream come true. 

our whole life is solving puzzles.”

-erno rubik

cru·ci·ver·bal·ist  (kro͞o′sə-vûr′bə-lĭst)

n.

1. A constructor of crosswords.

2. An enthusiast of word games, especially of crosswords.