Players

If seeking deep thoughts on the coming year, this is not the place to find them. (If that's the desire, then try 330 passion's resolution or the chaotony's plan for resolving year round.) The end of '09 passed away not with poker, but with Scrabble. It was an entirely fitting close to a year that cannot be summed up simply in words. It also scratched an itch that is shared by Walker. She has discovered an electronic version of Scrabble called "Words With Friends". (Because there is, in fact, an app for that, too.) In inviting game play, she has reignited a dormant love of the classic word game.
Walker was slated to play Hostess with the Mostest for her family's 15th annual New Year's Eve poker party last night. She phoned unexpectedly in the afternoon to say she was headed to an E.R. with one of her offspring. Uh-oh. We prayed. Then we played. Eventually Offspring was cleared to return home mere hours before the guests were due to begin arriving. Walker? Still managed another turn.
With her post-emergency party preparations consuming every moment, it seemed like a good idea to begin a new game with the mister. We were still periodically playing words on our phones after arriving at the party. Walker's phone was out of batteries from playing in the E.R. She played a hand or two of poker, and then suggested Wii bowling in a vain attempt to cause the mister and I to behave in a more socially appropriate manner. Except we kept playing. And her battery was still dead.
Walker had the thought that there was an actual Scrabble game in her house. The idea of playing in real time held no less appeal than the entirely addictive electronic Words with Friends. It held the added appeal of forming teams to include still more players. The mister opted for an advisory role to keep the sole team consisting of kids from being demolished. (Not that they needed any help!) Walker and I made a formidable team, and we won the first game. The teams reformed with Middle Child and I together for a rematch, but the clock was approaching midnight and the players losing focus.
Midnight struck with toasts of sparkling cider and much relief that a long day and year had come to a close. The evening's final words were those of glad expectation for the New Year, thanks for an evening well spent, good-bye, and good night.