Words with Friends

I adore my iPhone. It's the best. Damn. Toy. Evah.

Sure, I've had to have it replaced (I'm on my fourth, but feeling optimistic). And it's not great when you leave town and find yourself at the whim of the data-roaming packages. And the pictures are lame, at best. But still....I'm a loyal user. A true blue iPhoner.

Unlike those with crackberries, I wouldn't call myself addicted. I don't email at meals. I don't text 'n drive. And aside from a little show 'n share with other Mac Daddies 'n moms, I pretty much have the whole etiquette/right time-right place thing down.

Or, rather, I did. And then a friend invited me to play an innocent game of Words With Friends. And I told two friends. Who told two friends. And so on. And so on. And so on.

And everything changed. Those who know, know it all too well. They understand my pain and longing for one. more. turn. And those who don't - beware. Basically, it's Scrabble. Plain and simple. Only instead of sitting across from your competitors, waiting for them to hurry up and play already, you carry on with your day and everyone just plays as and when.

Sounds harmless, right? Riiiiight. Let's just say that it can be. One of my mates is working nights. In England. So I'm awake while she's at work. What could be better? But the rest of my games are E.S.T. And they're getting more vicious by the hour. It's reached the point where I'm making mental notes about good words to use. I see triple word scores as I fall asleep. I've learned that "heeze", "vag" and "thio" count. "Zoot" does not, no matter how many times I try. "X" and "Q" are always great. Gimme an "I" and it's points galore. "J" and "K" not so much.

I have friends with whom I chat at least 4 times a day. And we talk about our games. My mother sends me messages mid-game, berating me for not playing faster. Another pal and I stayed up past midnight, desperate to finish our match. Just so we could start another one. Which of course we did, and then proceeded to stay up so we could finish that one etc.

At one point I went rogue - and started up a game with a total stranger. I don't know which was worse - the feeling that I could be playing with some kind of creep, or the fear that this potential creep would kick my ass. Either way, I got too stressed and ended it after one round. And then returned to my usual suspects.

I went away with a couple of friends and it was all we could do to not play against each other - in the same room!! Instead, we poured a couple drinks and played real scrabble. Sure, it was fun - especially when we used our iPhones to look up questionable words - but it took sooooo long.

I've tried to stop, I really have. Sometimes it feels like I'm just making words up, testing the gadget to see if it'll bust me. It always does. But once in a while, it allows me to get away with words I never knew existed!! Good times! And now my Man has come over to the dark side. He's gone and got himself an iPad. It's cool. It's slick. It's downright magnificent. He says it's for work.

I say it's for Words.

Berg. Orb. Haw. Ugh. Heh.

Game on - gotta run.