No I wouldn't pay to play games on the computer. Even the train game. I enjoy it when it is free, but I tire of things really easily. If I play some games too long I see them behind my eyelids when I am trying to go to sleep at night. I think it works on my mind. My mother told me once that she never learned how to crochet from her mother. The reason was that DGM went to the doctor and the doctor told her she had to quit crocheting because it was working on her mind. This would have been in the days of kerosene lamps, thus not very good light. I think the same thing happened to her as it does to me. I do play yahoo pinochle and euchre. Right now I am doing jigsaw puzzles on shockwave, but I can't do it for very long or I see the pieces when I want to go to sleep. I also do the shanghai dynasty that someone mentioned on here and I like that. Also spider solitaire and majong titans. So I admit I love games but I would never pay for them.

When we 4 kids were quite little, we had our Christmas tree presents on Christmas morning. Our father would have been up helping assemble toys and liked to sleep in, so the routine in our house was that Santa stopped with gifts on Christmas eve, and then a 2nd time. Santa would stop by again on his way back to the North Pole and leave the larger gifts that were not wrapped. Dad had to have his coffee first, and then he would announce that he could hear Santa arriving from his last rounds, so we had better go upstairs so Santa could stop by with his gifts. We had to stand at the top of the stairs, and we could not see anything downstairs with the way they were enclosed. On this last visit of his route, Santa entered our front door. Dad would answer the door, and we could hear Santa jingling around the living room as Dad had a one way conversation. "Yes, Ellen has been a good girl this year and knew her addition table well. Brian was working hard to remember to clean up his room. Sheila was a good girl too, but she needed to eat her vegetables at dinner without complaining. Maureen was being very good taking a nap every afternoon like Mommy says." Then Dad would wish Santa a safe return trip, and slam the front door. That was the signal that we could dash downstairs. Under the tree were wonders to behold, large, bulky and unwrapped. Years later as teens assigned to decorate the tree, we came upon the jingle bells, still wired to the store display card. Our Dad was quite the one for telling stories and keeping things lively.

And Happy New Year back at'cha! Wish you all the best in these next months. :) Pit Update: Saturday a friend of a friend came and took both of them. She's mature, got a good job, owns her home with a big yard. She's keeping Bobby (aka puppy-boy) and her neighbor is taking sweet Maggie (aka puppy girl). These were the happiest, sweet dogs. Turned out to be clean, trained, house broken, curious, and just joyful. Someone dumped them, I'm sure, but they were house dogs. Perhaps breeders, but definitely house dogs. It was interesting. All the time they were here, they never left the yard. When I went out, they were right beside me. Bobby, would play catch with a 6' 4x4. Throwing it in the air, standing on it and trying to pick it up. Made it difficult for me to sort out a load of reused lumber, which had nails in it. It had to wait. He was a JOY. What a energetic puppy he was. He'd sit and kinda roll backwards with his feet stuck out in front of him, like puppies do. Didn't quite lift his leg. Hasn't earned his man card yet. Although they always wanted to ride in my car, they didn't want to go with her. (Leaving me? Awwww) But once in the car, they settled in, with their heads poking out between the seats to look out the window. The only time I'd see Maggie get excited was when wheels turned. Cars, trucks, bikes. She'd bite at them from underneath the door, vs. from the front. Scared me she'd get a tooth stuck and be crushed. I mention this, because the week before I had to get 2 new tires. Saturday night when I came out of work, I had a flat. Grrrrr. Had myself towed to my car place. He called me the next morning and asked if I'd hit anything, or was out in the field, etc. [wait for it] There were 2 puncture marks, one torn, in the sidewall of my new tire. So.... I guess Maggie is successful in her mission of killing All Things Tire. Got my living room painted. It is Beeeuuuuttiful. Even moreso without the crap stacked to the ceiling. Ceiling is Glidden 'Natural Wicker' and the walls are Duron/SW 'Tinderbox.' I just picked up the paint for the bookshelves. All this room needs is trim. and maybe some curtains. Well, maybe not. So I have 2 rooms done, -trim. This is very, very exciting! Leaves 7 rooms to go. Drywall, finishing, paint, trim. As a dear friend once said, "Baby Steps." Well, it's only 10 years this year from that stupid fire! Baby enough? Have a great, warm day. Eat those beans and rice if that's your thing, or just watch football. (Got my MI State U sweat shirt on, just for my sisters.) Take care!

I played for the 2nd time last night for a few minutes and managed to get 18 again (again in foods). Got some higher numbers in a couple of other categories too, but didn't have time (or the concentration) to play long. 34, wow! What category was that? I found that some questions get repeated if you play several times.