I spent way too much time on Facebook catching up on my game playing yesterday, before our power went out during the very powerful monsoon yesterday afternoon.
I enjoy pointing and clicking. I think it actually fills a need I have positive reinforcement. It is not that my life is lacking in rewards, it is just that I live with my scientist husband.
I’m not sure this is true for every science type, but I’ve talked to other folks who live with a scientist or scientifically trained professional, such as a veterinarian, who also find that these folks sometimes seem to not be able to just be, apart from their professions. There is always a critique somehow embedded in simple conversation. Or there often an implicit weighing of importance in computation of shared tasks. This isn’t a criticism. Well, ok… maybe it is a little bit of a criticism. But I can have knocked off three blog entries, finished a book chapter, driven across town to the bargain grocery, fought traffic, changed the cat litter, fought with a utility and an insurance company, and when we are sitting down to the chinese dinner he brought home for dinner, he says something that effectively means, “I saved the world today, and picked up dinner, what did you do that tops that.” Of course I’m being facetious. But there is a tendency for many highly educated people to disengage from the critical mindset employed in their professional lives. But I digress.
What I’m saying is that I have had to work out my own reward system for positive reinforcement as my husband just isn’t the type of person to give supportive comments regularly. One of the ways I do this is through computer games where there is nearly immediate gratification for my actions. Point. Click. Kapowy! Point. Click. Prize. Point. Click. Reward. The positive, feel good reinforcement seems to carry over into regular life for me.
Anyway. Life has been very busy this past month and I didn’t get to accept all the game items given to me by my game playing Facebook friends. So yesterday I caught up in Farmville, Treasure Island, Frontierville, Cityville, Yoville, and Mafia Wars. I know, I know, don’t say it. I did quit the Cafe game that I can’t remember the title of.
The moment I turned off the big screen computer and grabbed my laptop to go hang with Hubby, the monsoon started throwing water sideways in a near zero visibility situation and the power went out. That is when Hubby grabbed his phone and started texting my phone and Facebooking me via phone, from across the room, things like: “Ma, how long you spoze the ‘lectric is off fer?” For 6 hours. 4 PM to 10 PM. Fortunately we have a gas stove. I mean for cooking dinner, not sticking my head in.
Everything would have been groovy if someone I live with who shall remain nameless had not opened all the doors to enjoy the cool air after the storm, that lasted for all of about 5 minutes, and let all the cool air-conditioned air out.
Then we enjoyed candlelight from 6:30 until 10PM while 100 degree temperature, 100 per cent humidity-filled air swathed us in a dewy sheen of sweat, while our dogs, all 215lbs of them, until our daughter’s dog joined them bring the weigh total up to 315 lbs, paced and grew more and more agitated with the BOOM, sizzle, ZIP, twip, Ka-BANG, Ka-BOOM that filled our neighborhood that until now I did not know was filled with idiots who have explosives, also known as fireworks, stock-piled for just such a situation. Usually these fireworks would have been doled out over several weeks, but with half the state burning here in Arizona even doofus types have curtailed fire starting. This year the combination of 4th of July, rain, and all your summer explosive use happened simultaneously. The survivalists the next block over seemed to set all their stockpile off at one time, reminding me of the old Redneck Joke.
What was the last thing the Red Neck said?
“Y’all watch this!”
I’ll be less snippy and bitch next time… Nah. Probably not.
Our power dimmed for a bit and we both began cursing! Opened the windows and doors??? Where does that person think he is living?!?! It feels funny to complain about the humidity in the desert but my aching hip is telling me it's here.
a/b
No aches and pains for me yet, but I'm crossing my fingers. I blew out my knee hiking in Arivaipa Canyon and then got back on it too quickly and blew it out again hiking Havasu off the Grand Canyon and that can ache like a son-of-a-gun. Yes, monsoons are upon us. We need the rain and my hummers love it! I'll forgive Hubby. 🙂 His spontaneity was one of the things I adored that attracted me to him all those decades ago.