I’ve Got Game

The question I pose to myself this morning:  Is there such a thing as “free will” when playing Jelly Juice?

Does anyone else play and can they answer that question?  (For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, you can bring it up on the computer. No charge to play!)

I’m on level 2691 now.  I’ve noticed lately that, after I play one level for a while and don’t succeed, all of a sudden one of the special characters will appear and then I’ll achieve my goal.  Is there a special algorithm that says, “This woman’s just not getting it.  We better help her out?”  I have no idea.  Which is why I question free will.

Many times, when I’m searching for my next move, Jelly Juice will make a suggestion.  I have to admit I rarely take the hint.  In the beginning I believed what the computer said, that their suggestion would help with my progress.  Uh—no, it doesn’t.  Some of the suggested moves make no sense at all.  So my free will is to ignore their suggestions.  Sometimes that leads to victory.

Also, I have to wonder what’s considered “Super Hard Level” compared to regular?  I seem to get the super hard levels right away, while the normal ones can drag on for several days.

Am I obsessed with Jelly Juice?  No.  It’s a time filler for when I don’t want to think of other things I should be doing, like figuring out health care choices now that it’s open season again.

But I will admit in my old age—latter years?—downhill-to-death stage?—I’ve begun to enjoy games.  Again.  In my youth it was always checkers with my siblings and cards with my friends.  Never chess.  Too complicated for my illogical brain.  Deep thoughts were never a specialty of mine.

Then there were the in-between times, between youth and now where I never played any games.  But then—  My mother was a great aficionado of canasta.  So when I saw canasta lessons offered at the library, I wondered if there was something to it.  I took the class and that was the beginning of my game-playing years.

I still enjoy canasta, the two hours a week I play with friends.  But I was horrified one day when my compadres suggesting having lunch and then continue playing.  I mean, isn’t two hours of game-playing a day enough?  It was for me.  I guess I’m just a killjoy.  Besides, Jelly Juice was waiting for me at home.

I like to keep game-playing simple because the mind is rather simple.  I’ve looked at some of those games where you’re an action figure and have to accomplish something.  I couldn’t even figure out how to start.  Delete!

Games with logic?  Let’s not start.  To get out of taking math in college—that’s when there was a core curriculum—I took two semesters of philosophy, starting with Socrates.  After all the A/B/C crap, it was no wonder to me that he took hemlock.  How does one apply that to daily life, unless one is Sherlock Holmes.? The second semester?  Let’s just say I can’t do Kant.  My basic philosophy is to weigh myself once a week, feel guilty, and trudge on with, yes, buying that frozen pizza.

Jelly Juice and canasta don’t fill all my game-playing time.  I have joined the world in playing Wordle.  Despite the New York Times biased reporting, I’m still a subscriber to the paper, have been since my college days, so why not play Wordle?  I’m not very good at word games.  And yet, I like the challenge.  I usually make it on the fourth try.  Then I share the results with my sister and my daughter.

Now there’s Connections, also in the Times.  I succeed at this only half the time because of cultural references, like Super Mario and NFL teams.  For some reason playing Connections after my much-needed post-luncheon nap works better for me than attempting it in the morning.

Let’s face it, games are a time-waster.  They’re a diversion from what really needs to be done.  I know they allegedly keep the mind sharp so one doesn’t fall into dementia.  However, games are also an excuse not to pick up around the house or do the dishes or deal with any real-life issues that are so pressing, like checking the bank statement.

I would go on, but I’ve reached the next level and have to get the fruit into the basket before I remake the bed.