frozen boards

[2cute]

I'm going to be very beatable. My grandson made me a computer. It's great. It's fantastic. The display is 21 inches and I've never had one that big with type so large and with resolution so high. Alas, the keyboard is not at all like my old one and I hit wrong keys a lot. My average points per game is going to take a hit, and it already has. On the other hand, I have outscored Megaword on some 5x5 games. No biggie; I assumed he was working on other things. If I played Megaword straight up on whatever board appeared, my chances of posting a higher score would be too low to mention. It strikes me that Megaword does not care about such things, anyway. Megaword is having fun, not competing. I think we should all try to be more like Megaword.

That's what I do. Many people here are talking about the 700 club. That's great to have goals. Although I'll never join that club. Spending hours trying to get the highest score just doesn't do it for me. Then there's the group of folks looking for the s-u-p-e-r--l-o-n-g--w-o-r-d-s, yeah, I won't be joining that group either. I'm lucky if I can find an 8 letter word.

For a while there I was trying to learn new words & for a while that was fun, but not so much anymore. It seems lately nothing gives me joy, not even things I once enjoyed. I'm just doing my best not to feel overwhelmed by my life and just get through each day until ... the warmth of spring. I say it every day. Come on March! While I'm no fan of the pollen & bugs ... I love the WARM sun on my skin and I can spend time outdoors without freezing under my jacket and gloves. So now my goal on this site is to just see if I can find some words to distract myself so I can stop feeling overwhelmed.

When I feel like I can breathe ... I'll get back to it... I can't escape forever.

[lalatan]

Sounds like you may have SAD. You can buy some "sunlight" to feel better (phototherapy).
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...20feel%20moody.

[sadied]

That's what I do. Many people here are talking about the 700 club. That's great to have goals. Although I'll never join that club. Spending hours trying to get the highest score just doesn't do it for me. Then there's the group of folks looking for the s-u-p-e-r--l-o-n-g--w-o-r-d-s, yeah, I won't be joining that group either. I'm lucky if I can find an 8 letter word.

For a while there I was trying to learn new words & for a while that was fun, but not so much anymore. It seems lately nothing gives me joy, not even things I once enjoyed. I'm just doing my best not to feel overwhelmed by my life and just get through each day until ... the warmth of spring. I say it every day. Come on March! While I'm no fan of the pollen & bugs ... I love the WARM sun on my skin and I can spend time outdoors without freezing under my jacket and gloves. So now my goal on this site is to just see if I can find some words to distract myself so I can stop feeling overwhelmed.

When I feel like I can breathe ... I'll get back to it... I can't escape forever.

I am concerned for your wellbeing, 2cute. How can I help? There are resources available to help with mental health, I'd be happy to help locate them if you'd like. Please know you are not alone!
I totally understand desperately needing warmth and sun exposure again; It's also very cold where I am. The snow is pretty but I think I've had enough of it for now...

[bwt1213]

That's what I do. Many people here are talking about the 700 club. That's great to have goals. Although I'll never join that club. Spending hours trying to get the highest score just doesn't do it for me. Then there's the group of folks looking for the s-u-p-e-r--l-o-n-g--w-o-r-d-s, yeah, I won't be joining that group either. I'm lucky if I can find an 8 letter word.

For a while there I was trying to learn new words & for a while that was fun, but not so much anymore. It seems lately nothing gives me joy, not even things I once enjoyed. I'm just doing my best not to feel overwhelmed by my life and just get through each day until ... the warmth of spring. I say it every day. Come on March! While I'm no fan of the pollen & bugs ... I love the WARM sun on my skin and I can spend time outdoors without freezing under my jacket and gloves. So now my goal on this site is to just see if I can find some words to distract myself so I can stop feeling overwhelmed.

When I feel like I can breathe ... I'll get back to it... I can't escape forever.

I will echo sadied's comments. There are resources out there. And if you want to exchange private messages, I'm game. If you want to just play the game and not worry about competing, I think that would be best. It sounds to me like you're competitive and overwhelmed by the players here. So don't worry about competing, for now. And if you want to compete or feel the need to do so, set a goal of raising your average game score each month. Don't worry about what anyone else does. The day will come when you do better than you ever thought possible. If you're not in Megaword's class, so what? I used to run the mile and cross-country in high school. I was good in a small school. And then we moved and the new high school had 3,000 students instead of 190, and I was something like the 18th best miler in the school and about the same position in cross-country. You have to learn to do it for your personal enjoyment and development. Let the world go to perdition. Innocent joy is everywhere. Running was still fun. And I got better, too.

[2cute]

lalatan buying 'sunlight' isn't a good choice for me as really you're buying an ultra-violet light bulb of which you sit under every day. That would give me a headache as my eyes are sensitive like yours to too much brightness. Plus isn't the ultra-violet light why we wear sunscreen?

I am concerned for your wellbeing, 2cute. How can I help? There are resources available to help with mental health, I'd be happy to help locate them if you'd like. Please know you are not alone!
I totally understand desperately needing warmth and sun exposure again; It's also very cold where I am. The snow is pretty but I think I've had enough of it for now...

Thank you sadied, I've gone to therapists & haven't found it helpful. I don't know how you could help me, I appreciate the offer though. Its not the sun I miss, today it was a sunny 28˚F (-2.22˚C), its the WARMTH I miss. When its warm I just feel better, I can think clearer & I feel much happier. I guess I'm addicted to warm weather. I guess to solve this problem I have every year would be to move to a warmer climate in the colder months & then move back when its over. Maybe. Or just move to a warmer climate in general. Its a consideration. Of course all my family lives near where I currently do. Yep, we've had lots of snow, more is predicted tomorrow. If it like stayed in the 50˚s F (10˚s C) I think I could tolerate it much better, it would still be cooler but not so darn cold.

I will echo sadied's comments. There are resources out there. And if you want to exchange private messages, I'm game. If you want to just play the game and not worry about competing, I think that would be best. It sounds to me like you're competitive and overwhelmed by the players here. So don't worry about competing, for now. And if you want to compete or feel the need to do so, set a goal of raising your average game score each month. Don't worry about what anyone else does. The day will come when you do better than you ever thought possible. If you're not in Megaword's class, so what? I used to run the mile and cross-country in high school. I was good in a small school. And then we moved and the new high school had 3,000 students instead of 190, and I was something like the 18th best miler in the school and about the same position in cross-country. You have to learn to do it for your personal enjoyment and development. Let the world go to perdition. Innocent joy is everywhere. Running was still fun. And I got better, too.

Sure, that would be fine, we could private message. Thanks! That was my point about Megaword, he's not competing w/anyone but himself (he's a fantastic word twist player mind you). He plays to enjoy the experience & that's what I'm trying to do as I'll never be in the 700 or s-u-p-e-r--l-o-n-g--w-o-r-d clubs either. I have no desire to get better over time, if I do great, if I don't that's fine too. I'm participating for the enjoyment of finding the words in the puzzle & that's it. That's enough for me. I think I get more out of interacting with all of you here in the forum than anything else.

[Naboka]

Mt Everest.

Because it's there.

Mallory said it. Died trying.

Hillary didn't say it, but gets credit because he made it to the top and survived.

The almost unimaginable suffering in pursuit of a goal. Freezing. Fingers in danger of falling off. So much pain. So hard to breath. Every inhale and exhale a challenge. Each step an act of will. Each step forward an act of madness. All those who died ahead of you trying to accomplish this madness. Will you be next?

In pursuit of a goal.

A goal, once accomplished brings pure joy.

For a moment.

But, always a joy to which we can return. A joy that lingers in memory. A joy that only comes from having beaten unbeatable odds. From meeting the challenge.

What odds?

For each it differs.

To romaniticize Megaword as not competitive is to render a disservice to all the effort taken to reach the top of his Everest. All those hours studying words. Searching through dictionaries. Trying to find new words. Trying to get his next best score. All the hours of practice. The joy of reaching a new high.

For each of us, a different Everest exists. For some, getting out of bed. For some, getting through the day without putting a gun to the temple and pulling the trigger. For some, getting ready to quarterback a Superbowl.

And, outside the parameters of our Everest, other matters can become trivialized. Having a child dying of cancer can make playing Wordtwist seem ridiculous, frivolous, contemptible. How could anyone possible waste time on something so meaningless?

Meaningless?

And who assumes the right to tell any of us what has meaning?

Having been steeped in the horrors of war, I can assure you that the most "meaningless" things can have unimaginable value to someone who can't imagine a time of being able to experience "wasted moments." Will there be a next moment at all? When so many lost all of their next moments.

To have moments to waste?

What a treasure.

Every moment goes unwasted simply by existing.

And being filled with whatever meaning we care to give it.

Meaning is ours to give.

[lalatan]

2cute, I thought I'd let you know about SAD in case you never heard of it. To feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, it seems you'd be getting UV radiation as well. Seems like the only solution would be to move further south or live in a greenhouse. My stepdaughter lives in NC and they had snow and a temp of 24F (it was 45F here on Vancouver Island) so that's not always a sure thing either.

Naboka, I enjoyed your post and perspective on competition. I think MegaWord is the ultimate competitor; he has developed superior Boggle skills in so many areas. It's so true that we attach meaningfulness (don't think I ever played that word yet) to accomplishments in different ways. 4 years ago I set a personal best of 1,225 best/longest word records in a month. I was hard at it every day all day and even played in the evening some days. As of yesterday I have set 1,207 records for this month and should easily pass the mark today. Wherever my monthly total winds up, this personal best is more meaningful for me because I've been playing part time by comparison. I play on and off from 11-4 most days and a late night session of 30-45 mins. I'm really enjoying this month because I know all my efforts of the last 4 years have paid off.

[Naboka]

Lalatan, that's crazy impressive. Remember you saying in a post how much effort you spent memorizing words. Good players aren't accidental. Skill developes with conscientious practice. And it has to be mindful effort. Playing thousands of games will only improve one's ability slightly.

The satisfaction of improving.

Fortunately, when you, lalatan, set a record it's anchored well below the frost line. Nothing short of an earthquake's gonna move it.

Wish I could claim mine rest on the fault line, but most are like the seeds from a milk pod. Just waiting for a breeze to carry them away.

I have no schedule. Just play when I feel like it. Mostly interspersed between other tasks. Sorting through the art studio right now, trying to put more order into everything. A pack rat I be.

Also, doing lots of reading, exercise, drawing and art courses in between games. And listening to new music. Just found Nahko and Medicine for the People, and Lisa Flannigan.

At the moment I'm driven to see how many 600 point games I can get this month. Never thought I'd do one. Still a thrill. A dopamine rush. Got my 12th for January this morning.

But, since I'm playing the games in between rather than clicking through, it's eating up some time.

Hoping Sunheart plays a few more games. A gold trophy would look good on their mantel.

[lalatan]

Thanks Naboka. I suppose I should correct myself somewhat. When all the games were new last March, I played almost 1,300 games and set 2,401 records that month. It was so much fun not having to filter through so many games. But that wasn't a regular month like now so I consider this my personal best for normal gameplay.

Congrats to you on 12 600 pt games this month! It's always satisfying to have a breakthrough to a higher level. May you have many more.

[Seamonster]

To 2cute:

I am a therapist so I obviously have a strong belief in what I do. Please don't give up on therapy. I have seen people make wonderful changes in their lives when they find the right therapist. It's all about finding the person that is a good fit for you. I've seen it many times in my career, that a person is able to heal when he/she finds the right teacher and guide. (which is what I think therapists are)

[2cute]

To 2cute:

I am a therapist so I obviously have a strong belief in what I do. Please don't give up on therapy. I have seen people make wonderful changes in their lives when they find the right therapist. It's all about finding the person that is a good fit for you. I've seen it many times in my career, that a person is able to heal when he/she finds the right teacher and guide. (which is what I think therapists are)

Yes, I've heard this before. So far it hasn't worked for me & I've tried many times.

[2cute]

2cute, I thought I'd let you know about SAD in case you never heard of it. To feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, it seems you'd be getting UV radiation as well. Seems like the only solution would be to move further south or live in a greenhouse. My stepdaughter lives in NC and they had snow and a temp of 24F (it was 45F here on Vancouver Island) so that's not always a sure thing either.

Yep, I've heard of it. I have this problem every year in the winter. I actually have done better this year as opposed to previous years. Its just come on really strong lately. Tonight its 11˚F & today I was so cold I wore my winter jacket indoors for over 90 minutes to just feel less cold. I love my new winter jacket. Eventually I finally did feel warmer.

I think that's amazing in Canada its warmer than thousands of miles more south.

[bwt1213]

Yep, I've heard of it. I have this problem every year in the winter. I actually have done better this year as opposed to previous years. Its just come on really strong lately. Tonight its 11˚F & today I was so cold I wore my winter jacket indoors for over 90 minutes to just feel less cold. I love my new winter jacket. Eventually I finally did feel warmer.

I think that's amazing in Canada its warmer than thousands of miles more south.

I had jury duty on Wednesday. The air temperature was -17 F, and of course there was a breeze. I don't know what the wind chill was, because it didn't matter. It was miserable, even though I used the handicapped parking space and walked the least distance to the door. There was a line. It was ten minutes until I could get inside. Then I wasn't called and won't be now for another four years. If I had been called, I'd have been excused, anyway. I am a former police officer, I have been robbed repeatedly, I have been swindled, I have sued people and companies (and won, incidentally, every time) and no prosecutor or defendant will want me. At least that's what I think. Five years ago, I did serve on a jury. I was certain I would not be acceptable, for all the reasons mentioned. But there was one more. It was a child molestation case. My brother is a registered sex offender. Child molestation. I told the court. They thought I'd be perfect, and I served. I guess justice is cold. The state failed to prove their case (I wonder why they even bothered) and we were a hung jury -- 11 - 1 to acquit. And I wasn't the holdout. Now, on Monday it was a snowstorm and the roads were awful and I had to come in for jury duty, too. But that was just awful driving, and the temperatures were at least ten degrees F. I saw only one wreck, so it wasn't so bad.

[lalatan]

Hoping Sunheart plays a few more games. A gold trophy would look good on their mantel.

Wow, looks like Sunheart powered out just a little too soon. Congrats on your gold, even if you won it reluctantly. You nevertheless put in the time, skill and effort to get there. I wound up setting 1,382 best/longest word records last month.

[Naboka]

Wow, looks like Sunheart powered out just a little too soon. Congrats on your gold, even if you won it reluctantly. You nevertheless put in the time, skill and effort to get there. I wound up setting 1,382 best/longest word records last month.

Awesome on your records. 1,382 is mind boggling (not relation to boggle) to me. My goals are a couple of decimal points lower.

How do you keep track? I use the back pages of a notebook for high point words.

As for winning the gold trophy.

Reluctant it was.

Since I was quickly closing on Sunheart's total, I backed off (for several days) and was only playing games that looked promising for another 600 or record score. Unfortunately, more games were promising than I anticipated. I had thousands of points of leeway, so I thought it was fine.

But...

When I ended up about 160 points below Sunheart's total with 4o minutes til the finish, I had a serious internal moral debate. I had already declared them the winner. It would seem a bit disingenuous to continue, almost deceptive. But, I still wanted to play more games and the next game that popped up promised a very high score.

I could chance that the game would still be sitting there to play 40 minutes later and allow the win. That seemed the fair thing to do on one hand. On the other, the game probably would disappear. Hmmm.

Another 600 beckoned.

However, the other part of this equation is what constitutes a win. Have you really won if someone hands you the game?

Moral dilemmas.

Sigh.

Golden rule corollary: how would you feel if someone just handed you the victory simpy becaue they didn't want it? Would you feel like the winner? Would you feel that you'd accomplished your goal? Would you want someone to do that to you? I wouldn't. So...

Life's not fair. Even when you try to be fair. There always seems to be some weird curve.

There's a certain satisfaction in pushing through pain and suffering to win. It's a grand FU to the universe.

As it was, the tempting game only got me a high 5oo. But, I still ended the month with 15 games over 600.

The best: so close, so very very close,

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