Not every story is an epic struggle between good and evil.

27 Feb 06

You're basically down to the last 24 hours of the Anniversary contest. Unless we get dozens of entries in the last day, you will not find a better chance of winning (if you don't count getting one Best Buy buck from McDonald's Monopoly winning). I'd really hate not giving out all the prizes. Ok, no I wouldn't, but you'd really hate the fact that you would have won, but you didn't enter.

There's been a little confusion about what you can enter. Sure I encourage great, tense strategy and tactical game stories, but you can write about any game related experience. If it's a story you want to tell, go for it. For instance, if I were trying to write one off the wall, it might go like this.

The other day, I was trying to play Guitar Hero on Playstation 2. You may recall that that's the rhythm action game where you use a guitar shaped controller to hit the notes as they scroll down the screen. You have to try and get into the music while paying attention to the scrolling notes. I say trying repeatedly because nothing's easy with a toddler around.

David is a bundle of energy. He's constantly on the move. His favorite activities are pushing buttons, banging things together and playing music. If you don't have a very young child, you may not know that every toy made today is required by the battery guild to play music. Of course, David is still learning to walk so he walks, toddles, cruises and crawls everywhere.

So I'm trying to pass a song. I think it's called Unsung, but for me it should be Unplayed. I have most of the song down, but there's a section that I just can't get. I'm trying to work on it. Then David starts banging some blocks together at a staccato, but off beat rhythm. I start missing notes. Deep breath. Get back on the next chord. Ok.

David drops the blocks. He's crawling full speed toward the TV. He stops at the last second and pulls himself up. I glance down from the notes to say, "No David, don't turn off the TV." He doesn't really understand me, but he knows that ignoring 'no' will get him in trouble so he crawls off. Then he tries to pull all the DVD's off the rack. "No, David." He gives me his maniacal grin. So more firmly, "No! David!" I'm missing more notes. He relents and starts crawling away.

As he goes past me, somehow he gets his leg caught up in the controller cord. I've just gotten to the hard section, but it starts out ok. Suddenly my guitar is being pulled down. The notes are coming too fast to pause. If I stop I'll never find the beat in time to finish the song. So I'm hopping on one foot, using the other to try to untangle baby from cord. I'm also sinking down as the taut cord pulls me. I've just activated star power to try to stay alive in the song, but it's getting harder and harder as I sink lower. The crowd's booing, the baby starts crying, but somehow manages to hit his musical turtle which starts belting out She's coming round the mountain. It's over. I've lost the song. I'm on my knees trying disentangle myself from the guitar and the baby from the cord. Then it's time to comfort the crying baby realizing play time is over for today.

I'm not a guitar hero today. Today, I'm just Dad, the guy who makes things better. That's enough for me. At least, She's coming round the mountain was played perfectly.

Jason