Monday, November 9, 2009

My Sudoku Addiction

I discovered Sudoku in 2005. My niece had a puzzle book during our beach vacation with her family. As she sat at the dining room table working the puzzle, my eyes zoomed in on the page of numbers, and it was love at first sight.

warning: clicking on ColorKu has volume
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You would think that I’m a math geek, but I’m not in that particular intellectual group of people; I just like puzzles – jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and fill-in puzzles (words and numbers). My latest discoveries are ColorKu and Numbrix (in the Sunday newspaper insert-Parade magazine, and online) – love both games!

Sometimes I wonder what kind of mind craves this type of entertainment. I’m nowhere near expertise; actually I’m not even very good, although I think I can be if I spend at least five hours every day playing. My family and home would suffer, like, our bills may not get paid or we may not have clean clothes, but at least I would be able to claim being a master at SOMETHING!

My eleven year old daughter enjoys Soduko, too, and all the other puzzles I mentioned. If she has time for her ol’ mama, she’ll join me as I sit concentrating and contemplating my next move or entry. Together, we’ll squeal with delight as we figure out each move toward our goal.

My nine year old daughter is headed in the same direction. She likes Sudoku and ColorKu. On the other hand, my thirteen year old daughter will stop and watch for thirty seconds, if that, and move on. But…there is hope! She’s helped us solve a ColorKu puzzle a few times. She said, “I think I may like this. It doesn’t have all those numbers all over it.”

“That’s my girl!”

Why my brain is wired to like puzzles, I don’t know. Some people love to shop…I don’t. Some people love creating by cooking – I don’t. Some people love politics – I don’t. We’re all pieces of a puzzle and when we put all the unique pieces together representing our interests and talents, we have a colorful and fascinating picture!

What is your addiction(s)? Does it help (or hurt) your mental and/or physical state? I already know what some of you will say…blogging! :)
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15 comments:

Menopausal New Mom said...

Hi Anita, I love a good puzzle too. When I worked in an office what seems like a lifetime ago, I used to do the crossword every morning. Don't have time for that now, actually we don't even get the paper anymore, no time to read it.

My addiction now would be chocolate and coffee. Of course they would both be in the food groups (chocolate is a category isn't it?)!

I didn't get to keep these 25 lbs of baby weight on by eating lettuce!

Abby said...

Of all the destructive addictions out there, doing puzzles is certainly of the less harmful!

I love puzzles too! Crosswords are good. Love those crypto-quotes! Even total time wasters like word searches are not beneath me! Sudoku? Let me at them!

Addiction? I've yet to break down and actually spend money on these things - that might signal a problem.

Blogging? Yeah, probably a bit of a vice.

Lee said...

I love puzzles too. I used to do suduko a ton, but sorta stopped, but I love crosswords.

yonca said...

My son and I love puzzles :) You have a great blog. I'm following now:)

Anita said...

MENO MOM DEB, I've probably said this to you before, but I'll say it again - I love an honest woman!
If you gotta have 25 extra pounds, eating chocolate, at least, is a pleasurable reason to have the extra pounds.
Your skinny days are coming...things change. :)

ABBY-You sound like a "controlled addict" - like me. :)

LEE, I hear that people do give up the Sudoku, or whatever. One friend told me that it took up too much of her day. Or, other things come along to take the place of it. Fortunately, (I guess) I like so many things, that I seem to make the rounds in the addiction category.

YONCA, I'm glad you like my blog and have become a follower - thank you! I will look at yours tonight, after dinner.
Nice to hear that you and your son spend time together doing puzzles. :)

Unknown said...

I love meno new mom....chocolate is a category???

I just learned how to do sudoku while on the plane to NC. Ironically, I saw the colorku at the thrift store. Now, I'm kicking myself because I probably should've bought it for my daughter. She loves sudoku as well.

I also enjoy jigsaw puzzles but I'm afraid that my dog would eat it so that's not going to work until he grows too big to come through the pet door.

Midlife Mom said...

I guess my addiction would be the computer. Blogging and e-mail could eat up a lot of my day if I let it. I have so many projects that I want to do on my computer, organizing things being first on that list. I don't know how to do Sudoku, I just don't have time for another addiction! lol! Another thing I haven't done is Farm Town and games like that, I know I would love it so it's best to leave it alone! :o)

Anita said...

CHOCOLATE, jigsaw puzzles are a problem with pets. I used to put my puzzle together on large school poster boards, on top of the kitchen table. When meal time came, I'd lift the poster boards (one for the puzzle and one for the pieces not yet used) and slide them under the bed. But, my dog discovered a puzzle one day and that was the end of that. Gotta find another place to move the puzzle-on-poster board. :)

Anita said...

MIDLIFE MOM, I'm addicted to the computer too. VERY! I understand about not wanting to try someting else.
I've never heard of Farm town. Dare I Google it? :)

Hilary said...

I haven't gotten into Suduku, but I do like word searches and word scrambles. My latest addictions would be Godiva's pumpkin truffles, blotting paper for my high sheen skin (where did that come from?), a cool glass of Don Rudolfo Torrontes with dinner, and working on amassing a larger blog following :)

Cheryl Wooten said...

According to my husband's sources, if a person was to spend one hour EACH day on a particular subject, then in one year, that person would be an EXPERT on that subject. So, Anita, perhaps next year you will be the proud author of "Sudoku for Dummies"!

Anita said...

CLW, I'm often tempted to do just that. If I can take an hour a day for the ten things I'm interested in, I can write ten of those "For Dummies" books! hmmm.... :)

Anita said...

HILARY, The truffles and blotting paper are especially appealing to me too!

Annie Z said...

LOVE Sudoku!!!! Also an addict! Am keen to check out the colorku.

Anita said...

NEWMUM, You'll probably like Colorku too.
I've had to share my Sudoku time with blogging, so it's getting a bit neglected. Guess I can't do everything. :)