Pac Man Fever

Liz misses the joystick

My younger brother really enjoyed Mario Brothers when he was around 7. I, being several years older, grew up with a propensity for Q-bert, Donkey Kong, Pole Position, Frogger, Space Invaders, and, of course, Pac Man. I spent much of this morning drinking coffee and playing Pac Man. I only made it off of level 1 once. Where have my mad Pac Man skills gone?

I blame it on my laptop. If I only had a joy stick, I could rule the Pac Man world. I love joysticks. I wish my car had one of those instead of a steering wheel. I transitioned from holding the joystick with my entire hand to simply letting it rest between my thumb and index finger, as evolution demands. Why else were we born with thumbs? You could hit the joystick "up" once and then relax. Pac Man took a hint. He would glide in the direction you suggested. The perfect man.

I went to the party last night. Only one other person from the office came and she came late. I'm glad I went. It was fun and, in a lot of ways, reminded me of a high school party. You had a clique of sort of snobbish chicks, but for the most part everyone was very nice and enjoyed shooting the shit. I was the only white person there. I didn't feel awkward, but I did stand out. Most of the other women were very dressed up. I had on denim Capri pants. They were in dresses. Faux Pas. The story of my life. I was also the only smoker. No surprise there. Why are you people clinging to life?

I really wish I didn't have to have a job. I would like to have the money to do nothing other than travel, shop, and get massages. I think I need to start looking for a man who wants a helpless woman. I'm not sure I can do it, but I think it's worth a shot. If I could just find that insanely rich guy who shows his affection through his wallet, my life could be dramatically different. I really don't even care if he sleeps around, as long as he buys my silence and doesn't bring home diseases. Lots of people are in meaningless relationships. I want one too! One that pays well.

I could never do that, really, but it's a good fantasy to have when I've got a week's worth of laundry to do and iron. Being middle class is a blessing but knowing how green the grass is on the other side can drive you crazy if you let it sink in. I blame HGTV. When they show those luxury houses full of their insane gadgets I get a bad case of "I Want That!". I saw something recently where a couple had a bathroom the size of my house. Sigh.... I want that.

I dread tomorrow. The weekend hasn't pulled me out of my I HATE PEOPLE funk that latched on last Friday. Maybe it's the weather. It is hot as hell. So hot the A/C never cuts off and the house still isn't cool enough. Maybe it's that I need a vacation. We all need breaks from the usual. Maybe it's that I constantly expect people to be good and do good and I'm constantly disappointed. Maybe it's that I can't win at Pac Man.