I like to think that I'm usually a pretty simple woman. I don't often buy new clothes or shoes. My daily make-up usually consists of mascara and lip gloss. I'm still rocking a "dumbphone". I dream of one day sewing all my family's clothes, and owning enough land to get a cow and some chickens so we can make omelets with eggs from the backyard and cheese I made myself. My computer is five years old and my car is seven. Ok, the fact that I have both a computer and a car proves that I'm not as simple as they come. But by comparison (you know, like to the Kardashians), I'm a pretty simple woman.
But every once in a while, I want stuff. I haven't done the research, but there must be something hard-wired in my brain to enjoy making purchases. I get this crazy little sense of satisfaction from it.
This past week was a "stuff" week. Among other things, I wanted a new computer, so I could play this game that's coming out in May. Oh, I didn't tell you? I'm something of a nerd when it comes to computer games. It's not a recent thing.
For one, I taught myself to spell playing games like The Black Cauldron and Space Quest Chapter I: The Sarien Encounter and Kings Quest II: Romancing The Throne on our IBM PCjr.
I would come out of the computer room (big sister D's room) with a piece of paper and a pencil, and ask Mom to spell out tricky words like "bracelet" and "trident" for me so I could play the game like my older sisters could.
My Dad, God bless him, bought a new computer with each new Kings Quest game release from Sierra Entertainment, Inc. Don't get me wrong: this wasn't purely altruistic. My Dad was The First Gamer in our family. Or perhaps he tied for first with my Mom. They would stay up until all hours playing Zork, feverishly studying hand-made maps, trying to avoid being eaten by Grues, and collecting treasures to put in the trophy case.
This post could easily turn into a timeline of the development and maturation of the Computer Game since 1985. But I will curb my desire to chronicle such a nerdy topic and remind myself that my target audience will likely have only continued to read this post because of a combination of loyalty and pity.
All that to say that I digress.
Fast-forward. My last lengthy foray into computer games was in college, when I was introduced to Diablo II. It's a role-playing game (RPG), much like my favorites from the past, but it's so much more complicated. Level up your character. Learn skills and spells. Find pieces of armor and weapons and potions with different magical attributes. All the while, you're fighting the powers of Hell itself and (to the best of your knowledge) saving the world from Terror, Destruction, and Hatred.
That was me, second from the right. My sorceress's name was Bellefleur, and she rocked.
When I graduated, I got back into video games for a time (another fond childhood memory ... Sega Master System and Genesis ... Game Boy ...FOCUS MRS PI, FOCUS!). This phase was mostly dominated by music games. I have to say, I was kind of amazing at Guitar Hero.
Here again, I've settled into chronicling mode. I'm so sorry. I'm getting to the point, I promise.
The long-awaited sequel to Diablo II, namely, Diablo III, is being released May 15, 2012. My computer, being five years old, could never dream of running something so complex, so for a few days I pined and panged. I even went so far as to get a quote for a new gaming machine that could handle the specs of Diablo III. It was in the neighborhood of $800, with the game itself (Collector's Edition) having a tag of $99.
Yikes.
So I moped. Yes, I admit it, I moped. It's too much to justify spending for a game that would likely dominate too much of my free time anyway. Sigh. Stomp. Huff.
Cue distraction. The next day after major crankypants I went to pay my cell phone bill and realized that my phone upgrade was coming up. In two days. So I perused the site and discovered that I could get an iPhone for a very decent price (it's the "old" version). But hey, an iPhone! Facetime with my sisters and nieces and nephews! Draw Something! Music! (I lost my iPod shuffle in the ... shuffle of our last move. PI: Pun Intended) Coupons that I can summon up at will right in the store where I want to use them!
So Mr. Pi and I discussed the phone, and the extra monthly charge for data, and agreed it fits in the budget. Much moreso than would the computer and game.
Monday, dear readers, I will be the proud owner of an iPhone! I'm so excited, I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas! Diablo III is all but forgotten. I think you'd agree that an iPhone is about as close to magic as it gets in this day and age (unless you're Droid people). Just don't utter the word iPad ... it might set off my "Stuff" fever again.
Ever get "Stuff" fever? When was your last spell? Were you able to cure it, distract it, or did you give in?
(This is a No Judging Zone. If your stash is so big you have to resort to hiding it in places like up the sleeves of jackets in the closet like my Knitting Hero, the Yarn Harlot ... well, like I said, you'll get no judgment from me!)
Mrs. Pi
