The Tetris Faceoff

I love reading, and playing piano, and sewing, and cooking (wish I didn’t have to do the dishes though), and sports. 

My kids and Hubby are into videogames, and hotrods. 

Hotrods are expensive and we can’t afford them.

So they are into videogames right now.

They’ve often asked, or begged me to play with them, and occasionally I do.  But, after a few rounds of loosing miserably in a Mario kart race (I swear Princess Peaches car isn’t as fast as toad’s), or getting shot to death on Halo one too many times, I make an excuse about cutting veggies for dinner and excuse myself. 

I’ve always told the boys that the only video game I was ever good at was Tetris.  They laughed at me, convinced that I was lying, because we didn’t have that game for me to “prove myself” to them.

It all changed today. 

Doc downloaded all the old Nintendo games to our WII, and in the mix was TETRIS!

The time had come.

The boys called me out.

As I picked up the controller I was nervous that I’d forgotten how to play the game.  I was terrified that my boys would destroy me once again, and at my own game.

The game commenced.

I took my time, rotating the blocks three or four times around until I got used to the feel of the controller, then I remembered that I could push the down button and place the blocks sooner.  Then I looked up and saw the next block “on deck” hanging out in a little window for me to peek at, and look ahead to where I wanted to place it.  It made it so much easier figuring out where I wanted to place the current block, knowing exactly where I would place the upcoming block.

It all came back to me. 

I flew through the blocks, doping them perfectly in their little cubby holes. 

Line after line disappeared, and with it came a burst of pleasure through me. 

The game ended suddenly.  I wasn’t sure what had happened at first.  Then I looked over and saw my sons’ side of the board was full all the way up to the top. 

I won.

It was the first time that I EVER beat my son at a video game.  The look of awe on his face brought me more satisfaction that the victory itself.

My victory was short lived. 

Doc walked over, and said, “Okay… now it’s my turn.”

Now, Doc is really good at all video games, so I was a little worried… but mostly I wanted to kick his butt.

I picked up the controller, gave him a “bring it on” kind of look, and we started. 

The battle was intense.  Our fingers were flying.  We were racing.  Blocks were rotating and dropping at break neck speeds.  He was good… but I matched him block for block.  The game was really close.  There were times he pulled ahead, and then I would pull off a brilliant move, and catch back up.  Sweat formed on my brow… Okay… that’s taking it a bit too far.

Let’s just jump to what really matters…

I WON!

I am officially the undisputed Tetris Champion in our home.  Finally a video game that I RULE at!

And I did a great big Happy Dance, as I knocked all of their “blocks off”.  I know… terrible pun, but… I had too.