Chip’s Challenge

It was time for a day of family togetherness. DUH and the kids had the grand idea that we should have a game tournament as soon as this last tax deadline was over. We deserve a day off right? DUH has been working extra hard between work and his law studies. The kids have been carrying an extra load while I work on my shop orders.

So we all took a day off. While I would have chosen museums, shopping, picnic at the park….I went along with their plan.

We would have a Chip’s Challenge tournament.

Chip’s Challenge is a “tile based puzzle video game” that DUH and I used to play when the kids were very little. We had no money and nothing to do but stay home on a Saturday and play games while the babies napped.

But now those babies have grown. Grown and learned to beat us at video games. Something is wrong with that.

The kids were all excited. They wore green shirts in honor of Chip. The game was installed on everyone’s computer and we were ready go to. Get a drink, go to the bathroom, make yourself comfortable. You’re going to be sitting there for a long time.

9AM. Ready. Set. GO!

We were off. All of our computers in the same room. All of us racing through the levels. Each time we would complete a level we would jump up and run to the write & wipe school board to change our level. That way we could all see how each person was doing….sum up the competition.

We’d call out challenges, “Hey Daddy! I’m on Level 11! What level are you on?” To which he’d reply, “Be quiet.”

It wasn’t long before the oldest 2 were pulling ahead of the rest of us. I was doing OK….not shaming myself anyway. But poor DUH, he wasn’t faring as well as he had expected. At one point I heard him mumble, “And I thought I was going to have to be stopping to help you all because I would be so far ahead.”

No dear, we’re getting too old for this stuff anymore.

It took him so long to get through Level 33 that he got way behind. When he finally completed it….we all rejoiced.

At noon it was fend for yourself. Some of the kids had pre-prepared their lunches so they could eat while they played.

The funniest joke that popped up throughout the day came from Level 24. It is called, “Oorto Geld”. It took me a while to finish, so every time anyone asked me what level I was on I would say, “Oorto Geld” to which they would reply, “Why? What is wrong with her?”

It turns out they thought I was saying, “Poor Jo Gail.” (Jo Gail is my wonderful aunt that regularly reads my blog and will get a kick out of this story) So for the rest of the day someone, out of the blue, would say with a sympathetic tone, “Poor Jo Gail”. And anytime someone would lose a level we would all say, “Poor Jo Gail.” It was hilarious.

By 2:00 my head was hurting and my eyes were having trouble focusing.

I stopped. They kept going. Another fell by the wayside around 3:30. So she and I took the baby and went to the grocery store. When we returned home at 6:00….they were still playing.

When they stopped for dinner at 7:00 the games were over. There was a clear winner. 17 year old son was 10 levels ahead of his 19 year old sister….and she was 12 levels ahead of the rest of us.

When DUH and I finally sat down together at the end of the day, his words were….

“Not my best idea.”

We did have fun, but we won’t do it again.

My cankles can’t take it.

Next time I get to choose…..and I choose shopping.

They won’t like it but, oh well….poor Jo Gail.

For a free download of Chip’s Challenge go here.

This will be reposted on my second blog.