I am not a person that takes casual interest in things. If I like something… I like it ALL THE WAY, immediately, to the point of obsession.
Find a new blog I was unaware of that I suddenly like? … I read the entire thing from start to finish in a week to catch up.
Find a new meal I love to make for lunch? … I eat it EVERY day for a month straight until I become totally sick of it – then I find a new lunch obsession and start the cycle all over again. (I never got over my cereal + latte obsession… I’ve had the exact same thing for breakfast practically every day for YEARS now.)
Find a food I love? … I put it on everything, all the time, every chance possible. This happened to me with feta cheese a few years back, and then with goat cheese. Actually, now that I think of it – I tend to cycle between those two cheeses and put them on EVERYTHING, alternating months. (But now that James does the grocery shopping – he ‘forgets’ to buy these cheeses. I can’t figure out why?!)
Find a new album I can’t get enough of? … I listen to it every day, all day, non-stop, in the car, in my office… basically – everywhere, all the time.
Buy a new pair of jeans that fit like a glove? … I wear them every chance I get – only taking them off to wash them (occasionally). 😉
Find a restaurant we like? … We only go there for months on end.
Photography falls into this same category – definitely an obsession (as is this whole entrepreneur/running my own business thing. I’m obsessed.)
Anyway – you get the point. I have issues. 🙂
And what is my latest obsession, you ask? Well that’s easy… Super Mario Bros for Wii. (If you follow me on Facebook you’re probably already aware of this.) I had an inkling that it was becoming an obsession – and then James took this photo, and posted it to Facebook without me even noticing… with the following caption (on Jan. 5th):
Christy Tyler is an addict… a Super Mario Bros. addict! If you need proof check out the Christmas tree that is still fully decorated in the background.
Yup. That’s me. IN. THE. ZONE.
Maybe I should start from the beginning, and tell you that we didn’t have video games growing up, and that in general, I’ve disliked video games my entire life. The only exception being a couple games that I played at my cousins’ houses now and then when we were kids. Those games being: Super Marios Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog. Those are the only games I remember ever being even remotely good at (and my definition of good is most people’s definition of terrible… FYI). So when James got Super Mario Bros for Wii at Christmas from my parents… I was all, “Oooo fun James! I liked this game when I was a kid! And we can play this together because you can have more than one player in this version!”
And we did. Twice.
Then one night I decided to try playing by myself for a change while James was at the gym. Next thing I knew – James was back from the gym and I was still playing. He asked me how long I’d been playing. I looked at the clock and thought maybe I was reading it wrong… 3 hours had gone by?!
I quietly answered, “3 hours.”
“Excuse me, how long?” he said.
“3… hours…” I repeated, even more quietly.
And then he burst out laughing. He LOVED it. His wife, Christy Tyler, was playing video games, BY HERSELF, for 3 hours.
Here is the part where I should note that I don’t do things for fun much anymore. I realize this is bad. I tend to multi-task my time away from working so I don’t feel like I’m ‘wasting’ time. If I want to read, I go to the gym and hit the stationary bike while I’m at it. If I want to watch a TV show I love – I listen to it/watch it on James’ computer set down next to mine so I can edit pictures at the same time.
So – because James is a fabulous husband and likes to see me happy – he was overjoyed to see me just relaxing and enjoying myself – doing something besides working for a change.
Because of this – after that day – not only did he let me steal the TV and play for hours, he SUGGESTED I play. He’d be watching TV or doing something in the living room, and I’d walk up and quietly ask him if I could have the TV to play Super Mario Bros (because I was kind of embarrassed of my new-found obsession), and every time – James would laugh out loud and then tell me absolutely – play away! (Which still amazes me… because I’m a total pain in the butt when he wants to play Madden! Oops.)
And play I did. Night after night, hour after hour. It became a problem. James went to the gym late Friday night (we have weird schedules), and when he left at 11pm I had all intentions of watching Say Yes to the Dress and going to sleep. Then – next thing I knew it was 4am and I was STILL PLAYING.
I COULD NOT STOP PLAYING.
I MUST BEAT THIS LEVEL!
THAT DARN CATERPILLAR THING KEEPS MESSING ME UP!
WHY WON’T THOSE FIRE-BREATHING PLANTS DIE WHEN I FREEZE THEM?!
I even had a dream that I was in Super Mario Bros’ world. I faintly remember it. But it definitely happened. And I woke up disturbed… because this was getting ridiculous! I’m hoping once I beat the game my obsession will end – just like they all do. I’ll burn myself out on it…. right?
But for now… I have to go beat World 5.
