Friday, August 26, 2016

Getting Jiggy With It


Convinced that my brain was beginning to atrophy.
I began various attempts to challenge the synapsis
and keep them in excellent firing capacity.


I tried crosswords for a couple of years
 until I went crosseyed.
Then came sudoku which found me 
doing just a numbered crossword of sorts.

Image result for sudoku puzzles

So addicting was sudoku that
 after a couple years, I spent 
 a couple days doing
nothing but sudoku, and I had to 
enter a rehab program.

Soon I was forgetting movie stars names,
and how to subtract, and I quickly searched
for mental health answers.

I found -
drumroll please-

(didn't I mention this before?)

and yes I have an addiction problem once more.
They're a cheap brown bowl of bar peanuts.
I started with the 100 pieces with an initial 
self set goal of 
completing a puzzle within 20 minutes.
Giving my mouse clicking 
and dragging skills a major workout,
I was soon at 12 minutes and this week
most have been done in under 9 minutes.

Whether or not my brain is less likely to atrophy
because of it remains to be seen.
The lightbulb moment this morning was
acknowledging
my issue may really be avoidance.

I need to create new projects to teach,
repaint the garage floor and redo
the entire back yard.
My feet are immersed in cement it seems,

so I push oddly shaped jigsaw pieces 
around on the computer and achieve satisfaction
of accomplishment. But do I really?

Once more, I play mind games with myself.
An hour ago,
I told bloggie pal Carole that 
I was headed up to the studio.

 I had good intention
I swear
Instead I came here.
to visit all of you.

Meanwhile...
six minutes for 100 piece
seem too difficult?

Z




6 comments:

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I hope my brain can remain active without puzzles since I really don't have the patience to do them!! I read a lot and hope that helps my brain!
hugs!!

Tracey Broome said...

I don't have the patience for crosswords but tomorrow I am sitting all day and playing video games! I have now worked three 70 hour weeks and I think I have earned a mind numbing couch sit. Video games are the only thing that will keep me glued to a chair for long periods of time! Avoidance is a good thing :)

Blondie's Journal said...

I never heard of the website, Z, and I'm cringing. I have a very addictive personality and I did crosswords even while eating dinner with my family. Jigsaw---always one going on and I couldn't walk by it without sitting down for an hour that turned into more.

I have sat next to people on planes who play games on their phones and iPads for the entire 2-4 hours. I don't dare.

Thanks for the link. I'm not going near it.

Jane

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

http://braingames1.aarp.org/find_the_right_match.html
AARP also has a good line up of brain exercise games to help break the jigsaw puzzle spell. lol

mary scott said...

I work all 3 of the daily MSN jigsaw puzzles on the advanced setting. I love them! Thank goodness, there are only 3 per day, or I would work them all hours.
I used to work real jigsaw puzzles until I adopted kitties. I only work the huge crossword puzzle in our Sunday paper. Love them too.

June said...

Are you really serious Z! I have got to check this out! Will it work for insomnia or keep me wide awake for hours? You cracked me up with your 'forgetting movie star names etc'!
I'm so glad you were able to see Adele in concert! Did you know that I've only been to one concert my whole life? Yes, I'm very un-cultured and a wee bit agoraphobic...is that even how it's spelled?
big love from me!