Articles

FROM UNDER A MISTLETOE SOMEWHERE IN THE BERKSHIRES…

…It’s Christmas once again. With out any doubt in my mind, Christmas is my favorite holiday (Halloween a close second); family, friends, food, candy and presents under the tree (hopefully for me this Christmas, I’ll find X-Men Legends 2 for my PSP). Living here in the Berkshires, there’s always a good chance we’ll have a white Christmas; no complaint’s here, I love the fluffy white stuff, until the plows come and get it dirty. Then like Oliver Twist, I’m asking, “may I have more please “. As the tree light’s twinkle, I bring my gaming gift to all of you; I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, with all due apologies to Clement Moore. This month’s column: ‘Twas the Night Before a New Game.

‘Twas the Night Before A New Game
(or A Visit from a Gaming Junkie)

‘Twas the night before a new game, when all through the apartment
Not a computer was heard humming, not even a dice was being rolled.
The gaming manuals with the strategy guides were lined neatly on a shelf
In hopes that a fellow gaming junkie soon would be there.

The games were all saved on our computer hard drive
While my D & D painted mini’s, dreamed of dragon treasures they would soon find.
And Paula in her t-shirt, and I in my flannels,
had just settled our minds for a Berkshire winter’s nap.

Then out on our roof there was such a ruckus,
I sprang like a bedspring to see what the hell was the matter.
Over to the window I sleepily stumbled,
Pulled up the blinds, and opened the window.

The moon with its light on the new (and still falling) snow
gave the impression of midday on the car roofs below,
when what in my blurry eyes should appear,
but a new Xbox 360 and eight random video games.
With a middle aged player, so lively and quick at the controls,
I knew within a moment it must be a gaming junkie.
More rapid than broadband, her fingers across buttons did fly,
and she hooted and shouted, “ I just leveled up “ and called them by name:
On Mario! On Crash!
Now FPS and RPG!
On Serious Sam! On Max Payne!
On Daxter and Jak!
To the top of the porch!
To the top of that tree!
Now slash Away! Shoot away!
Hack away all!

As snow flew the white drifts did rise,
where they met with fire hydrants on the evenly numbered street side
so up to the house tops the games they flew,
with the Xbox 360, accessories, and the Gaming Junkie too.

And then with a “ Damn I missed “, I heard on the roof
music from all the games, was all I needed as proof.
As I drew in my head and almost fell turning around,
busting down the door (we don’t have a fireplace) Gaming Junkie came with a thud.

She was dressed rather casual, from her head to her feet
in jeans, a Halo 2 t-shirt and canvas hi-top Chuck Taylor’s for boots.
A dice bag like bundle of games she had slung on her back,
and she looked like a DM just opening her sack.

Her eyes – how they danced! Her dimples, how happy!
Her cheeks were like cherry jelly bellies, her nose like a bright ruby!
Her little mouth was in a mischief-knowing grin!
And the hair on her head was as red as a Dragon’s fire.
The stick of a grape tootsie pop she held tight in her teeth,
and the smell of mom’s apple pie encircled her like a wreath.
She had a round face, and a little pear shaped belly,
that jiggled when she laughed, like a dish of lime Jell-O.

She was tall with average build, a right jovial gamer girl,
and I giggled when I saw her, in spite of myself.
A wink from her baby blues and a slow turn of her head
soon came to clue me in I had nothing to dread.

She spoke not a rhyme, but went straight to her task,
and filled all the comfy socks, then turned with a playful hop.
And laying her finger on the Nintendo Game Boy,
and giving a wave, out my broken down door she flew.

She sprang to her Xbox, to her games gave a whistle
and away they all flew like Luke Skywalker’s X-wing.
But I heard her exclaim, before she deleted out of sight.

“Happy holiday gaming to all and to all a peaceful good night!“

Until next month / year – Happy Gaming!