Caught in the Act

Solitaire. I play too much of it, and generally alone because, well, solitaire. A derivative of solitary. I think.

It runs in the family. Dad played, Mom played, and I remember sitting in me Grandpa Joe's kitchen when I was ten or eleven watching him play. Klondike is our version of choice. I didn't even know it had a name other than solitaire until I was an adult. Once I learned that my reaction was, it makes sense. Why should there be only one type of one person card game? Yet that never occurred to me before my twenties.

I was once playing it when I admittedly shouldn't have been. For the last ten years I taught I was in a self driven classroom where students could take a myriad of subjects which were streamed in via computer. As such, we were there to facilitate as much as anything, helping students through difficult tasks, getting them needed materials, and grading finished work among other chores. 

Our sessions ended at 9 PM weeknights. One evening at around 8:45 with few students in attendance, honestly maybe three, and with no immediate demands on my time, I sat down at an open computer which I thought was out of view and pulled up solitaire. About half way through my game I got that feeling we all get sometimes of being watched. Turning around, a young man who was something of a joker (but a cool one) was standing there with a broad smile on his face. He pointed at me and barked sternly, "Get back to work!", and laughed.

I laughed with him. What could I do? I was caught. 

Save The Date

For all of you who are interested, Sunday December 19 at 7:30 on your local PBS station will be this year's free showing of the classic Charlie Brown Christmas special. Even though we have it on DVD and can stream it (though streaming, whatever that is, is still something I can't seem to wrap my head around let alone manage to do efficiently) I still make the effort to watch it on free TV.

Part of it is only the old school guy in me coming out. Many if not most of us remember, and quite fondly, how the TV Guide served as our entertainment schedule way back when. If you missed a special you were out of luck for an entire year as to catching it again. I'm not, or at least don't intend to, argue in any way that this 'streaming' thing is wrong or bad. On the whole it really is good. Still, sentimentality...

So anyway, I'm going to watch Charlie Brown, the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, on PBS in thirteen days. The childhood vibes come shining through until yet watching a revered show at a scheduled date such as that. Undoubtedly I will watch it again with family on Christmas Day via DVD or stream. But if you want to experience something as it once were, mark December 19 on you calendar.