"Words with Friends" as Metaphor

I only play "Words with Friends" with a few people: my aunt, two brothers (off and on), my sister and my good friend from high school, Mike.* Mike has three degrees from MIT, and generally kicks my ass in "Words." Surprisingly, the game demands not only a wide range of obscure vocabulary but also mastery of geometry, a spatial awareness of how to extract the most points from the board's special tiles. My occasional wins over Mike mark red-letter days when my ego can temporarily stand up straight and take a deep breath.

Today is not one of those days. Mike has deployed the Z, J, K and X (highest point letters) in our current game, surpassing my point total by nearly one hundred. He has nailed every "triple word" box but one, which remains unusable due to its position after the word "QIS." I'm drowning in his flood of high-point-words, which included "wahoo" for a staggering 54. My mind freezes when confronted by the limited usability of my remaining letters: I, T, T, R L.  Despite my competitive nature, I may have to deploy a pathetic word like "lit" just to end this torture. We can always start a new game with greater hope.

And, just like that, "Words" becomes a metaphor for my week. (I know you could see that coming from a mile away). I've been dragging my heels while spinning my wheels, working hard and hardly working. I did manage to finish a chapter in the book I'm writing with my mom, but otherwise I've been in a slump. The ego hides in a corner, the withering energy looks to chocolate and coffee.  

But there's always tomorrow (or next week, tomorrow's coming awfully quick). A fresh game board with new letters and the chance to play a Z, J or X, the option to merge luck and opportunity.  I will inevitably accept Mike's invitation to play again - and one day my optimism will unfurl from this cold winter ground, alive to new possibilities. New words to play, new games to win (or lose), a calendar open to chance. Wahoo!

*Mom, if you're reading this, I would be playing with you, too,  but I can't find your name on the 'Friends' page. Did you delete yourself?? Also, I apologize for the three-letter word. It had to be said.

Random

I am perched on my chair
As my derriere is rare;
Too many situps on the floor
Made my rear end red and sore.

Not prizeworthy poetry, but unfortunately true. So as I perch, I wanted to record a few random thoughts. First, I need to defend several of my Words with Friends word choices that have been strongly debated. To my worthy WWF opponents (you know who you are), these ARE words and here I shall prove it:

- Fleam: a handheld venepuncture device (good luck with venepuncture)
- Sherd: a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, often spelled 'shard'
- Wode: a wood

And here are some words submitted by aforementioned opponents that I debated:
- Pelves: alternate spelling for pelvis (now that's annoying!)
- Charro: a traditional horseman from Mexico
- Gimel: the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet

So hopefully we are all on the same page / kindle viewing screen.

I also wanted to start keeping track of little miracles - kind of an alternate Lenten activity since I am not doing super well with giving up anxiety. I have not given up giving it up, but thought maybe the new process would support the first.

So, miracle for today: second day of sixty-plus degree weather, and the hyacinths and daffodils are poking their heads above ground. I bet the wode will soon be full of them!