Blasphemy! What's next—comic books and classic WB cartoons are also meant for kids?
"I may be getting older, but I refuse to grow up!"

For me the key is interactive, but maybe that's just semantics. This presented me with a paradox in that watching movies (generally considered a "passive" activity) usually provides me with enough distraction. I was recently wondering why this was, and it occurred to me that not all movies I like or watch work equally well. The ones that work best are those that get me thinking/analyzing/solving while I'm being absorbed into the plot/story—mysteries, capers, etc. Movies I've seen a zillion times—even though they still be enjoyable (e.g. The Big Lebowski, Marx Bros.)—don't work as well.

I used to be a consummate gamer—board, video, RP, skill & action... until my health went to perdition in a purse. The physical stress/tension—joyous as it may have been—is no longer bearable. The back of my neck and shoulders tense up, aggravating the severe arthritis & stenosis, causing pain, nausea & wallbanger headaches. I can still play some board/parlor/card games, but nothing that involves a timer of any kind. I would still play P&P RPGs, but haven't been able to find a group in years (over the age of 30ish).

I miss computer/video games, skill & action games, and many of the parlor games I enjoyed most (e.g. taboo—those that invove timers). [Please don't anyone suggest playing those games without the timer element—to a gamer, that's like changing the rules or playing without all the pieces!].

The same muscular tension problem has stopped/prevented me from playing music as well. I think that's even worse than not being able to play games.

Gee... I didn't start this post out with the intention of it devolving into a bringdown... Sorry about that.

On the upside, the interaction & problem-solving of quilt & embroidery design give me the same kind of, "Whoops—where'd the time go‽" involvement, so it isn't all sour persimmons...

Doc