Mocha and Scrabble

Usually I'm not a big board game player - it might have something to do with the fact that I'm married to Mr. Competitive and for him the word game is synonomous with "it's all about winning." He's the guy that when I could talk him into running three miles with me he'd take off sprinting while I settled in for the long jog. A block later he'd be walking and I'd still be jogging my usual pace (and no, it wasn't a snail's pace!) but as soon as I caught up with him off he'd go - beating me yet again. It was very frustrating for all five times we ran together.

The same was true with board games - even before we were married. In fact we got into a such a big fight over Scattergories on the very same day he proposed that I'm surprised the proposal actually even happened. So - Dave and I don't play games together very often... and I've turned into a whinerbutt whenever anyone wants to play because I just assume everyone is as competitive as my husband.

But thanks to this morning, my tune has changed. This morning Theresa called me and said, "I'm making mochas, come over." I said, "I don't think I should - I still had a fever last night at 5..." She said, "Get your butt over here..." So I showered and walked on over... promising myself I wouldn't breathe on her. As she, Jane (her awesome mother-in-law who has been here for almost three weeks) and I sat around the fire Theresa suggested we play scrabble. I, of course, groaned. But you don't argue with Theresa.

So we played... and it was so relaxing and so non-competitive that I actually have the hankering to play again. There was some competition - but it was friendly and for the learning. For example, when Theresa put down "dap" I asked her about it - not because I didn't think it was a word (she is, after all a Scrabble guru) but because I wanted to know for future reference. At another point I thought I only had a five point play but once I put out my tiles, the two of them made it into a 24 point word. In between plays we chatted, laughed and drank our mochas... what a wonderful morning.

As for Dave, when he got home this afternoon I told him about the Scrabble game and guess what his first words were? Yep, you guessed it - his first words were, "Who won?" Some things never change.