Tick-tock

I admit that I barely read books anymore.  If my free time is not consumed with family, baby, or chores, you will find me dazed and enthralled by either my computer(s), or wireless devices at home.  I have a strange puzzling addiction to Sudoku, of which I must successfully complete at least 2 if not 3 puzzles before bed.  I'm convinced that it keeps my mind sharp, or at least tires me out so that I can get a good night's sleep, since I've been plagued with Pregnancy-Insomnia and pregnancy-related heartburn (acid reflux).  These puzzles are timed, and it's even more challenging if I can complete "Extreme" levels of Sudoku, rather than "Easy" levels at a quick pace.  I am my own worst enemy, since my only competition is myself.

My other recent addiction are online games.  I have zero attention span these days, therefore I can't afford to play games that require hours of attention (raids, or groups), but for some strange reason I can spend hours running around on my character, accomplishing almost nothing.in terms of end-game accomplishments.  I also enjoy my click-click Facebook games (of which my husband has no understanding or patience).  But really, click-click games are all I can afford, time-wise.  All these types of games can be dropped and picked up at a moment's notice.  Online raids, groups, and campaigns can't be easily dropped.  Those games are commitments, and I just have zero ability to make such commitments, over the commitment of my toddler.

And then there are these things called books.  The closest I've come to reading anything book-like, are magazines, newspapers and flyers, online news articles, and children's books and nursery rhymes, and perhaps cook-books.  Novels are a luxury and seem daunting to even pick up.  I love literature though.  I love exploring literature, and contemplating over it, just as how some people love exploring and contemplating over movies.  In fact, the last novel I read, was months and months ago:  Tamarind Mem by Anita Rau Badami - a novel I picked up because my friend in South Korea needed help on clarifying some academic research and ideas for her thesis.  I love literature, I do.  I just don't have the patience or time for it anymore, although I suppose, if I replaced my Sudoku time, with novel-reading time, I could get in a few chapters before bed-time.  But somehow, completing a Sudoku puzzle seems more satisfying and rewarding to me, now.  That last comment makes me feel nostalgic for the days when I could finish a 250+ page novel in one or two days - those were the days of cramming and speed-reading - when time and deadlines meant everything, and nothing - days when I was single with no commitments, and days when I needed to finish reading the novel so that I could start that darn essay that would be due in a week.  But alas, time has passed, and other commitments keep me busy.  So Sudoku it is.  When time slows down, I'll find more time to enjoy my novels (of which I have a nice big pile waiting for me)...