The horrible losses in life

The iPhone is a lovely thing, it makes phone calls, we can text, send email and then there are the games!  Oh how I love to pass those idle hours in the airport or when I can't sleep at night with a game that allows my brain to shut down.  One VERY popular game is called Angry Birds.  The idea is that you use a slingshot to fling birds at structures and inside the structures are pigs.  The object is to blow up the pigs (because they will eat your nest). 

There are many many levels and each is more and more difficult, thus the challenge.  I am happy to get through a level no matter what.  Jason however, feels that to be satisfied he has to earn high point values which are captures in his stats page by the number of stars earned for a level.  Three stars is the best.  He was on a personal journey to get three stars on every level.  He wouldn't even proceed to a new level until he achieved his goal.

You all know that I love this man with my entire being.  But, I will call a nerd a nerd.  My beloved NERD has been bragging to folks about his three star merits and I simply have to sit back and let him geek out.  No amount of telling him he sounds like a kid raving about Atari or Halo has penetrated his obsessed brain. 

Heck, the boy is even RANKED in the online world of Angry Birds.  (I play for the enjoyment, he plays for the glory.)  Of the 36,000 other people who upload their Angry Bird scores to the main game server he is ranked at about 25,000.  Now this won't get him on the medal platform, but really do you want to be THAT guy?  I mean, the dude (just a hunch) that is ranked number one has a cumulative score that is in the billions - seriously!?  I think he hacked into the program or he plays so much that he doesn't eat, sleep or worry about his virginity.

Last night, the unthinkable happened.  Jason's phone seized up while he was playing.  He rebooted and then the Angry Birds application wouldn't load.  At 11:30 pm (with his parents nicely tucked into their guest room) he trekked into the office to "fix" the application.   He came back to bed and made the saddest sound.  I knew immediately what horror had just entered into his life.   All of his hard word had been wiped away.  Not only were is pages and pages of 3 star victories erased but all but level 1 was locked.  In order to play, he has to start over.

I do sympathize, but I also laughed until my stomach hurt and tears were leaking out of my eyes. He's sad but seems determined to start over.  His ranking is still online, but his new games aren't contributing to his score - so in order to improve his ranking he has to make a new name for himself.  I hope he's done before the baby comes or he'll be using his paternity leave to catch up.

Merry Christmas you damn birds!