I miss a good old fashioned game of Monopoly.
You know, one that starts out so innocent and relaxed. Everyone is just happy to be together. Whoever smiles the widest gets the dog. Ahh, so sweet and serene.
Now that everyone is linked with their ideal piece, the game proceeds.
The first hour pretty much always goes the same way. A lot of dice rolling, a lot of Chance card flipping, and a heaping helping of cheesy encouraging side comments like, "Oh, wow, just missed jail on that roll, sport". Of course it's just a feeling out process for the real vets of the game.
ENOUGH!
Round about hour three we really get to the nitty gritty and see who's in it to win it and who just wants to try to get the prettiest colored properties. All kindness and joviality is stripped away, only left with hard, cold reality.
The game always inexplicably ends when someone screams out, "Up yours jackass, I rolled a 7!", and flips the board leaving the pewter pieces to fly everywhere. Money is raining down all around. Pink $5 and yellow $10 bills fill the sky of the once calm dining room.
Now everyone tries to settle down after all of the commotion. Some of us have to wrestle the wheelbarrow lodged in our eye socket yet others try to pry loose with brute force the Park Place card that has stuck itself in the drywall, ninja star style. And that's when we all turn and yell in unison:
"Grandma, it's just a game!"
Ah, now if only I could pass this thimble, I'd be alright...
