Baker: All right you see you can win right now just jump that “checker” then that one OHH then that one don’t forget that one and then that “checker”… AND YOU WIN!!!
Daughter: But dad! I wanted a PS3 for Christmas! Andy: PS3 is a total rip off! I mean who wants to dish out $600 for a game console? Not this dad! Now shut up and play with these cool ball bearings that I brought back from the shop for you!
With snow bearing down on the Baker family, a game or two of checkers was in order. The girls had a ball though nothing quite shielded them from their square father’s blinding attempt to fashion coordinate with the checker board. They sought comfort in knowing that geeks are geeks, Baker life is good, and Mom was making hot chocolate. With marsh mellows.
Little did the Baker family know that soon 200 viscously graciously professional 120 lb robots, 1 guy with puke, donuts, salmon, and bananas, and 10 people on Segways would soon be smashing through their house… looking for their lost bearings.
“Dad! We’ve already played “Twister”](http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/24789), “Poofball Chutes and Ladders” and “Andyland”… I don’t think this version of Checkers is going to be a hit, either…”
Mom in background, “I told you, AndyMark should stick to what it knows best, and leave the games to Dave!”
Andy - “Ooh, ooh, I call winner, I call winner!”
<continuing the thought>
Rachel - “No way, Dad. You suck.”
Lucy - “We need a challenge, not a wussy player!”
Isabel - “And no fair calling “yellow card!” when you don’t like the play!”
Andy, “Ok kids, we are finished testing Uncle Dave’s 2007 Game and proved that even a small child can figured out the rules. We now have to come up with a name for the new game. You first….”
Andy: “Daddy brought home some bearings for you to play with. Mark tried to press them into a slightly smaller hole. These are the bad ones.”
Little girl: “But daddy, why are there so many of them?”
Andy: sigh “Just keep playing.”
With Christmas bearing down on the Bakers, Andy thought that a little relaxation would help them coast into the season. Driven by their dad the girls find the going not so smooth. Andy’s remarks are like small pieces of dirt that cause the game to grind to a halt. As per norm, mom arrives and like a well greased machine, and is able to remove Andy from the area. The game starts back up and now runs very smoothly. Moral of the story is “If everything is running smooth, sit back, coast and enjoy the ride. If someone becomes like a little speck bearing down on your game of life, remove them before the ride grinds to a halt.”
<not an entry>First of all… awwwwwwwwww! <not an entry>
Girl holding bearing: Daddy, a bearing has an inner race, right?
Andy (proudly): Right.
Girl holding bearing: and a bearing has an outer race, right?
Andy (more proudly): Right.
Girl holding bearing: and a bearing has special very smooth round balls, right?
Andy (even more proudly): Right.
Girl holding bearing: and they come in different sizes to support different loads, right?
Andy (bursting with pride): Right.
Girl holding bearing: and some are sealed, right?
Girl in white (interupting impatiently) : Daddy, make her stop stalling and move her checker so I can jump it!!
Life at the Baker house: Loser cleans the hog barn floor. Soooooeeeee!
<not part of entry> Aw, don’t give me that, anybody that’s ever done that knows it builds character. Just remember to wear the “special” boots. Besides, it beats cleaning up the field after Dave’s VEX game. </not part of entry>