1UP

Running errands without a baby is like warping to the Level 8 dungeon in Nintendo’s original Super Mario Bros with fireballs and the star. You know, the star that lands on you and speeds up the music and makes you invincible. How easily I kill hammer-tossing dragons and how quickly I save princesses when I’m alone. This is one of the reasons I love my daughter. She routinely watches Archer after school to give me a power hour, or as I like to call it, HAMMERTIME!

Sometimes I use it to work out. Sometimes I take a quick nap with my door closed. Sometimes I shower and get ready for the day because I’m that pathetic of a non-morning person. Once I drove a mile away, parked, blasted my music, read a few articles on my phone’s reading list, and drove back home. Yesterday I only got a power 36 minutes but it still allowed me to hit the bank, buy sour cream, Baked Cheetos, and a pineapple at the grocery store, and pay my Kohl’s bill in person. Just knowing I get a small breather every afternoon is priceless.

Thank you, RE, for letting me escape long enough to find and hit the brick that grows the secret beanstalk up to Cloud Coin Bonus Land. Just a few seconds of jumping alone in fresh air earns me a free life to save for later. Thank you for the stash in my energy cache. I would be GAME OVER without you.

1UP = One up, or one extra life. Mario was one of three Nintendo games I ever loved, the other two being Jaws and Snake, Rattle and Roll. I never understood Zelda, Duck Hunt was for cheaters who put the gun on the TV screen (okay, maybe I speak from experience), and I've still never beat Jaws (even though I've seen Cristall kill him multiple times). I still love the theme song and the happy sound made from stomping on a mushroom. Images from the internet thanks to screenshotting old school gamers.