A terrible thing happened to me on my flight to Arizona. I discovered Candy Crush. 

If there is anything that can derail a vacation with planned activities faster than that, I don't want to know about it.

Let me back up a bit. Prior to this flight, I've never played Candy Crush. In fact, my only experience with it were the requests via Facebook that made me all kinds of ragey. But, very quickly, let's come to an agreement about something: four hours is a very long time, in a very small, contained place, like say an airplane. I loaded my carry-on with the sort of things that typically abolish four hours. I had the newest Allure and a healthy stack of Good Housekeepings. I had a book in which I was right smack in the middle. It was Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, if you're interested. (Also, if you're interested, it's not terrific.) I think the important thing to know here, however, is that I am a weak human being, who is positively dazzled by the back light of an Apple product. I had my iPad and basically what I'm saying is it's the only thing I needed.

Moving forward -- as I sat on the plane, just before take-off, I had an innocent thought -- hey! Maybe I should get a word game or two. Might kill 20 or so minutes. -- Sounds harmless enough, right?

Enter Candy Crush, because that not-so-virtuous time suck lives right at the top of the "free games" list when you search on the App Store.

Anyone who knows Candy Crush knows that four hours in its presence goes by as easily and about as quickly as one blinks their eyes. I mean, it's insane. The people at King know what they're doing and by the time we landed, I was googling life cheats and how to attain more moves.

I'm very fortunate. I married a nice man who mostly doesn't ask too much of me and doesn't call me crazy or tell me to shut up when I've talked for multiple hours without stop. I know he means business when he gives me a side eye and says, "are you really playing that game again?"

"Don't talk to me, Ryan. I'm doing important things," I snapped. Then he shrugged and went out to the garage to pow-wow with his beer.

I'm a little ashamed about that exchange.

At least two full days went by before I started to snap out of it. And I should be honest here: by "snapped out of it" I don't mean I stopped playing. I mean I stopped playing for consecutive hours.

And for a couple of really solid, good reasons.
 - Primarily, the sun. It just refuses to stop shining in Arizona, and that. Is. Fabulous. No argument.
 - Also, I installed it on three devices, which is kind of excessive. Kind of.   I sort of Candy Crushed myself out. There are limits. I'm just not very good at eye-balling them from a distance.

***

Soo! I'm looking forward to organizing my photos of vacation and writing about my adventures. There were many!

In the meantime --