Anipang-motivated Gift-Giving

Some years ago, when I lived near Deals, I expressed an interest in taking up running (again).  Deals seemed excited about the idea.  I’m not sure if it was because she would have someone to run with or because I was finally going to stop talking about exercising and really do something, but in either case, she wanted to eliminate any obstacles in my path to physical fitness.  So when I put off buying running shoes because of the expense, she threatened, er, offered, to buy me a pair shoes.  Deals seemed rather serious about buying them, so I went out and bought some, toute de suite, just to keep her from buying them.  Not to be deterred from spending her hard-earned money on someone who didn’t deserve it, she bought me an Ipod shuffle instead.

That shuffle has had a lot of use over the years, and although very little of it has involved playing music while I work out, thanks to Deals, it was at least an option.  It was so kind of Deals to help me out in my efforts to get in shape, and I was really touched by her thoughtfulness. 

I told you that story as an introduction to another one about friends being kind and giving me things, this time involving not exercise, but games.  M.J. recently sent a link to JLR and me for a mobile phone version of a game called Anipang.  You may have heard of Anipang; if you haven’t, you probably soon will, because it is one of those things that spreads.  JLR had already heard of Anipang before M.J. sent us the link to download it, and what she had heard is that this game—like many mobile phone games, apparently—is rather addictive.  And as it turns out, what she had heard was correct.  JLR now plays it frequently.   

This is the kind of thing that leads stories about government workers being unproductive.

As it also turns out, my mobile phone won’t play Anipang, the phone being too old to handle the latest gaming opportunities.  When I mentioned this to M.J., she immediately said she would send me her old cell phone, since it might be able to work.  I said that was so sweet of her, but why not take some time to think about it before sending away her backup cell phone.  No, she said, she has a working cell phone, and that’s all she needs, and as soon as she downloads all the pictures, she would mail it to me.

Now, this is not like when I worked swing shift in the job I had right after college, and I drove home from work at 10 or 11 at night, so my mom gave me her old cell phone for safety reasons, so I wouldn’t be phone-less if my car broke down.  No, M.J. is sending me her old cell phone so I can play a game.  And it’s not even like I’m comfortable playing Anipang, since the permissions you have to give them basically let them track everything you do on your cell phone.  So I should have told her “no, but thank you” on her offer, but I didn’t.  Because, you see, I have played Anipang, and I would like to play more, and I don't want to be dependent on JLR letting me use up some of her pangs or hearts or whatever it is (I don't even understand it, and I can't stop playing it!).  Come to think of it, I understand now why M.J. wants me to have that phone.  Once a person is addicted to something, she wants everyone else to be addicted to it, too, right?  So that you all suffer together?

And on that note, here's a song for you:

Yes, that video is what you think it is.