Have you played Atari today

I'm not, I don't think, one of those addictive personalities, but if there's one thing that's always been able to put me away for hours it's Super Breakout.

So tonight I went to the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the Museum of the Moving Image, terribly underdressed in my work-at-home clothes surrounded by politicos in suits, and kind of wondering why I bothered.  But after the ceremony, roaming the gallery and new since the last time I'd been on the 3rd floor (because when you're a member, and you go all the time, you never actually go; I go to see a movie, see it, leave) was an old arcade Super Breakout, and there I was, young again, boppin' away on my 2600.

I wasn't very happy at first.  The high score was 180, and I wasn't coming close.  The bonus came at 400.  But of course, an addiction is an addiction is an addiction, and I kept hitting for a new game, and slowly but surely the Super Breakout skills started to come back.  I finally got the high score, and decided to walk away.  But then I got around ten steps and turned back, because I hadn't gotten my 400 for the bonus game...  After I got myself a 500 and had proven I could still bring my game to the Super Breakout paddle, I finally tore myself away.  I'm still a little surprised I didn't keep hitting that new game button until every politico had left, and they had to drag my away.

This is why I like it that I have one of those 2000-era Atari in-a-controller emulators.  And this is why I never actually turn it on.  Because once I start in on that Super Breakout, I ain't stopping. This is also why it's not always a good idea for me to have Entenmann's holiday pop-ems, M&Ms or Doritos hanging around in large quantities.