Freakin' FARKLE

Obsessions are tricky things. You are consumed by your obsession. You long for your obsession. So this can put one in a quandary when you loathe your obsession. That's right. Not love. LOATHE. The ideal obsession is one that you love, but unfortunately not all obsessions are made equal.

I blame my friend Ben. Ben is awesome. He's funny, smart and will willingly challenge the office Sudoku champion (yes, it's me and no, I'm not a nerd). The not-so-awesome part of Ben is that he knows my weakness - competitive nonathletic games (no, I'm not a nerd). Case in point: I play/practice Sudoku in my free time so I can crush my frenemies. Did I mention that I'm not a nerd?

Just last week Ben urged me to play a new game based on chance, a dice game that pits you against competitors vying for the highest score. FARKLE. Freaking FARKLE. I LOATHE this game. Yet for some reason, perhaps due to my obsessive nature, I absolutely CANNOT stop playing it. Click the cup to roll the dice. Click the cup to roll the dice. Click the cup to roll the dice. Yes! A new high score and I'm beating Ben!

So when I went to bed tonight, I knew I had a problem. I played FARKLE and didn't beat my highest score. And the dice kept rolling in my head, urging me to get up to play more. Not so I can hone my skill, because frankly it's just rolling stupid dice. It's because I have to beat Ben. Damnit, Ben!

Well here's the good thing. I think I'm on the road to recovery. I think I can kick this habit. Instead of going straight to FARKLE, I came here to tell you about this ridiculous obsession. The question is should I ease off or just quit cold turkey? I struggle because I don't want Ben to think I'm forfeiting. Heaven forbid that I let him win. Perhaps I can engage him in another competitive nonathletic game, but this time one that I can love. Suggestions?