When I was in high school, I hated math. HATED. Capital H. I was told, because I was a spatial thinker, that I'd do better when I hit geometry. So 10th grade came, I took geometry, I failed. In 11th grade I went back to advanced algebra and pre-calc and it never looked so good. The logic and plugging in of numbers made much more sense and I made my peace with Math.

I still preferred English class though.

Fast forward twenty years (good lord that's scary) and I find myself part of this weird Sudoku craze. Now Nunzio (he was on the Math team in high school and went to Bronx School of Science, so I shouldn't be surprised) LOVES Sudoku. He's been playing it for a while now. And I would occasionally rest my head on his shoulder and look down and offer a word or two of advice. But definitely not my thing.

Then two days before my surgery, a friend gave me a Sudoku book and a crossword puzzle book to aid in my recovery phase. The first week after the surgery I was way too tired and out of it to want to do much more than watch 90210 on DVD (graciously supplied by some college friends of mine who know me way too well). But as mentioned here on this blog before, the recovery period has been a lot longer than intended and about a month ago, I picked up the Sudoku book.

It's been non-stop ever since. And it's become this weird little tic. I have five minutes to kill before leaving for an appointment? Pick up the Sudoku book. Nunzio's class is running late again and I have to wait fifteen minutes for him? Good thing I brought the Sudoku book.

This has also led to playing Sudoku on the computer. Only the program I have is MUCH harder than the book. The ones marked "easy" are probably the equivalent to a "medium" or "hard" in the book. But I challenge myself and I work through the Easys and I move up to the Mediums. And I get more and more frustrated.

I have literally slammed shut the computer in anger and protest. "I have all the boxes marked!" I shout. "There's nothing more I can figure out." I stomp away and Nunzio offers to help.

Sometimes I let him. I come back. We sit together and we work through it. But as we've moved up to the Hard ones, he occasionally gets stumped too. I yell again. I even slam the computer shut again. I announce that I am never playing a stupid Sudoku again.

And then an hour later I'm back at the screen.

I think it's a disease.