These are supposed to make me feel smarter...

I love Sudoku puzzles. Mainly because at this stage in my life, there are times when I don't feel super-smart...wiping noses and bottoms all day can do that to you. Along with answering endless pointless questions, listening to children endlessly argue about who looked at who first...you know how it is.

I have a masters degree, yet sometimes the simplest question can completely throw me. My brain just doesn't seem to want to kick into gear quickly at times. Perhaps if questions were asked in a whiny voice kicked up a notch I might do better, but who knows. Completing a sudoku puzzle, as trivial as it seems, makes me feel like I still have a brain. It is active. It does work. And I have the proof to show it. My reasoning skills are still intact.

I haven't done them in awhile, because they also tend to get a little bit addicting for me. I start and just can't stop. I dream about them. Sad, but true.

This last weekend I printed off a few, starting myself off with three easy ones and one moderate one. Just to wean myself back into them. I found a website that I could print 4 on a page, so YEAH! I worked on the first one for about 20 minutes and got stuck. On an "easy" one. So as not to end the night on a bad note, I started on the second one ... and my husband decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, that one too started wearing thin, so I moved onto the third one. And again, stuck. Huh? I tried working on the moderate one and wasn't getting to far and beginning to feel a little frustrated with myself.

These things are supposed to make me feel SMART? And I can't complete one of the four puzzles! As I looked over the three easy puzzles and realized they were all the SAME PUZZLE, can you guess how incredibly smart I felt then? Brilliant I am.

At least I had the same answers for all three. :)