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Playing Internet games has lured me into hours of non-stop playing for hours at a time. There's something about accumulating tokens and winning badges at pogo.com that gives me a "high."

The pogo game site is one of my favorites. It's fun because, in addition to the games, I get to have an "image" (called a mini) which represents a fantasy "me." I can use my tokens to buy clothes for my mini. The other day I spent 7,000 tokens on a new outfit for my mini. I've finally won back the tokens, bringing me back to 3,525,760. Ahh, if it was money I'd be a wealthy woman! The fun thing about this mini is that when I win a game, my mini is displayed for all the other players to see, so style is important.

As I write this, I'm having a good laugh at myself over this addiction to winning tokens and badges, dressing my mini and the fun I have playing the games.

The games are free. However, a player can buy gems (80 gems for $5.00), which can be spent on winning badges for my badge album and backgrounds for my mini. Badges are awarded for achieving the challenge proposed. For example, to win the Free Cell badge I had to win two games in 150 moves or less.

I've also played games at king.com. On that site, the games aren't free if you want to pit your skills in a tournament with one or more players. I don't frequent that site much anymore because I've spent about $1,000 on my credit cards, $40 at a time, to pay the price of entering the tournament. It's very akin to gambling, but the games are called tournaments, which in a small way, makes it different. Free game sites are better!

Another free game site is at msn games, where I win badges for high scores and how many times I've played the various games.

The dedicated effort I put into the games is akin to the dedication I would put into my own business. When I opened business as a secretarial service I spent hours on creating a web page, making brochures and flyers, throwing my whole self into it. The concentrated effort I've put into the games is very similar.

Playing Internet games is one of several addictions in my life. When I'm not playing, I'm writing (since April 8, 2007). I feel more productive when I write, even if I'm writing about games. After all, it's a subject near and dear to my heart.

A couple years ago my computer needed repairs which took a couple days. It was not pretty (my behavior, that is). It was like losing part of me with my cyber-world being out of commission.

Learn more about this author, Joyce Bocek.
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