3:00 pm...I have just lost the third game in a row of Mahjongg. This particular stack is called "Mahjongg High and Low" and it is part of the 2002 Games program I have installed on my laptop. The 2002 Games feature was just one of 8 or 9 on a disc that, collectively, was supposed to feature 1500 games. That's a lot of games. Of course, when you get it installed you find that most of them are minor (and I do mean MINOR) variations on a couple of hundred. Which is still quite a few games, but trust me, not all of them are entirely worthy of being called "games". There's another CD I've seen called that's supposed to have 3000 games on it. It's probably a good thing I saved my money and bought the 1500.

But, nevertheless, the ten bucks I spent on the disc was well worth it for the Mahjongg stacks alone. There are over 60 variations to choose from (though a couple of them don't seem to want to work on my computer...still...). The tiles look pretty cool. I like 'em at least as much as the ones in Mahjongg Titans (the Mahjongg game that came pre-loaded on the Vaio).

So, as I was saying...the Mahjongg High and Low has kicked my ass about 15 times since yesterday afternoon when I began my campaign to beat it at all costs. I cannot rest easy until I have triumphed. Here I go again...

3:23 pm...I just got whipped again. Not only that, it seems my luck has taken a turn for the worse on an even grander scale. As I breezed through the initial matches I noticed that the air conditioner seemed to be going off and then turning itself back on. I temporarily suspended game play and paid closer attention to it. Sure enough, it would come on and blow for a minute or two then shut down. After this happened a few times I decided to turn it off hoping that maybe all it needed was some down time (it has been rather warm and the thing hasn't had too many opportunities to rest lately).

But it came back on...then off...then on...then off again. I called a friend who has a lot of expreience in the heating and air conditioning field. I told him what it was doing and he gave me his opinion as to what it might be. Of course, it's all over my head.

Serendipitously our landlord was doing something next door so I walked over there and informed him of the problem. He looked at the unit for a minute, felt the pipes, all that. I told him what was going on, how the fan had not been blowing the last time I checked. He told me to go inside and turn it on, so I did. When I went back out, lo and behold, the fan was running again. I was perplexed, to say the least. He said that from what he could see just on the outside (the unit itself) there shouldn't be any problem. I said I hoped so and apologized for bothering him in the middle of some work he was obviously doing (though I guess I had no need to do that...it's his job).

I called my friend back and told him what had happened. He was of the firm opinion that there was definitely cause to be concerned about the air conditioner, in particular the compressor motor fan. He said it would run fine for awhile then the motor would overheat and we'd be in the same old cycle again until it was replaced. I do trust him and I believe he knows what he's talking about...but by the same token I hope it was something else, that it's erratic behaviour was some quirk that perhaps fixed itself...Not that I live in a fantasy world in regards to these kinds of things...or maybe I do...

Now, while the batterie in this laptop still has some juice in it, I'm off to try to defeat High and Low yet again.

4:24 pm...Curses! Foiled again! I'm beginning to wonder if this "High and Low" pile is the Mahjongg equivalent of a "Challenger" level crossword puzzle. It has passed the point of frustration, but I am determined to crack it's Oriental code.

More importantly, however...the air conditioner seems to be working again. Knock on wood, cross your fingers and whatever else needs to be done. I probably shouldn't have brought it up. Know what I mean?

And now, another chance to achieve Mahjongg greatness...

4:33...DAMN IT!!! I have yet to achieve the aforementioned Mahjongg greatness...Yet, I am not deterred.

4:47 pm...YIPEE!!!! HOORAY!!!! I have entered into the gates of victory! The banner of conquest flies upon my mast! Yes, it is true! After at least 15 tries I have won!

When I entered my name into the "high scores" I noted that this was, in fact, not the first time I have gotten the better hand over "Mahjonng High and Low". I had forgotten. Yet it was still worth celebrating because my the amount of time it took me to win was about three minutes less than the last go-round.

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