My name is Pete Tucker and I am an addict.

Sounds like someone’s opening line in a drug intervention meeting, doesn’t it ? Well, truth be told, the whole reason that I haven’t contributed to this blog in so long has everything to do with my addiction.

My drug of choice ? Maybe you’ve heard of it. I hope you’ll understand. It’s called Words With Friends .

Back when I was a kid, something called Scrabble was all the rage. The new drug is a lot like it, without the hunks of wood. Remember those pesky things ? Hey, it’s wonderful to be digitized! I have to believe that when cave men played Scrabble, they used those nasty hunks of wood.

ANYWAY, I can hardly put this game down! Am I good at it ? Well… I’ve gotten better, but am quite humbled by the veterans out there. One of them is simply brilliant! ! I have her to thank for putting me on to the game in the first place. She is my one and only daughter-in-law, Becky Thomas.

Becky and I play continually. She whops my butt continually, as well ! Have I ever beaten her in the myriad games we’ve played ? ONCE ! I have that to cling to.

Then there is Toby Baker. I play her as frequently as Becky, but just the opposite is true. I pummel her game after game. She keeps coming back for more. I keep beating her . A theme is consistent throughout, however. We all keep getting better at the game. In fact, Toby has beaten me a time or two.

I fear that some day in the annals of Words With Friends history, we’ll all be playing in the Toby Baker Invitational, just hoping to leave a mark on anyone who dares to challenge.

The game parlays an unusual dynamic. For the most part we don’t know each other. Surely, as with Becky and I, there are close friends doing battle, but I have no idea who my other contestants are or even where they’re from. Sometimes their photo accompanies them on the game platform, but otherwise they just appear on the screen of my IPad, ready to wage words.

So… when next there is a capacious gap between my blog entries, you’ll know why .