Is Christmas really over? I suppose it is. And I’m assuming that even Chanukah is now over. Except for our friends in Russia and Greece, they’re right in the thick of . . . no . . . I guess it’s post-Christmas for them too. We really must be back in the thick of things. Maybe that’s why I’m back to working around the clock.

But tonight I revisited a Christmas vacation treat. I played two rounds of a new game called BLOKUS. I’m not sure if it is pronounced “block us” or “bloke us.” The former would make more sense, since it is a strategy game where one places his pieces in such a manner to block others while depleting one’s own supply of TETRIS like shapes. This relatively new game has won the 2003 Astra Good Toy Award, the Mensa Select competition award, the Oppenheim Best Toy Award, the 2003 Dr. Toy 100 Best award, the Learning Magazine Teachers’ Choice award, and is a nominee for the 2005 Toy of the Year Award. It deserves all the accolades that it gets.

We fell in love with it in Tennessee and now it plays just as well in Minnesota. And tonight I’m flying high because I actually won! And I won with a perfect score, the first time I’ve been able to accomplish this feat. This evening’s last game was actually a tie with my daughter’s boyfriend. High school show-off! Doesn’t he know to respect his elders and let them win, helping them deal with any mid-life crises?

One of the game’s big advantages is that it can be learned by an eight year old, but yet stay fresh and challenging to those well versed in strategy games. I highly recommend it to all!