FarmVille

I have a confession to make.

I am completely and utterly addicted to FarmVille on Facebook. I realize some of you are probably hanging your heads in shame, wondering why I would choose to admit such a fact to the public (cause clearly all five of you who read this = "the public"). But I'm not ashamed. I've moved past that. Especially after hearing a story about FarmVille on NPR and how it's the most popular Facebook game of all time with more than 62 million active monthly users. That's a lot! I am not alone.

I've tried to figure out what it is about FarmVille that is so addictive and fun -- and it's difficult! I mean, all you do is plow plots of land, plant shit and then wait for it to harvest. Oh, and you plant trees. And build barns and houses and fences. There are also animals -- cows, sheep, chickens, goats! And sometimes, a lost animal will "wander" onto someone else's farm and they will post this on Facebook and if you're quick enough, you can adopt it! These animals are super special -- black sheep, kittens, turtles, turkeys (FarmVille is very season-oriented) and pink cows (they give strawberry milk). OK, I need to get a grip. Anyway, I think my favorite part is that you can constantly rearrange your farm and make it look like you want it to.

But moreover, it is a tiny escape from everyday life. It's a video game, but it's not stressful or fast-paced or scary. On NPR, an analyst said FarmVille is the "non-hardcore-gamer's" game. I agree.

I also think the baby turkey I just bought is SUPER CUTE.