I lost a lot of time this weekend to Civilization III, which I got Friday for my birthday. Yep, 41 and still playing games. I was gaga over versions 1 and 2, although it was SimCity that convinced me to buy my first Mac. The Fruit of the Murphy Loins also like it, so now the squabbling over computer time, the whining about why they don’t have their own computers, and complaints about the old computer not being able to run it have begun. The only game of mine I don’t let them play is Diablo II because all the killing and sets are too graphic. So all three of us are building our civilizations to withstand the tests of time, and swapping tips, techniques, and info. It’s another gardening game, but what a beautiful garden. Unlike a real garden, this game gives your brain a workout, not your back. When I think of how much time I’ve spent playing Sid Meier’s games (Civilization 1-3, Colonization, Railroad Tycoon 1 & 2), I think “time well spent!” I’ve spent hours at a time telling myself and my wife “one more turn!” That’s a phrase that should go on every gamer’s tombstone.