Saturday, September 26, 2009

Urban Cowboy


We've been city dwellers for 6 weeks now, so I don't expect to hear cows mooing in my apartment.  Yet, there it is again, coming from Sam's room.  I crack the door and see my boy's face lit by his computer screen.  He sees me eyeing the mess in his room.

I'm trying to keep the crows from ruining my crops, he explains.

The crows? We live at the top of a six story building, yet I haven't seen crows.  Could you please clean up your room, I ask? And hang up the towels.

I have to harvest my peppers now or they'll rot and I'll lose the $25,000 I've invested in seed.  With fervor, he completes a series of repetitive mouse movements to "harvest" his crops and gain points to buy other farm items.  He's saving for a farmhouse.

Welcome to Farmville, the computer program that lets anyone, urban or suburban, run a farm into the ground or be the creator of a beautifully planned plantation complete with livestock, plants, decorative farm elements (lakes, hedges, horse jumps, etc.)  and animals you can gift to friends.  Sam shows me his friends' farms -- Regan's, Madeline's and Tim's -- all grander scale operations that require a lot of tendin'. Woah, Sam chuckles, Tim really needs to harvest his wheat!  Sam's farm is modest in comparison.  Surrounding the 8 or 9 tillable acres are some trees and a dozen or so farm animals.  Some were gifts from friends.  He's splurged on a small pond with a bench nearby. Fruit trees shade the area.  It's a peaceful place to sit, he says wistfully.

Now he's deciding which crops to plant next.  Crops yield different quantities of food and different profits at market.  Sam calculates the possibilities.  He likes the returns on squash and raspberries, but different crops demand different harvesting times requiring the farmer to plan his schedule accordingly.  Sam doesn't want to wake up in the middle of the night for raspberries, so he chooses squash.   That'll allow him a full night's sleep.

Genius, I'm thinking.  It won't be long before you get that farmhouse, I tell him proudly.  I pick up the towel and hang it myself.

Actually, if you let me use your credit card, he says hopefully, I can buy the $50,000 farmhouse for $20 dollars.  Then I won't have to live in the $1,000 farmhouse.  He sees my face and turns back to the screen.  Okay, okay.  I'll get the little farmhouse.  And maybe Madeline will send me another sheep.

6 comments:

Tay said...

Hey Mrs. Perkins! haha i always read your blog because it ALWAYS makes me laugh.. and you should defiantly get a farmville! it looks dumb, but it is so addicting =) my mom just got back and she brought me the prettiest bracelet and I'm sure you helped pick it out. I got all of Lu's notes to me and her friends and i will deliver them soon.. i miss you guys and will see you in december if you don't come visit sooner!! love you all! xoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxox
-madeline <3

Mental P Mama said...

That is too cute.... I want to come visit!!!

Unknown said...

I enjoy reading your blog. What an adventure you're living!

Tay said...

It's only a matter of time until YOU have the $50,000 farmhouse and are setting the alarm to harvest the raspberries. I can see it now. . . baaahhhh

Deb in Spain (Deb Perkins) said...

You know me SO well...gotta go tend my farm!

Anonymous said...

Tell that young man to get some grape vines so he can start cultivating his vineyard. A nice Roja perhaps. That should increase his profit margin or at least give him the ability to barter for Chiropractic services!