My oldest son came home for a visit. I was permitted into the “man cave” downstairs and played pool. I am not so sure I will be invited back into the cave again any time soon, as I opened up doors and windows to air it out, lit scented candles and cleaned the floors and dusted. I still managed to hold my own in the game, as well!

Keep in mind, this son is a math and physics student. These are the type comments I hear as I am trying to hit the ball. ” If the blue spot is the center of the cue ball (i.e. the center of mass), and the ball is struck where the spot is, the ball will have an initial angular velocity (top spin) that will affect the ball’s movement across the table as well as its collision with any other ball.” Huh? I am convinced that if I get the striped balls they will go into the pockets faster because they have racing stripes.

Later, my son introduced me to a new game, actually a very old game, just new to me. It is called Viking Chess or Hnefatafl. Apparently, he found this game at a Ren-Fair. It is simple in style and the rules are easy enough. What I enjoyed was the way this game made me think in other directions and ways than I have in a while. I enjoy regular chess. I am hooked on this new game. In fact, I think I will be practicing until his next visit with any innocent victims I can find. Maybe that way, I will be able to win for a change!

Exercising or stimulating your brain is recommended as part of a brain-healthy lifestyle. Brain exercises have an impact on brain health thanks to the brain’s plasticity. (Plasticity, or neuroplasticity, is the lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences.) When you “exercise” or stimulate your brain through new or unfamiliar activities, you can trigger changes in the brain. These changes contribute to an increase in what is called your brain reserve. Research suggests that the more brain reserve, the more resistant the brain is to age-related or disease-related damages.

I sent my son back to school with fresh baked cookies. He left the game behind for me. We’ll see who got the better deal.