Hey! Who Stole My Presents?

There is no problem that doesn't have some underlying need for more optimism, stamina, resilience and
collaboration. And games are, I believe, the best platform we have for providing that.
~ Jane McGonigal

Jane McGonigal is an American game designer and author who advocate the use of mobile and digital
technology to channel positive attitudes and collaboration in a real world context. And Alexander
Conley, Esq. is an up and coming 26-year old genius who loves hidden object games so much that
he plays them with no hints. Obviously, it is this skill set that has led to his brilliant success in law.
Right?

As such, in the spirit of encouraging his future achievements, Carla and I decided that the centerpiece of this
years birthday party would be a live hidden object game. And his birthdate being so close to Halloween, it was
also obvious that we should all be costumed. For the other party games, we planned other brainy activities,
such as seeing who can hold an apple in their mouth for the longest time.

But first, we had the arrival of another genius and long-time family friend
Amy flying in especially to catch up with much of the family and attend
the party. Here is her description of her flight in

Small plane 2 seats each side.

Spied a big burly man with screaming 2 year old with runny nose
and wet cough in airport.
Germaphobe ex-nurse me made note to stand as far away as
possible.
Boarded plane in my grouping in my lucky row 14
Barely sat down...big burly man with almost two year old sat on my hand.
He was seriously 6'5 and meaty.
Snotty nosed but adorable almost 2 year old...screamed and threw cheerios that had been in his
mouth...at me...entire flight.
I had my antique rosary (blessed by Pope John Paul II) which I hold on every flight Ive been on in
last 20 years during takeoff and landing while I pray and meditate.
Cheerios and screaming child kept interrupting my Zen.
But that child did sort of charm me into his graces in the endas initial annoyance gave way to
empathy for the dad traveling alone for first time.

Ha! I usually handle such situations by handing the wee traveler my huge tangled balls of yarn to play with.
They throw them over the seats and tangle everybody in the row up in yarn so that nobody can move. Which
is the same thing I do, so it all works out?

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Amy and I were renting the amazing North 40 Guest house in Morganton. Wed stayed there earlier, so we
knew all about how great this is. Here are a few pictures. It was perfect for our live hidden object game!

Alexanders beautiful wife-to-be, Ioana, was flying in late that night as well, and had consulted with us all
regarding the party games and plans. Amy and I checked in and began prepping the script and detailing the
items we needed to secretly decorate the place for the events that would take place there. Ioana and the
intrepid and creative Martina came early to help get everything ready, and then we went back to Carlas to
begin dinner prep and kick off the first half of the party.

Here are some pictures and notes on that.

Carla does amazing things for every childs birthday, and amongst them,
they get to choose the meal. Helps if you are a gourmet chef!

Alexander requested her from scratch sunemono with smoked salmon

and cucumber, Chinese chicken salad, pork fried wontons, chicken curry
and carrot cake. We all helped at bit at sous-chefery and the dinner was
magnificent!

The first game was inspired by a verse from Lewis Carroll:

"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law,

And argued each case with my wife;
And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life."

Since this makes it clear that barristers require strong jaws, the game was
to see who could jaw an apple for a long time. This appeared to be
everybody, so we added a rule that we all got to keep adding things
whenever anybody lost. Amy and Steve lasted the longest, very burdened
as you see.

And Amy won!

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 The next game was called The Judge Alex Show. There are videos for this
that I dont have, so this facsimile of His Honor will have to do. Alex was
given props and had a docket of cases to hear, developed from real-life
cases by Ioana who served as clerk.

The case of the grandmother suing her 8 year old granddaughter

for too vigorous of a hug. I was the old hag and lost readily and
swiftly to defendant Martina
The case of the monkey suing for rights to a selfie a newspaper
had used without pay. Steve, standing in for PETA and the monkey
fought valiantly and brilliantly, but alas lost on a technicality to
Zacko.
The case of the injury due to a flying roll in a restaurant. Carla the
defendant maintained that the restaurant being actually named
The Flying Roll was sufficient warning that such is what goes on at
the place, but lost to Amy who argued that this could mean all
sorts of other things outside of hard baguettes being forcefully
flung at her face.

Pepper the dog was unimpressed the by proceedings.

Carrot cake, whilst some of us left for the lodge. We went in stages. Last
were to be Alex and Ioana, once we called to say we were ready. Note,
Alex has no idea whats going on.

This final game needs its own section to contrast the written script with
what actually occurred.

Scene Script What Actually Happened

Outside: 1. Alexander pulls up. It is
Parking lot dark and unlit.
2. In the bushes lurks
Zacko, unseen with the
megaphone. He is in the
scary bleeding skeleton
mask from Scream.
3. Zacko abducts Ioana,
and in the scuffle she
drops her small
backpack. She is carried
away, screaming into
the darkened house.
4. The backpack contains a
flashlight and a snack.
5. Narrator: Oh no! It
seems my car has
Miscommunication in which Zacko texted Alex to
come before he texted Steve, and they arrive at the
same time. All lights off, Steve creeps around the
bushes to avoid detection.
We couldnt find the voice-changing megaphone. We
also couldnt find the scary bleeding skeleton mask.
Zacko just made grrrr noises while wearing Martinas
Nazgul King mask.
Zacko attempts to go THROUGH the hedge, which is
thorny and thick and an epic fail.
Narrator (Aunt Diana) stands on a bench behind the
hedge, successfully delivering narration lines.
Alexander laughs for a good long time. As an expert,
he immediately checks his backpack, finds the
flashlight and proceeds up the dark and windy road.
Steve is still hiding in dark bushes, waiting to get into
the house.

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Scene Script
broken down. And my
beautiful bride! I guess I
better see if I can get
help in that old mansion
up there
Outside 1. On the steps leading up
steps to the deck is Martina
the helper object
blocking the way.
2. When Alexander comes
to the steps, the helper
object squeaks
3. Narrator: I cant get
past until I help this
little creature.
Hmmmmmaybe shes
hungry.
4. If Alexander looks into
his backpack, hell find
the snack. Until he
does, he will be blocked
by the squeaking
helper.
5. When fed, the helper
leads him to the deck
which is unlit except for
his flashlight, and
nudges him to the door,
which is locked.
6. Narrator: The door is
locked fast. I better look
for a key.
The 1. Narrator: Darn it! The
Outside house is locked. There
Deck must be a key around
here somewhere
2. The key is attached to
the water chain. Even
with the flashlight, its
unlikely hell find it. He
made need more
nudging by the helper.
3. Also outside on the side
deck is a rose. Hell
need that later for the
ghost damsel in
What Actually Happened
Alex readily spots helper object because the deck
lights automatically come on at night and cant be
turned off.
He doesnt need narration help to realize she might
want his snack.
Steve chooses this moment to creep into the house,
making it very clear that the door is NOT locked,
despite numerous rehearsals and imprecations.
Zacko has forgotten to lock it. Epic fail 2
Thinking fast, helper object Martina scurries him
around the side, while Narrator swiftly locks the
door. Martina nudges Alex back to discover that
despite ghostly interference, the door is once again
locked.
The key cleverly attached to the water chain and
lowered carefully during prep, falls OFF the chain
and INTO a drainpipe which empties into the lake.
Alex thinks it is part of the game for him to climb
under the house at try to extricate the key from the
drain pipe.
Martina shrugs and follows him gesturing at Aunt
Diana to do something.
Narrator scurries to door and bangs for entry.
Internal actors ignore this as they think its Alexander
trying to get in and have been instructed to ignore
any attempts.
Time goes by with Martina helping Alex try to get
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Scene Script What Actually Happened
distress. If he finds it under the deck and narrator yelling out unhelpful
now, he can backpack tips such as I still cant find the key! I better get
it; otherwise hell need help! whilst banging harder on door in SOS code.
to go back out later. Steve FINALLY opens door, and the inside actors start
4. When he finds the key, to laugh.
he can enter the house. Narrator alerts Alex that a strange eerie light has
His flashlight is surrounded the house and that the door suddenly
confiscated since hes seems to be loosened. Maybe he should try it again.
used it.
The Pool 1. It is dark except for a This part goes relatively well. Amy, unhappy in a
Table roaring fire and a small huge gold ball gown and horrible floral thing stuck on
spotlight over the her head, has a small fail at convincing pool hall
mantel. dialog, but she successfully sets up various shots.
2. Under the spotlight is Music is Mac the Knife.
an 8 ball. In a larger fail, Alex turns out to be extremely bad at
3. When he picks it up, pool under pressure. Amy sets up shot after shot,
music begins and a light and he impressively fails to hit any of them.
turns on at the pool Narrator tires of saying Bad luck this time. I need to
table area. try again. After attempt 25 or so, narrator gives
4. At the pool table is the pool shark a nod and she sets up the 8 ball right next
pool shark. She explains to the pocket with no other ball around except the
that he must hit the white ball and Alex makes the shot.
eight ball into the left Applause.
pocket. He gets a shot,
and if he doesnt make
it, she reracks and
breaks again. When he
makes it, another light
can turn on.
The Room 1. Lights turn on at the This part goes perfectly as it has Carla and Ioana,
dining table. A strangely who got to rehearse a little more.
dressed witch is there Ioana wears a rose in her hair, and a long black
with several games ball gown. In her other hand she cups the
around. She chooses a ingredient list.
set of blocks from which In a last minute innovation she does not give up
Alex must make a given the ingredient list. He will only get that when he
number of words. If he comes back with a rose to fit her hand.
does so, he gets a
candle and a box of
stick matches.
2. Music: The Turn of a
Friendly Card
3. Roaming around is the
damsel in distress. She
needs a rose. When he
gives her that he gets an
old parchment with a

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Scene Script What Actually Happened
set of ingredients.
4. Music: Kiss from a Rose
5. The lights dim.
Whatever he tries to do
anything, the narrator
just says: Ive done all I
can in this location.

Side Deck 1. The ingredient list It takes a long, long time to find the ingredients.
contains interesting And a good bit of time to drive the golf cart and
items such as dragon find the rose, learn that one needs a special sharp
nail clippings, and instrument to get it with, pick the correct army
phoenix blood and knife from a basket of twenty and return with
feathers. rose and all ingredients.
2. These are actually foods Narrator sits outside with a beer or three and
and spices that Martina yells out I cant seem to find this ingredient!
hid earlier in many Maybe I need a hint! every now and then.
places on the side deck. These white things you see on Carla and me are
3. Alex must find them all cheap store cobwebs we threw at each other at
and put them in his the last minute.
backpack.
4. Around the side of the
house are roses. To get
to them, Alex must find
the golf cart and realize
that only his helper
object Martina can
drive it.
5. There is a basket of
antique pen knives out
of sight on the main
deck. Alex must pick the
correct one in order to
get the rose.
The 1. At the kitchen counter The natives were getting restless by now and very
Kitchen is a large cauldron and a sick of hearing Love Potion #9, especially after
helpful badger that Carla and I composed a little dance we kept doing
secretes three bottles of over and over.
magic potions (food The helper object Martina had to provide a lot of
colors) underneath its hints for the potion creation.
legs. We got a bit mixed up around the axe and the

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Scene Script
2. Music: Love Potion #9
3. When he gets the
potion right, he must
pour it onto the stump
of wood to loosen the
axe.
4. To do this, he needs to
find the watering can. It
wont come out of the
cauldron in any other
way, despite the
plethora of drinking
vessels all around him.
5. The axe will have a clue
around the handle
regarding where to find
the key to the locked
chamber.
The 1. The clue states that
Bedroom there is a key to the
locked chamber hidden
in a trunk.
2. The key will open the
locked door where all of
his presents are located.
3. Also there is a monster
with a sword.
4. He must pierce the
monster three times
with the sword before
he is pierced three
times. If he doesnt
have the sword, hell
need to go find it.
5. If he misses killing the
monster, hell have to
find the key again.
6. Once he defeats the
monster, he can open
the presents.
What Actually Happened
wood and the hint, so I just dropped the clue on a
chair outside the door of the locked chamber.
We knew about the key and the locked trunk from
our previous trip when Sean accidentally locked baby
T in this room, which we discovered when we arrived
around 1:00 AM. We had to finally wake up the lovely
and understanding home owners to come find it. The
trunk appears locked, but if you push the lock it pops
open.
Alexander figured this out right away, having
suddenly regained his native intelligence, so that
went very fast.
Zacko had been locked in the room doing his
homework the whole time wearing the Nazgul mask.
He leapt up on cue ready to engage in some stabbing,
but we skipped that part, since all Alex had was a very
sharp real axe, since we forgot the wooden swords,
and it seemed a bad idea.
We also skipped the last game, which was to be
Project Runway style Bridegrooms Britches, where
teams decorated some skimpy leggings with only the
wrapping papers and ribbons, and Alex had to prance
down the runway in the various creations which
would be judged by Ioana.

The End

Alex received many great presents, including a real drone, and a gorgeous map of Boston, additions to his
build a robot collection and more that I cant remember, as I was exhausted. We had a few glasses of wine,

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and then everybody left except Amy and me. We cleaned up, and sat outside for awhile, watching the heavy
rain and reading poetry aloud to one another.

Amy had to leave at the crack of dawn the next day, which was Halloween, and Martina and I had to finish her
costume and get ready for trick or treating. It was a great party though! I doubt the participants will ever
forget it.