My nephew and I tackled a yearly challenge today. We went downtown for the sixth annual Washington Post PostHunt. Treat was 12 when we did the very first hunt together, and over time he's gotten even smarter, even if he is a little ironic at times. Since he's going to college this fall, I was glad to have the chance to continue our tradition.
When I picked him up, I asked Treat what his goal for the day was. "I want to win, of course," he laughed.
"Me, too," I answered, "but I'll be happy if we correctly solve all five of the puzzles."
"I guess we've never actually done that, have we?" he replied. "Okay. Let's do that."
It was a really good day-- We stopped at my favorite sandwich place to grab lunch on the way, and the hot humid weather we have had this week gave way to a warm, breezy overcast day, and although there were a few sprinkles, the violent storms that are predicted for our area held off.
This year the hunt turned out to be pretty easy-- we met my goal and solved all five of the first round puzzles with an hour to go, and so we relaxed on a bench in the courtyard of the Reagan building trying to decipher what the clues we had found might mean in the second stage of the game.
When we returned to the main stage to hear the final hint, we were actually in it for a minute; we knew what the next step was supposed to be and completed it before being totally lost. Even so, when we admitted defeat and called it for the year, neither of us cared. We left for home satisfied after a fun day.
"Let's do this again next year," Treat said as he climbed out of the car, with only a trace of irony in his voice.
"Oh, we will," I told him. "We will."
When I picked him up, I asked Treat what his goal for the day was. "I want to win, of course," he laughed.
"Me, too," I answered, "but I'll be happy if we correctly solve all five of the puzzles."
"I guess we've never actually done that, have we?" he replied. "Okay. Let's do that."
It was a really good day-- We stopped at my favorite sandwich place to grab lunch on the way, and the hot humid weather we have had this week gave way to a warm, breezy overcast day, and although there were a few sprinkles, the violent storms that are predicted for our area held off.
This year the hunt turned out to be pretty easy-- we met my goal and solved all five of the first round puzzles with an hour to go, and so we relaxed on a bench in the courtyard of the Reagan building trying to decipher what the clues we had found might mean in the second stage of the game.
When we returned to the main stage to hear the final hint, we were actually in it for a minute; we knew what the next step was supposed to be and completed it before being totally lost. Even so, when we admitted defeat and called it for the year, neither of us cared. We left for home satisfied after a fun day.
"Let's do this again next year," Treat said as he climbed out of the car, with only a trace of irony in his voice.
"Oh, we will," I told him. "We will."
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