Lucy's Journal

Lucy’s Journal — January 14

Dear Journal,

Today turned into one of those “we should’ve known better” kind of days, because somehow the regular crew decided that Monopoly was a perfectly reasonable way to spend an afternoon. It started innocent enough — snacks on the table, music playing, and everyone agreeing that this time we would “just have fun.” That promise lasted approximately seven minutes.

Kiwi immediately claimed the little green house pieces and began stacking them into what he called “luxury bird condos,” insisting that birds should always own property near the railroads for easy travel. Peanut, sitting with his tail wrapped neatly around his chair, chose the top hat token and said it “gave him an air of authority,” which was a polite way of saying he planned to be ruthless.

By the third lap around the board, all civility was gone. Peanut somehow owned half of Boardwalk and Park Place, and every time someone landed there, he’d flick his tail smugly and announce, “Rent is due.” Kiwi tried to negotiate by offering snacks instead of cash, which was creative but did not hold up under Monopoly law.

Things really got spicy when Lucy (that’s me 😇) landed on one of Peanut’s hotels and nearly went bankrupt. I accused him of running a feline real estate scam. He accused me of poor financial planning. Kiwi tried to mediate but ended up buying another railroad instead.

By the end of the game, Peanut was swimming in fake money, Kiwi was buried in properties he forgot he owned, and I was left clinging to Baltic Avenue like it was a life raft. No one officially flipped the board, but it was definitely considered.

Still, I have to admit, even with all the dramatic accusations, wild deals, and suspicious dice rolls, it was a pretty perfect January evening. There’s something special about watching your friends argue over imaginary money while eating snacks and pretending it actually matters.

Tomorrow we might go back to being normal.
But tonight, Monopoly ruled the house. 🐾🎲