My not-so-strange addiction with 'Candy Crush Saga' morning, noon and night

NEW YORK -- Many people remember where they were when man first walked on the moon. I remember where I was when I passed Level 86 of "Candy Crush Saga," the maddeningly addictive game that involves matching bright-hued virtual candies to have them disappear, only to be replaced by more.

I had spent nearly two weeks trying to complete that level over the holidays — on the plane, on the subway, in the car with my family. I was matching candies in bed when I first woke up and before falling asleep. I tried to conquer the sweets on the couch when I should have been wrapping presents. I even brought my phone, um, to the toilet. Don't you?

So it was a moment to remember when, walking up the stairs at the Columbus Circle subway stop during a slushy January commute, the words "sugar crush" appeared on my screen, signaling that I had passed Level 86. In my head, fellow commuters stopped in their path to cheer my accomplishment. I am not sure this was actually the case.

I'm on Level 95 now. There are currently about 500 levels, but more are constantly being added. It recalls Sisyphus, the mythical Greek king forced by the deities to roll a stone up a mountain, only to see it fall back down. Forever.

I'm reading less and spending less time with friends and family, but I keep telling myself that I can quit any time. Really, I can. All it takes is holding a finger on the "Candy Crush" app for a few seconds until a black "x'' appears on the top left corner. Then it's one tap to delete. Any time.

The other day, a friend and I spent a pleasant evening drinking wine and sharing empanadas at a cozy Chilean bar. Afterward, we boarded the subway and she declared it was "'Candy Crush' time!" I felt a sense of relief and a tingling rush course through my body. We sat in silence, crushing candies until we got to our respective stops.