> When I play, I always start out with up to six wild guesses. I just click randomly around the edges hoping to clear some big spots. After that, I put my brain in gear. Sometimes I get blasted three or four times before I really get started.
>

I wasn't talking about the beginning of the game, where you pretty much have to guess randomly till you click on some white space. It's very frustrating to lose several games in a row before you get beyond the initial wild guessing stage.

I think the first click is never a mine. I've played enough games to establish this for a virtual certainty, but if true it means the location of the mines isn't fixed until after the first click.

> They tell me mental exercise is great for old brains.
>

It is. No joke. It goes a long way toward preventing Oldtimer's Disease. So keep playing minesweeper, keep doing crossword puzzles, and keep doing whatever hobbies you have that keep your brain in gear.

^v^:)^v^
F"that goes for all of you, not just Howard"B