Who's up for a game of cards?

I love the game scrabble. I think it is a requirement in the family I was born and raised in that you have an appreciation and love for that game. I also love boggle, upwords, quiddler, banagrams, and other word games. I have always loved those kind of games. When not playing a word game I prefer strategy games. I love three stone, mancala, and chess. Sam seems to have inherited my love of the game of chess.

I did marry someone who also can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and a good game. Unfortunately, his definition of a good game varies from mine. Jeff loves trivial pursuit, and games that you actually have to have knowledge to win. From twenty questions to balderdash, Jeff loves games that involve tidbits and random facts. I can already tell Nathan will soon be enjoying these kind of games with his dad.

So when Jeff and I try to play games with just the two of us, they are usually lopsided. His favorite games consist of me asking him questions and him knowing the answers for the most part and me feeling like a complete idiot. And when I play chess I have the ability to cream Jeff in about four moves, and scrabble he doesn't usually even try, I just play for each of us. The solution to our dilema of game playing compatibility is simple. We just need to play games that level the playing field with a lot of luck. That is done easily by playing card games. Not like poker or any face card game (I still have no idea how to play any face card games except solitaire on the computer). I am talking about games like UNO, Skip-bo, and of course our favorite card game - Phase Ten.


There is one other thing that Jeff and I have in common when it comes to our love of playing games despite the difference in what game to play. We cannot shuffle cards. That is right we are both incapable of shuffling. I practice and have come along way, but not far enough. As Jeff puts it, "I understand the concept I just can't make my fingers move the right way." I know what are the odds that two people have the same strange inability, but it's true. Neither of us can shuffle.

When we moved here we found a solution to our inability to play games together. We had some really good friends that came over all the time and played games with us. They seemed to have a never ending supply of games and we loved the company. They have since gone to college, got married, or just plain moved away. They sent in replacements though and we love having them, although we still miss our original game night friends. And luckily all of them have been able to shuffle cards, so when it comes to one of our turns to shuffle we would hand the deck back to them.

This year for Jeff's birthday I finally came up with a solution for our ongoing game dilemma. We now own a card shuffler, so I have only one final question. Who's up for the game phase ten? I'll deal.