<p><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1883" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB120179-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>

<p>On our way to breakfast yesterday morning, <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?s=rock+my+world" target="_blank">Neighbor Cub</a></strong> asked me what I was up to the night before. </p>

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<p>I told him that it was Card Night at my house.  (Originally, Dawn aka Sister Dawn Catherine offered to host, but we moved it to my pad for a double feature of Cards and Adoration of the Puppy.) </p>

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<p>Neighbor Cub was surprised.  "Girls play cards???  That's so cool!!!  Was it poker?" </p>

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<p>No, although I love poker, and I think I need to play for $$ this year for the blog, don't you?  This is a game that my Auntie Bonnie taught me called "Scrooged".  She said it's also called "Thirteen", although Sister Dawn Catherine swears that it's called "Spit".  And then Whitters always gets confused and calls it "Smudged".  Apparently, we've all been smoking something funny because when you Google "Scrooged", you get nada.   "Thirteen" and "Spit" are entirely different card games. </p>

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<p>For the purposes of this post, let's just call it my family's name of "Scrooged" because Auntie Bonnie says so and she's Queen of Scrooged.  NO ONE can beat her.  Biotch. </p>

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<p>About once every month or so, the card sharks gather for food and fun.  This card game is fast-paced and frenzied.  We always wind up screaming with laughter, and Katie Ann and I usually resort to cussing like sailors. </p>

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<p>Here are the rules:</p>

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<ul>
	<li>Each player has their own deck of cards.  Froo-froo cards with all sorts of cutesy designs on the face of the cards (not the back) are a nightmare.  Don't use them.  Lisa's puppy cards and Lori's Star Wars cards are banned from play. </li>
	<li>Shuffle like you're in Vegas.  This will make you feel really cool.  Katie Ann's mom says 7-8 times is a complete shuffle.</li>
	<li>Deal yourself a pile of 13 cards and place them face up in front of you to your left.  Now deal 4 cards face up and across (to the right of the 13 pile).  Each player has this set-up in front of them, and there will be a large space in the middle.  </li>
	<li>The object of the game is to get through your pile of 13.  First player who does so is "out".  </li>
	<li>Signal to start the game.  We say, "Ready?  Ok!" in our best cheerleader imitation because we're goofy and ridiculous.  </li>
	<li>Men suck at this game because it involves multi-tasking.  ;-)  Simultaneously you are placing Aces in the middle and building on them (same suit), as well as playing Solitaire in front of you with those 4 cards to the right of the 13 pile.  </li>
	<li>At the start, all Aces (the top card of the 13 pile or any of the single 4 across cards) go into the middle.</li>
	<li>When you move one of the 4 cards into the middle, you want to move the top card of your 13 pile to the empty space.  </li>
	<li>When you can't play any cards, use the remaining deck in your hand and start going through 3 at a time as in Solitaire.  You can play those in the middle or on your Solaire in front of you.  You would of course not build on the pile of 13.  </li>
	<li>First person who empties their pile of 13 is "out".  Cards in the middle are +1 point each, cards remaining in your pile of 13 are multiplied by -2.  </li>
	<li>Play as many rounds as needed until a player reaches 100 points and is The Winner.</li>
</ul>

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<p>In our group, Katie Ann always wins the first game with me close behind (she's the sprinter), and I always win the 2nd game with Katie Ann close behind (I'm the marathoner).  Luckily, none of our other friends are competitive "play to win" types.  Two Alpha females are plenty. </p>

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<p>Strategy tips:</p>

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<ol>
	<li>Be very vocal.  Yell, mutter to yourself, announce how confused you are, and cuss if you feel so inclined.  This really unnerves the players who need quiet to concentrate.  </li>
	<li>Sing.  When I play with Kimeee's girls who are now older and good players, Mozart's "Figaro" drives them crazy.  </li>
	<li>You better move fast, girlfriends.  Or you will be eaten alive.  It is not unusual for a player's score total to equal negative points.  I prefer to call these "special" points because I'm so used to reframing everything in a positive way in the early childhood classroom.  :-) </li>
	<li>Even if you are "special" you will still have fun.  I promise.  </li>
</ol>

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<p>I realize that the directions above are confusing.  I'm a kinaesthetic learner, so writing out the directions was almost painful for me.  Hopefully, these photos of the layouts help. </p>

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