Cribbage

     When my family gets together we're the usual giant family that you see in movies--loud conversation everywhere, kids running pell-mell through the house, snagging food on the way through the kitchen, and videos or games after dinner. Mostly that's when everyone gets together, when Gra'ma comes to visit we do pretty much the same stuff: television in one room, stories and conversation in another, and after dinner card games or dominoes.
     Gra'ma came to visit last week arriving in the late afternoon and proceeded to teach my brother and me to play Cribbage. It's not a difficult game once you've got all the rules down.

• Sum of 15 gets 2 points
• Sum of 31 gets 2 points
• Doubles get 2 points
• Runs of 3 or more get 1 point per card
• Face cards are 10
• Aces are always low (1 points of value)

Then are the more confusing rules: 

• If you draw a Jack from the pile you get 2 points
• If a Jack in your hand matches the suit of the card drawn you get 1 point
• Last card played gets 1 point (if it's not 31)

     The game starts with a deal: five cards each with four people, five each and one in the kitty with three people, six each with two people. Everyone puts a card into the kitty (which goes to the dealer at the end of play) to equal four. Then the person to the left of Dealer starts. 

     Each person plays a card in front of themselves, hoping to peg points. As you go when a person or team (usually when you have four players you play teams of two) gets one of the things I listed (drawing a Jack you get the point right away, matching the draw you wait until the end) you move your peg in the board. Everyone goes around until there are no more cards. 

     When everyone's hand is gone (the Kitty is still face-down and untouched) you count your cards. If you can make sets of 15, runs, any of those things I listed at the top, you get points and you peg those points on the board. This includes all possible combinations between your hand and the draw on top of the pile. So if you have three fives, a Jack, a Queen, and a King is drawn you get 2 points for each combination: K5, K5, K5, Q5, Q5, Q5, J5, J5, J5, 555, two points for each double (6 in this case because you have three of a kind), and three points for your run of three (assuming your Jack doesn't match the king, if it does you get another point). This would count: 15-2, 15-4, 15-6, 15-8, 15-10...15-20, triple for 26, run of 27, 28, 29, and Jack for 30. Such a hand is nearly ideal and if you got it take pictures--it rarely happens.      After everyone has pegged their hand, starting with the person to the left of the dealer and ending with the dealer, the dealer counts the kitty. You count it just like you count your hand and Dealer gets the points. The deal rotates and you continue until someone pegs into the final hole.
     The standard board has 120 points on the track and when it comes to winning and counting your wins there are two things you should keep in mind. 1: If you are behind the Skunk line the win counts for two games 2: If you are behind the Double Skunk line it counts for four games. The Skunk line is usually at 90 points--thirty points back--and the Double Skunk is at 60 points--halfway around the board.
     I'm sure some of the rules we play with are wrong, but it's a fun game once you've figured out the strict rules and regulations. I am still learning and I've been slowly learning off and on for years. Good Luck & I hope you enjoy your game!

Stephie

Society's Dictates--Young Love

     There have been an awful lot of posts on various blogs and articles posted about what kinds of romantic relationships we should be developing as a society, when we should be getting married, and why not to get married so young. I should point out that "so young" is usually early twenties. While they're all interesting, they point to a society able to dictate  kind of lives we lead--you should be married with three kids before you're thirty; you shouldn't even think about getting engaged until you're thirty-one; you should have a relationship that makes you fight to find things in common because you're such different people and opposites attract; you should do this; you should do that. Personally, I don't care who you fall in love with, or marry, so long as you treat your partner with respect and don't go showing disrespect to me and my decisions because of the life I choose to lead.
     My younger sister and her boyfriend got engaged at the beginning of the year and this dictatorial society we've developed became a huge problem in my life because of her decision--she had friends and random people telling her she was making a huge mistake because they got engaged when they're only twenty-one. If they are going to make the commitment to each other, why not? What do you, as a single, twenty-two-year-old college student have to show this young woman that is any different than what she's learned from her single older sister, her friends who've gotten married and had kids, her parents, her cousins, aunts and uncles, and the people both married and divorced in her life? Why does society allow us to crush the dreams of young women who do want to get married and have a family?
     The answers I've received to these questions have all been that Feminism tells us she should be focusing on herself as a woman and not giving her life over to a man, depending on him. When did Feminism become so warped?! Feminism is about women being able to make the choice to either become career-women, become mothers, stay single without being criticized, or choose to live a life of serial monogamy. It isn't about destroying the traditional family values, it is about giving women the choice to be what they want.
     Another line I've gotten says getting married so young and committing to a single person will cause problems down the line because they'll grow apart. They still need to grow and develop. I was watching a show on television and the female character put it perfectly: marriage is about finding a person that will grow with you.
     While these opinions are wonderful, and I'm glad there are people who hold the views, what gives society the right to crush the hope of young people when life isn't cynical enough to keep us within other people's opinions? In recent history people would say something when a friend was making a leap without foundation, but for a stranger to tell you you're too young to marry is overstepping their place.
     Why can't we be happy someone has found joy in love?

Just a thought...
Stephie