A Very Fun Evening

The French Skat deck has such sweet Queens (Damen.) That King looks pretty sweet too.

I miss my friend Tom every day and in so many - often surprising - ways.  One of them (you may think this shallow, but such things make life a better place) is our frequent card games.  This was so much a part of us and our life together.  We played Schafkopf or its younger cousin Skat with Becca, Rachael, or my aunt every weekend for years, and Klabberjass when it was just the two of us.  Tom’s family had been great Schafskopf players when he was growing up, and he taught the game to us.  As a kiddy, I played endless games of Casino with my Grandmother, and then with Rebecca and Rachael when they were kiddies. When married, Dennis and I played Cribbage for hours on end, and pinochle with his mother.  In college, I played bridge with friends, and thought it fun, but it can be such a snobby game and too often, there seems to be way too much ego invested in it.  Then it isn’t fun at all.  While I usually enjoyed it, I was also always a little intimidated - and occasionally very intimidated! The thought that a mistake will make your partner angry is not a happy thought.  Skat takes as much thinking, but it seems to be just for fun rather than ego enhancement, at least with the opponents I have had.  Consequently, ever since Tom went on to happier things, no doubt playing heavenly Skat with Sts. Hildegarde and Cunigunde, I have been wishing I had someone (actual sometwo as it is a three person game) to play Skat or Schafskopf with. I have been working on convincing The Twins that it is what we need to do, but they have remained dubious.  The rules are indeed a little daunting at first, but once you grasp them, it’s easy.  Well, Yay!  This evening, they agreed.  I was ecstatic!  We forgot to drink beer with our cards – beer being an essential part of the whole Skat mise-en-scène – and had tea instead.  But that didn’t detract from the thrill – at least I was thrilled.  I think they were less so, unless they were thrilled that I was so happy to be playing Schafkopf again. 

The Bavarian cards are a little more fierce.  Becca's favorite is the schellen Ace, as she thinks that dog looks like Margaret.  She is mistaken.