cuh-razy

a couple of my guys have been sick the last couple days. add to that the rain and we've been hunkered down of late watching movies, playing games and laying low.


speaking of games, i've been feeling crazy 8's recently and so we've had some marathon games.


for those not familiar, crazy 8's is played in much the same way as uno. the dealer deals 5 cards to each player then sets the stack face down turning over the top card which becomes the play card for the first player.
players can then lay down matching suit or number at their turn and change the suit by laying down a card with the same number. 8's are by definition "crazy" and the player who lays one down gets to pick the suit that will follow.


when a player cannot make a play they must draw until they can or until the pile is exhausted. a most enjoyable game that can be played with a regular set of cards.


these however are special game cards. we picked them up years ago walking through restoration hardware (about the only thing we could afford) as a part of a 4 deck set.


the other 3 games are animal rummy, hearts and of course old maid. they were designed from decks originally produced in the 50's.


back then card parties were commonplace and these decks served to introduce kids to the fascinating adult world of card games with games at their own level full of fun and whimsical graphics to amuse, while they learned the art of the shuffle and the deal.


(and i'm sure it gave parents an excuse not to hand their bridge decks over to bobby and sally as well)


ours are still in pretty good shape and i enjoy staring at the pictures as much as the kids do. the characters all seem to have these fantastic otherworldly stories.


and yet they also seem strangely familiar as in a world i once inhabited when i was very small.