<p>My Aunt is a national champion bridge player. She tried to teach it to me and it went WAY over my head. I need to learn from a loser, I think… 
Nice & slow.</p>
<p>SBmom, same thing with me. My parents were big duplicate players, went to tournaments frequently. They wanted to share their love of the game with me, but somehow it didn’t take. I think I need to start with people who play “party bridge”. Those duplicate players are serious! My mother was at a national tournament a few years back; a player collapsed, fell to the floor and when the tables changed, people just stepped around him and continued their game. His partner was royally ****ed that he kept her from getting her points.</p>
<p>okay, we have mkm, me, and mootmom. Who else is in?</p>
<p>I bought the original Siedler von Catan for my daughter when we moved to Germany. I had visions of her enthusiastically inviting neighboring teens to play and all that, but alas there were NO kids anywhere near her age where we first lived. She ended up giving it to her German teacher and they played in class whenever they had a sub. </p>
<p>Here’s a fun word game for you to try: [url=<a href=“http://www.freerice.com%5DFreeRice%5B/url”>http://www.freerice.com]FreeRice[/url</a>] </p>
<p>We’ve had an informal competition going at work, and yesterday I made it to level 50 after being stuck on 46 for a week. It’s really just a multiple-choice vocab/synonym matching thing, surprisingly addictive. One of my English teacher colleagues started putting it up on her Infocus whenever there are a few spare minutes in class, and now her students come in asking if they can donate rice every day.</p>
<p>SBMom, I’ll be your fourth for bridge!! I wasted as much time in college playing bridge as my kids do today wasting time playing video games (or, put another way, as much time as I do today wasting time on the computer!). I can remember marathon bridge weekends where there was a continuous game going on for 2 days, with people taking each others’ places at the table (well, on the floor, actually - we didn’t have a table) while the tired ones slept. It was great fun. </p>
<p>One of my best friends in college was a ‘townie’ - a commuter student who lived at home with her parents. They were amazing bridge players and I used to go over to her house and play bridge with them. Gosh, the memories this brings back… :)</p>
<p>I’ve tried FreeRice–it is addictive. On a good day I can do 47 level words, but my score is at 46. Something about getting in the groove, recognizing all the Greek/Latin you ever knew, and being lucky with those odd Anglo-Saxon short words.</p>
<p>Just tried FreeRice - it is addictive! I thought I had a good vocabulary but many of the words were new to me. Despite this, I managed to get everything right so far…</p>
<p>patsmom–
jumping into the bridge game! We used to play every day at college. We made up so many bidding conventions, I dont remember what is real anymore…</p>
<p>Wow–I’m SO SORRY I tried FreeRice! It is totally addictive. Any suggestions for withdrawal?</p>
<p>I find it addictive, too - but where do they come up with these words?</p>
<p>argillaceous
seriatim
beshrew
palfrey</p>
<p>I got all these right, but I was guessing.</p>
<p>Loved the FreeRice site. It is addictive.</p>
<p>I’ll sub in for bridge - at the JV table. You Varsity Players can do your serious thing, while us rusty types concentrate on the refreshment aspect.</p>
<p>Can we have a mah-jongg table back there too? It takes a lot of concentration but is not as stressful as bridge, imho.</p>
<p>Hey—I’ll play Canasta! (as long as we get a bowl of that Bridge Mix, too!)</p>
<p>I used to play bridge and it was great fun. I wish I had more time to play it these days.</p>
<p>Freerice is great and addictive for a while, then it gets a bit tiresome. Their word bank (in the levels 43-47) isn’t that big so after some time you keep encountering the same words over and over again.</p>
<p>vicarious–
</p>
<p>Sometimes I miss the same words over and over again, too.</p>
<p>If I can figure them out, I’m good. If they’re not related to anything as far as I can see, I’m having a hard time keeping them in the memory bank. Am I aging?</p>
<p>If the site really wanted to be helpful (SAT study), we would see the words in a sentence.</p>
<p>Well palfrey I knew from historical novels. :)</p>
<p>Yes! Mah Jong. I love that game. I am still learning it so do you mind if I refer to my book? So fun though, like turbo rummy, with many more variations… Plus the tiles are so beautiful.</p>
<p>I tried freerice too. Got to 46.</p>
<p>astro, when I finish subbing at the bridge table and if they don’t let me start a mah-jongg group, I’m headed over to your Canasta table. I loved that game as a kid. Had a kind of surrogate grandmother who played it with us neighborhood kids for hours on end.</p>
<p>But I’ve forgotten the game.</p>
<p>Okay, we’re on for mah-jongg. Ask and you shall receive…one of many Sinners Alley mottos.</p>
<p>And, yes, SB. We can collect mah-jongg sets. I crave the beautiful vintage ones. Who cares if you can read the nice new ones more easily?</p>
<p>I would love to learn how to play mah-jong. It always seemed so mysterious and exotic to me as a child, but no one I knew played it.</p>
<p>Just got back from doing a little shopping. I picked up Apples to Apples and Rummikub—thanks for the suggestions.</p>
<p>Hey I stopped in to offer a toast for my Big Brother. He just announced at Thanksgiving Dinner at my mom’s (I wasn’t there, I was here) that he and his SO are getting married. He never had children. I am so glad he won’t be alone in his older age. I’m smiling all over the place. </p>
<p>I’m really happy for him. What on earth will I get for them? (And please don’t say, “It all Depends…”)</p>