Double Solitaire

My family calls it double solitaire, but I have also heard it called Nerts.... so whatever floats your boat!  This is a wonderful game!  My grandmother taught me how to play it way back when, and now my mom and I have tournaments all of the time.  We play cut-throat, and the boys get really mad when we play.  I think the fastest win was less than three minutes for me (and I totally whipped my mom's butt).  One of the best parts of this game is that you can pick it up anytime, so there is no need to make a huge production of it!  The rules are a little interesting, but oh how it is fun to play.  So here is what you need to play:

1 Deck of Cards per Player - Also have to have a different back design - (up to as many people as who can fit around a table)
Pen and Paper to Keep Score
Your Game Face

Rules:
Each player deals a pile of thirteen cards in one pile, twelve cards face down and the thirteenth face up on top. Next to this pile, each player deals four cards face-up, side by side and not overlapping, to begin four work piles. The remainder of each player's cards are held face-down as a stock; these cards will be turned three at a time onto a face up stack, forming the player's waste pile.

Players play simultaneously as fast as they like, not taking turns, moving cards around their own area according to the rules given below, and where possible building on the foundations in the common area. The players' main objective is to eliminate their pile of 13, by playing cards from them onto their work piles or onto foundations. A player whose pile of 13 is exhausted yells "Nerts" or "Out", at which point the game immediately ends.

Players are only allowed to use one hand at a time to move cards, but may hold their stock in their other hand. Only one card at a time may be moved, except when moving a block of cards from one work pile to another. You can only move cards within your own area and into the common area. You cannot touch another player's area or take cards out of the common area.

If two or more players try to play to the same foundation at the same time, the first played card (generally the one which ends up lowest in the heap) stays there, and all other players must return the equivalent cards they had just tried to play on that same foundation pile to their previous positions. If there is a tie which cannot be resolved, both cards stay.

A player's four work piles begin with one card each. Work piles are built in descending order, alternating color, overlapping the cards. You can move any card in one of your work piles onto another of your own work piles if it fits, and any cards on top of the card are moved go with it. When a space results, it may be filled by a card from your pile of 13, your waste pile or another work pile. The exposed cards of each of the four work piles (i.e. the lowest ranked cards of each pile) are available to be played onto the foundations.

Cards from the top of your pile of 13 can be played onto empty spaces in your work piles. If they fit, they can also be played onto one of your existing work piles, or they can be played directly onto a foundation. When you have played the top card of your pile of 13 you can turn the next card of the pile face up.

Foundations piles are built in the common area. They are always begun with an ace, and can be built up by playing the next higher card of the same suit (for example the nine of spades on the eight of spades) until the king is reached. Players can always start new foundation piles by placing any available ace in the common area. Other available cards can be played onto an existing foundation where they fit, provided that another player doesn't get there before you. Any player may play onto any foundation.

You can turn over cards from your stock three at a time and put them face-up onto your waste pile (the waste pile has no cards at the start of play). Be sure to keep the cards in the same order when you do so. The top card of your waste pile may be played to one of your work piles or to a foundation pile if it fits. If there are only one or two cards left in the stock, place them on the waste pile, and then turn the waste pile over to start a new stock; do not pick up the waste pile and place it underneath so that you can deal three cards.

If it happens that all players are stuck (no further legal moves), or no one wishes to play any more cards, then everyone picks up their waste pile to re-form their stock, and then puts the top card of the stock on the bottom. (This happens frequently in a two-player game and rarely with more players.) If you get stuck but others can still play, you have to wait for everyone else to get stuck (or decide they do not want to make any more moves) before you are allowed to transfer your top stock card to the bottom.

When someone calls "Nerts!" play ends and scoring takes place. Each player scores one point for each of their own cards that they managed to play into the common area. To determine this, the foundation piles have to be sorted out according to the owners of the cards - this is why it is necessary that the decks have different backs. All players except the one count the number of cards left in their pile of 13 and remove that same number from their number from the foundation cards.



So it sounds a bit confusing, but once you get it, the game is quite simple.  I hope you play with your family!!
Alexandra

Christmas Triva

So as I was typing up my last post, I was thinking, "Trivia is a lot of fun, and who doesn't like Christmas/Holiday trivia?"  With that mind boggling revelation, I have decided to dedicate an entire post about Trivia.

Here goes:

1. We all know that Rudolph has a red nose, but does he have antlers?
2. In the song Jingle Bells, who was seated by my side?
3. Yogi Bear spends his first Christmas in what park?
4. This cartoonist of Believe it or Not was born Christmas Day, 1893.
5. Round or Oval candies filled with fruit preserves or cream and covered with chocolate are called?
6. This famous hotel magnate was born December 25, 1887.
7. The Movie Miracle on 34th Street is in what city?
8. In which Christmas song are the lyrics "to see if reindeer really know how to fly"?
9. Peter, Paul, and Mary had this No. 1 song during Christmas 1969.
10. In the Dick Van Dyke Show Christmas episode, what woodwind instrument did Laura play?
• Flute or Piccolo
11. Which country created eggnog?
12. In 1962, the US Postal System first did what?
13. Who said, "God Bless Us, Every One!"?
14. This state has the "World's Largest Living Christmas Tree.
• Maine or California
15. Who is rumored to have stolen Christmas?
16. In Santa Clause: The Movie, Joe Drank what and burped?
• Coke or Sprite
17. For the first time in 38 years, what two religious holidays coincided on December 25, 1978?
18. How many reindeer hooves are there? (include Rudolph)
19. What were Frosty's last words?
20. The most popular item to put on top of a Christmas tree is what?
21. If you spent $86,609 in 2008, what would you be buying?
22. Who yelled "Stop!" to Frosty?
23. The average number of lights on  Christmas Tree is what?
• 200 or 350
24. How many Wise Men were there according to the bible?
25. If you were born on Christmas Day, what's your sign?
26. Robert Scott set out which pole on Christmas day in 1911?
• North Pole or South Pole
27. What two words are normally pre-printed on gift tags?
28. There are 365 days in a year.  What number is Christmas Day?
29. Christmas Ridge is located in what underwater mountain range?
30. After Joseph, Mary, and Jesus left Bethlehem, which country did they travel to?
31. 'Advent' means what?
32. Lucy charges how much for her psychiatric services in A Charlie Brown Christmas?
33. What gender is Frosty?
34. How much did it cost to send a Christmas card within the same city early int he Victorian era?
35. Traditionally speaking, Frosty the Snowman has a hat, but does he have a scarf?
36. McDonald's puts what holiday image on bags during the Christmas season?
37. The Littlest Angel has a problem wearing what correctly?
38. December 24, 1814 ended what war?
39. The largest government mailing takes place on this date every year.
40. In Jingle Bell Rock everyone is dancing and prancing.  Where do they do it?
41. Which reindeer's name is also a name of a kitchen cleaner?
42. Santa Clause gets back up the chimney by doing what?
43. Alvin the Chipmunk wants what for Christmas?
44. In A Christmas Carol all three spirits visited in how many nights?
45. Does UPS deliver on Christmas Eve?
46. What is the biggest selling Christmas Single of all time?
47. Scrooge's first name is what?
48. Greensleeves is another name for what Christmas song?
49. Who first recorded Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
50. The movie It's a Wonderful Life takes place where?
51. In the song Silver Bells, what is dressed in holiday style?
52. Where did there arise such a clatter?
53. The American Lung Association sells what during Christmas?
54. What what the little boy's name who stayed home in the movie, Home Alone?
55. Which reindeer is never mentioned in The Night Before Christmas?
56. What does Santa catch in the movie The Year Without a Santa Clause?
• The Flu or A Cold
57. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, what does Lucy want for Christmas?
58. The custom of finding a button in the plum pudding means what to an unmarried man?
59. "Catch me if you can" is said by whom?
60. The most popular toy of 1984 was what doll named after a vegetable?
61. What is the most heard carol at Christmas?
62. Frosty the Snowman first debuted on which TV station?
63. Santa's favorite Christmas Carol is what?
64. When did flashing Christmas lights get introduced?
• 1930s or 1950s
65. The Brady Bunch puts their Christmas tree where?
66. Babe, the pig, sings what Christmas song in the movie Babe?
67. Ralph E. Morris, a telephone company employee, invented what for Christmas trees?
68. Why did Joseph and Mary go from Nazareth to Bethlehem?
69. The 12 Days of Christmas has how many verses?
70. Whitney Houston had this No. 1 song during Christmas in 1992.
71. Frosty was brought alive by what?
72. The Reverend Jesse Jackson founded what organization on December 24, 1971?
73. What was Rudolph's punishment for his red nose?
74. What automobile manufacturer was born on Christmas Day 1878?
75. Which actor said, "Now I know there is a Santa Clause" after receiving his Oscar?
76. The average number of gifts an adult male gets for Christmas is what?
• 6 or 10
77. In the Christmas Song what are folks dressed up like?
78. Who wrote A Christmas Carol?
79. What is the main ingredient in gingerbread cookies?
• Flour, Ginger, or Molasses
80. Is there snow on the ground for Christmas in the movie Babe?
81. Name the 3 reindeer whose names begin with D.
82. Who starred in the movie Christmas in Connecticut?
83. This state was the last to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
84. Scrooge feared this Ghost most.
85. In It's A Wonderful Life, what did Clarence receive for accomplishing his mission?
• Wings or Halo
86. In a boxing match on December 25, 1950, who knocked out Hans Stretz?
87. On what street did Santa Clause's miracle occur?
88. What famous lithographers are reprinted on many Christmas cards?
89. Traditionally, who opens the first present?
• Oldest Member of the Family or Youngest Member of the Family
90. What carol demands figgy pudding?
91. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was written by who?
92. What river did General Washington cross on December 25, 1776?
93. We all know that Santa has a long, white beard, but does he have a moustache?
94. Elvis Presley recorded a sad Christmas song in the fifties of what color?
95. What song contains the line, "Let's be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly"?
96. In White Christmas, what did Danny Kay and Vera-Ellen do in order to reunite Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney?
97. In A Christmas Memory, Buddy made tin foil angels from what candy bar?
98. What city name do the states Kentucky, Indiana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Georgia have in common?
99. What carol contain the line, "Star with royal beauty bright?
100. In the poem, The Night Before Christmas,  the words 'Santa Clause' is used how many times?
101. St. Nick's nose is often compared to what fruit?
102. This Florida town maintains a fully decorated tree year round.
103. What are the traditional colors of the candles on an advent wreath?
104. What came first? The Book or the Movie Miracle on 34th Street?
105. What early seventies NFL Dolphin was born on Christmas Day 1946?
106. After red and green, what are the two most popular Christmas colors?
107. What country group recorded Christmas in Dixie in the early 1980s?
108. In Home Alone 2, what color limo did Kevin rent?

Answers:

1. Yes
2. Miss Fanny Bright
3. Jelly Stone Park
4. Robert J. Ripley
5. Sugarplums
6. Conrad Hilton
7. New York City
8. The Christmas Song
9. Leaving on a Jet Plane
10. The Piccolo
11.  England
12. Issued the first Christmas Stamp
13. Tiny Tim
14. California
15. The Grinch
16. Coke
17. Christmas and Hanukkah 
18. 36
19. I'll Be Back Someday
20. Angel
21. The Gifts from the 12 Days of Christmas - according to CNN
22. The Traffic Cop
23. 200
24. It does not say
25. Capricorn
26. South Pole
27. TO: and FROM:
28. 359
29. Pacific Ocean
30. Egypt
31. Coming 
32. 5 cents
33. Male
34. Nothing 
35. Yes
36. Trees
37. His Halo
38. War of 1812
39. December 26
40. Jingle Bell Square
41. Comet
42. And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod up the chimney he rose!
43. Hula-Hoop
44. One Night
45. Yes
46. White Christmas
47. Ebeneezer 
48. What Child is This 
49. Gene Autry
50. Bedford Falls
51. Sidewalks
52. On the Lawn
53. Christmas Seals
54. Keven 
55. Rudolph
56. A Cold
57. Real Estate
58. Bachelorhood
59. Frosty the Snowman 
60. Cabbage Patch Dolls
61. White Christmas
62. CBS
63. He loves them all!
64. 1930s
65. By the Staircase
66. Jingle Bells
67. Electric Tree Lights
68. To Be Taxed
69. 12
70. I Will Always Love You
71. A Magic Hat
72. People United to Save Humanity (PUSH)
73. Could Not Play Reindeer Games
74. Louis Joseph Chevrolet
75. Edmund Gwenn
76. 6
77. Eskimos
78. Charles Dickens
79. Flour
80. No
81. Dasher, Donor, Dancer
82. Barbra Stanwyck
83. Oklahoma
84. The Ghost of Christmases Yet to Come
85. His Wings
86. Sugar Ray Robinson 
87. 34th Street
88. Currier and Ivy
89. The Youngest Child
90. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
91. Johnny Marks
92. The Delaware River
93. Yes
94. Blue Christmas
95. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
96. Announced their Engagement 
97. Hershey Bars
98. Bethlehem
99. We Three Kings
100. None
101. A Cherry
102. Christmas, Florida
103. Purple and Pink
104. The Movie
105. Larry Csonka
106. Silver and Gold
107. Alabama
108. White

Happy Holidays!!

Quiz From: http://www.brownielocks.com/Quiz.html

Ah Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.  You get to bake cookies, drink cocoa, and spend time with family and friends (plus the Midnight Christmas Eve Service lets you handle flames! - I really like singing Silent Night in the dark with candles... so pretty).

Anywho... with the Christmas Season upon us, parties start popping up.  And like all great parties, the Honors College had our party on Wednesday!  We started off with pizza (there were 12 large pizzas and we ran out), we moved on to the Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest (and oh were they ugly.  We had men strutting their stuff as they walked on tables and struck a few poses to the delight of the ladies in the room), then there was wrapping contests, word searches, holiday puzzles, Christmas Trivia, and a whole lot of fun.

I think that is why I love the Holiday Season so much.  It is just a lot of fun!  People are laughing and having a great time, and that makes me smile.

So in the spirit of Christmas, here are a few holiday trivia questions for you to ponder (the answers are below).  Enjoy!

1. The name of Scrooge's deceased business partner in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was?
2. What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the story A Christmas Carol?
3. What did Frosty the Snowman have for a nose?
4. How many gifts would you receive if you received all of the gifts in the song The 12 Days of Christmas?
5. In the song Winter Wonderland, who do we pretend the snowman is?
6. In the movie Miracle on 34th Street, a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor?
7. In the traditional song, Go Tell It on the Mountain, what are you suppose to go tell on a mountain?
8. According to the song, Frosty The Snowman what kind of soul does Frosty have?
9. True or False: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby.
10. In the Christmas Song, who did I (the narrator) see kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe last night?

Well I hope you have a happy holiday party season and stay warm! (It's -1 degrees F without wind chill here in South Dakota!)
Love Alexandra

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” 

-Bob Hope

Answers: 

1. Jacob Marley
2. Bob Cratchit
3. A Button
4. 364 Gifts
5. Parson Brown (though I always said Carson Brown... oops)
6. The US Postal Service delivers mail to him
7. Our Jesus Christ is Born
8. A Jolly Happy Soul
9. False: And Angel told Mary
10. Mommy