My Personal History of Board Games for Days When You Stay Indoors

I had a great weekend with my daughter. The bad news is she had made a bad decision. The good news is she only had a phone to stare at all day. So, we decided to make Saturday "Game Day."

My family has always played games together. Mom's games are Scrabble and Monopoly, both of which we still play whenever the family gets together.

My dad was the family pool shark until I was about fifteen. That's when the championship belt transferred to me.

My sister and I played any game we could get our hands on. We had Sorry, Careers, Stay Alive (the survival game according to the television commercial), Yahtzee, Ker-Plunk, and Battle Ship. I can finally admit that I cheated at Battle Ship when I played my sister. I was a rotten kid. I'm better now.

My friends and I would play Risk when we had sleepovers. That game could take all night if the dice rolled in your favor.

Our family gatherings featured Crazy Canasta, Pinochle, and Continental Rummy. The last one was always fun to play with our Grampa Louie because every time he would try to "Buy" a card and not get it he would always claim he was "DOOMED"!

But Saturday my daughter killed me at Uno. I don't know who's bright idea it was to put "swap hands" on one of the wild cards, but she has perfected the use of that card.

I'm still the champ at Speed, free throws, and golf.

Those kids sure grow up fast. I really relish these days where we get to spend it together. And at the same time recall when I was a kid.

Don't blink.