Sharks patrol these waters

Playing cards with my family is always one of the highlights of any holiday-family extravaganza. We play euchre, which if you don't know what it is, I can't explain it to you. It's the only card game I know how to play. (Unless you count rummy. Or Go Fish.) I'm not a particularly lucky person, I'm not especially skilled at cards, and unlike some family members, I'm not cutthroat. For some unknown reason, I am usually paired with my mom, who is just like me in terms of card-playing. So, in general, we lose. We're used to it, and for the most part, we accept it gracefully. Occasionally, though, we win. And when we do, it is oh, so sweet. Especially when we beat my sister Dawn, who may have been the reason the word "competitive" was invented. This Thanksgiving, I turned a particularly neat trick, which involved an inordinate amount of scheming on my part. I didn't win the hand, but I won the battle. And sometimes, that's all that matters.