Pitchforks and Flaming Torches

 Okay .... I'm up, I'm UP!  Every morning when I'm all drug out with no sleep, it reminds me of getting up at 4:00 in the morning and walking in the scary dark to the barn.  Even back then, I felt like a zombie!!  We caught up the horses and saddled them.  I had to stand on the edge of the water trough to reach my tall horse.  Once done, we walked BACK to the house in the scary dark for a lovely body warming bowl of cold cereal.  

An hour later STILL in the scary dark, we were riding out to the far pasture to bring in the cattle.  It was either branding day or vaccination day, followed up by fly spray.  I admit though, I don't remember feeling THIS tired!!  It must be the Bingo!

I started the morning out right in Cooper's mind, with a little steal the toy game on the floor.  This is second to throw the ball!

That didn't last long however as I headed off to lunch with a couple of the Bingo Crew before we hit the ground running.  Actually, I spent another two hours doing office work upstairs, trying to remember just WHO I marked as paid, but forgot to send out membership cards.  

Those cards also get little stickers that say things like "7 yr member", "Veteran" or the office you hold.  Just like Bingo, you would be surprised at folks when you forget to put one of their stickers on the card.  In a flash, it was time to head downstairs to finagle with the infernal machine.

We still have the problem of the backup machine having had its little brain wiped clean.  Programming takes several hours that I don't have.  After reading the book, I discovered you can put in an SD card and copy the programming.  In case of an emergency, or some silly person unplugging the machine, the programming can be restored.

Holding my breath, I put in the SD card, found the menu to format it and copied the programming.  I then took it to the SECOND infernal machine and tried to upload.  It just stuck its tongue out at me.  I was afraid to try a second time and mess something up, so I gave up this time.  But here's my question ... when it says upload, is that uploading the files to the card??? or is that uploading the files to the machine???

On with the pitchforks, shovels and torches!!  We had a lot of new players on this night, and many older ones who just came back to try and win one of TWO $1199 pots.  About half the players are happy campers, glad to be out for a night of fun.  The rest are curmudgeons who never smile or say thank you.  Most times it's even hard to tell which is which.

There was a little pushing and shoving in line on this night as they fought for THE WINNING CARD.  The torches came out and the grumbling began when one lady won TWICE.  In no time at all, she had won THREE $250 jackpots.  YIKES!!  

I called for the Knights to quell the riot.  The only thing worse than NOT winning is having ONE person win several!!!  There's no rhyme or reason for this, she just got lucky and picked up the winning cards.  No worries, it will all come back to us next week when she tries to win FOUR times in a row.

More ruckus went through the crowd when a new player didn't yell BINGO quick enough.  You know the rules, if you don't call it before the next number is called, you do NOT get the payout.  What a joy ... she just laughed about it!!  Two games later, she won again ... and this time you could hear her three blocks away.

Later in the evening a few MORE pitchforks came out once again because the guys selling one of the game cards were too busy talking to be out on the floor.  When these folks are playing bingo, they cannot be bothered with getting up.  They just raise their hand, whereupon the MEN are supposed to go see what they need.  

Though truly that is their job and the reason they are volunteering, they would rather just chat.  Me too for that matter.  Can't blame them I guess ... but the peasants always prevail.  After all, it is THEIR donations that are all going to charities and kids in our area.  The Elks Lodge gets to take all the credit, but it is the PEASANTS who have made every dime of those donations possible.  I SALUTE THEM ONE AND ALL.  Even the cranky ones!!

And so ended another lovely night.  The infernal machine took pity on me and balanced to the penny.  I headed straight home to a very happy puppy who thought after ten hours that I had fallen off the face of the earth.

Here's the good news ... I got a call to pick up my van.  A quick schedule check and it will happen this afternoon.  There is good news and bad news, but I'll explain tomorrow, because right now I'm going to try and catch just a few Zzzz's before heading to my LAST DAY ON THE JOB!!!  YAY, YAY and YAY!!!!