Hot Ball and Change

 Wow ... there was a big change in temperature around here.  We are at an almost WARM 55 degrees this morning, heading right on up the pike to a lovely 75.  I think spring just might have sprung overnight.  It makes for a much more comfortable day when you don't have to don boots and jackets.

It's Bingo day, so let's get to it!

This was just weird ... we started out the day yesterday with fog.  Even thicker than the camera shows.  It wasn't cold, but there was so much water on the lawn it looked like it had rained.  Cooper was not impressed!

The first order of the day was to head out to our favorite restaurant for some Mexican fare.  I don't know what happened, but they now have a new menu with MUCH higher prices.  The cheapest thing was $9.99.  Three taquitos with rice and beans on the smallest plate I've ever seen.  You know how the rice and beans always run together?  Not on this plate.

I wish I had taken a picture.  There was less than 1/4 cup rice in one corner and even less beans in the other.  Our regular fare, one enchilada and one taco, came to a whopping $16.00, on the same tiny plate, miniaturized to fit.  I guess we won't be going back THERE!  We do have other choices, but they are all Mexican food.  

We laughed at the thought we've held since we were kids.  There was one stop sign on Hwy 99 heading North ... and everyone coming up from the border stopped there and set up housekeeping.  I'm actually pretty happy about that because I LOVE Mexican food!

I raced home to take care of Cooper before heading back to the lodge and grabbing a couple of those quilt panels to show the Veterans group.  Sadly, I forgot my phone when I headed back.  How did we become so attached to those things?  I felt OFF all night long.  

I started out in panic mode because the infernal machine did not have any paper to print out receipts.  I found this problem two weeks ago, but nothing got ordered.  The only thing we had was the wrong size.  This is a big problem .... BIG!  I raced upstairs to find the person who orders things was not in.  OH NO!  I'm in trouble now!!

Alas, she had gone to drop off something at the supply store, but I had no phone to contact her.  Lucky for me, she came back with two rolls, enough to get me through the night.  Hopefully more will be ordered before I am drawn and quartered by the peasants of the Kingdom.

It was slow, to say the least.  This is the last game of the month, and everyone is now broke.  They have smashed every piggy bank and brought in ziploc bags full of change.  No kidding, we are down to counting pennies, nickels and dimes.  

Did I ever mention how they can't count very well?  It's never the correct amount, mostly because they always seem to count nickels as quarters.  That means a mad dash back to their table to plead for more change from their neighbors.  No one else has any cash left either, so they don't come back to my table.

It's so sad to see them using their EBT cards, but use them they do.  They say "I have $26 left, I'll pay the rest in change".  Those should be coded somehow so they cannot purchase anything but food.  

The same goes for hotball, which is another of our money games.  They pay $2.00 extra every week for a stamp on their hand.  If they win any bingo game with the posted hotball number of the night, they win OUR jackpot AND the hot ball jackpot, which can be as high as $1199.  Why $1199?  Because if it is $1200, you have to notify IRS.  Yup I was counting all THAT change also.

At this time however, the hotball was down to $103 which means fewer players also.  Oh yes, they all know exactly how much it is on any given night.  It's a catch 22 because fewer players also means there's less money for me to pay out.  Peasants don't show up if there's not a big pot to win.

Very surprisingly, they were civil on this night, with only a few cat calls to the newest caller who forgot to say the letter before the number.  You know, like calling 6 instead of B6.  The grumbling began low and slow, but rose to a crescendo in no time.  In a flash, they were on their feet ... calling for his head.  That is always a reminder to me to NEVER volunteer to call the numbers.  

The infernal machine took pity on me this night and balanced to all but the 39 cents.  I quickly ate my chili cheese dog without the bun, giving me heartburn for the night.  I do have a choice ... heartburn from that or heartburn from chicken tenders, or heartburn from the hamburger.  We are equal opportunity heartburn specialists!!

The good news is I got a little direction on the Veteran quilts.  Some will be generic for the big Veterans Day giveaway, and some will be more direct for our member giveaway around the same time.

And so I better get to sewing!!!