SINKO DE MAYO

Good morning sunny California, which they say it WILL be in a day or two.  As for now, we have overcast cold skies, which are just fine with me.  Summer is coming later and later.  Pretty soon we'll be 100 degrees at Christmas!!

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO.  I admit, it took me a few seconds to get this one.  Sink-o ... May-o.  This is my bad joke of the day!!

Here's the real thing!  The annual celebration of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire in 1862.  Although they ultimately lost the war, at the end of the American Civil War, the United States began lending money and guns to the Mexican Liberals, forcing the French to defeat.  YAY!!  

And so I celebrate with our southern neighbors because they have better food than we do!!

 

Too bad it had to be interrupted by the Magic Kingdom of Bingo.  It can't be all bad, right?  Okay, maybe it could.

I started off by setting Mr. Cooper up so he could not fall off the couch and hit the table, followed by giving him HALF of an anxiety pill.  I was hoping that would keep him quiet.  He followed me to the door, so I gave him a scrinch and said STAY, like I always do.

Bad news reared its head immediately.  My truck did not want to start.  REALLY BIG SIGH!!  It sounded like it was starving for fuel.  Oh it finally started, and I let it run for a bit, but I opted for the more reliable Jeep.

Once at the lodge, I went straight to work NOT doing this.  In fact, I didn't set up ANYTHING for the back room.  Instead, I signed checks, stewed about Cooper, set up my table, stewed about Cooper and generally did nothing much.

I set up my cameras at the house when I left and checked them often.  There was no sign of Cooper at all.  Two hours later, I couldn't stand it a minute longer.  I made a mad dash home, and when I say mad dash, I mean speeding like a banshee ... and snuck around the back of the house to look in the window.

There he was, laying in the exact spot I had told him to STAY.  He was staring at the door, waiting for me to come home.  I drove back to the lodge happy and sad at the same time.  A couple MORE hours went by and I checked the cameras again.  He was asleep on the couch.  

Things went great at Bingo ... the flaming torches and pitchforks didn't come out until later.  We had a rousing crowd of 134 people, many of whom had smoked Skunk Weed.  That stuff is NASTY!!  You can smell it the second they come in the door.  I suppose we can't complain, since they all donate so much money to our causes, but GEEZ!!  Ride with your window down please!

We were going great guns.  The one troublemaker did not arrive once again.  YAY!!  It's amazing how the atmosphere changes for the better.  We had two new volunteers learning the ropes in the kitchen, taught by two of the ones who caused all of the problems.  I watched the clock.  They worked until 8:30.

Come to find out, the new recruits knew them very well and they had a blast in the kitchen.  

OH BUT WAIT .... at 9:00 when they were all cleaned up, the two previous workers called the Kitchen Manager over to say ... thanks for the memories, but all five of our group quit.  We won't be back.  Well thank you very much, because we already have replacements and you guys are no longer needed.  Nice of them, yes??

The good news is we actually DO have replacement workers, so their plan to upset our applecart died on the vine.  

And so ended a lovely night of laughter and fun ... at least on our part.  As for the back pull tab room, when we heard lots of cussing going on, we stayed far far away.  I call it full moon spillover.  

It was a late night.  One of our callers got called in to work, and the one who took his place didn't know how to set up the machine.  I didn't get out until 10:45, almost an hour past my normal time.  

Needless to say, I'm dragging butt as I stare out at the not-so-full moon.  As much as I want to hang with Cooper all day, EVERY day, I've got accounting today and an initiation of members tomorrow, meaning it's a tuxedo night.  My LEAST favorite of all the nights.  The only good part is they will be serving my favorite ... MEXICAN FOOD!!

Here's to tacos, tamales, enchiladas and all good things from the South of us.  I guess I'll get out one of those enchilada casseroles I made and celebrate.  HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!!