Bingo At The Castle

 It's a beautiful, finally not quite so cold, California morning.  It's dark and quiet, just the way I like it.  Obviously nothing can top a red fox dumping on your dinner offerings, but Bingo always comes up with something.

My girl Friday was going to be late, so I grabbed a relatively new player who I thought was "with" it and plunked her down at the counting chair.  If she was that excited about helping out, and therefore being first in line to get her bingo cards, she would be perfect for the job.  

I also checked out her hands.  No inch long fingernails studded with half carat rhinestones to get in the way.  I'm happy to say she did an excellent job!  She's on the payroll, which pays a hamburger, fries, drink and maybe a soggy apple crisp dessert.  The best part is she's YOUNG, so she'll be around for quite a while .... I hope.

It actually went pretty smoothly, with only two riots by the peasants.  The caller, a relatively new guy with a good sense of humor (you have to have that here), called a right number but a wrong letter.  Something like G75, which should have been O75.  The lynch mob instantly appeared with torches lit and pitchforks waving.  That's a BIG no-no in the Bingo world.

To make it worse, it happened not once, but TWICE!!!  I covered my ears.  SO many bad words went flying across the room!!  They only settled down when I told them the payouts would be $250 for every single game.  

About half way through I realized I would again be out of cash to pay the masses.  We do give cash back in many cases, depending on how much paper they purchase.  The night ended perfectly for me as the infernal machine spit out a tag that matched my numbers.  I love it when that happens.

It's been long days and even longer nights for me, but I did remember to put the critter cam out.  This was a cool catch ... literally ... as the kitty kitty kept an ever watchful eye out for Foxy!!  Wish I could jump like that.

At long last, practically running on fumes, I decided to fuel up my truck for the coming rally trip.  I drove the ten miles to my favorite station, hoping to see some good numbers.  Wasn't I surprised to find they were 15 cents a gallon MORE than the Gas Buddy app showed.  I quickly looked across the street at the TA Shell station to see $5.99 a gallon .... even CHEAPER!  That's never happened in all my years here.  I quickly pulled across three lanes of traffic to pull in.  

THIS is how long it took.  This is ONE purchase of fuel.  I went inside and put $300 on my card.  I think I could have finished a jigsaw puzzle by the time it stopped.  But WAIT ... it only pumped out 26 gallons.  I need 40.  I couldn't get it to work ... it just said THANK YOU.  

That was the first trip inside.  Every one of these tickets represents a trip inside!!!  No matter what I did, or what they did, it wouldn't pump.  I switched credit cards, then switched debit cards.  Nothing!!  I finally moved to another pump.  STILL nothing!!  Is it just me?

At last I gathered up all the receipts and drove to my more expensive station across the street.  I couldn't believe it ... must be my magnetic personality!!  It didn't want to pump either.  I finally moved to yet another pump and got fuel enough to fill the tank.  

Interestingly enough, the nice lady that I always talk to there said all of their fuel prices are determined by a company in New York.  Sooooo ... New York is setting the prices of fuel in California.  Every morning they call her and say what the numbers will be.  Who knew?

Happy my tank was now full, I parked the truck.  Both my Jeep and truck get the same fuel mileage, but diesel is obviously more expensive.  The Jeep wins that game as I headed off to a budget meeting at the Elks Lodge.  

That meant another long day and a very short night, followed by yet ANOTHER long day today.  I can't wait to just sit on the couch all day Friday!!!!