Good Luck Charms

 GOOD MORNING!!!!  It's a lovely warm 39 degrees out this morning.  If I say good morning loud enough, I'm sure it will turn into a fabulous day.  I'm going to down a couple of aspirin just to be sure.

Though I thought I would just vegetate yesterday morning while girding my loins for the onslaught of peasants at the Magic Kingdom, it did not happen.  The first thing I did was put together the second set of three lighted trees for my yard.  No matter what I did, I could not get all the electrical cords to work at one time.

Since the gardeners were supposed to show up, and I knew sure as I'm sitting here that they would mow right over the bright orange extension cord, I disconnected everything and tossed it onto the concrete driveway.  I messed with two of them, hoping to get something to spark or catch fire, but alas, there was nothing.  It will have to wait for another day.

This picture will tell you about the rest of the morning.  I picked up my mail, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a letter from the California DMV.  Yessirree ... just what I wanted to see on Bingo Day.  It appears the bingo karma is bleeding over into my every day life.  My good luck charms worketh not!!

All that paperwork the Officer filled out ... you know, the ones I turned in to the DMV office, whereupon they gave me license plates and tags??  It was in the envelope, along with a big note that said VERIFICATION NOT COMPLETE.  What??  No no no ... we are DONE!  I turned everything in.

There was a yellow circle on the paper.  The Officer forgot to put in one tiny number "8" under Width.  Are you kidding me?  I sent another email out and luckily got a quick phone call.  I told him I would just write in the number if he didn't send me to jail.  

No can do he said.  That paperwork has to be pristine with NO yellow marks.  No kidding ... he had to completely rewrite the entire two page thing and I had to drive over and pick it up.  No way am I making another appointment ... I'm mailing it all back.  WHY?  JUST WHY????

And THAT is how my Bingo night began!  When I got there, there was an event going on and none of our bingo tables were set up.  Ay Caramba!!!!  Those of us that were early, jumped in to help.  Luckily my Fairy Godmother had my table and cards all set up.

In no time at all, we were inundated with not so smiling Bingo faces.  This is serious business.  It's the last round of Bingo to be played until the New Year.  They also know there is always something FREE on the last night.  That brought in 130 players ... all smushed into two rooms.

My Lady In Waiting was off work since she had back surgery.  OUCH!!  She's doing great and I wish her well, but I also was wishing she was there to help.  She's FAST and LOUD ... the two qualities most needed for that job.  When my vacation replacement came in just to say hello, she was immediately shanghaied into helping.

I can tell you that those players know the game like the back of their hand.  They know when someone who yells Bingo really HAS a bingo or not ... and they are not shy about telling you.  There were a couple of arguments over who won ... and the majority of players were never wrong.  How do they know that??

Finally the time had come.  Each person sitting down (and yes we made them sit down) got not one, but TWO big pull tab cards ... for FREE.  They each had a chance to win $2199 in one fell swoop.  You could hear a pin drop when the caller began.  

Suddenly ..... BINGO ..... one of our long time players who rarely wins anything, and only plays a small amount because she cannot afford more .... won $1699 right off the bat.  She's very quiet and shy ... the perfect Christmas present for her, and she needed it.  I love it when that happens!!

The rest of the night went along pretty well until my cash box disappeared.  Oh yeah ... GONE!  It was okay because I never leave any money in it.  It's all stuffed into the infernal machine, but where did it go?  It took a bit to find it lounging in the safe.  Who put it there, we have no idea!!  

In the end all was well ... I even balanced!  I wished everyone a Merry Christmas and raced out the door, my good luck charms intact ... even if they don't work!

I tried to sleep in this morning, but that never works either.  Once the sun comes up, I'll be out trying to get those Christmas lights to shine.  I'll set up my Bingo charms on the table first and see if that helps.  Wish me luck!!!