The Wonderful Land Of BINGO

 I won't say the name of that song ... you know, the one that's been running around in my head for the last 30 hours?  It starts with a B and ends with an O.  Oh yes ... here we are again ... it's BINGO time!

I don't know about you, but THIS quilt block picture looks blurry to me.  Probably because it's so dang SMALL!!!  I started out the morning making a couple of squares for this quilt.  The top one ... easy peasy, even though it is small.  The second one below that?  Oh my Great Grandmothers Aching Back!!!  These little squares are 1/2 an inch!    

I got two of them done, but don't look too close.  I don't think any of those little squares are actually square!!  It's probably a good thing the whole quilt is so small, because I don't think I would ever finish a BIG one!!

Still, it kept me occupied until it was time to hit the streets.  I got three phone calls of problems before I was even out the back door.  No, there was no rain whatsoever all morning long.  Apparently the huge storm missed us, just throwing around a bit of wind.

First call ... half the Bingo crew is sick or hurt and we are going to be VERY short handed.  We'll manage.  I don't really need a helper and we'll move folks around.  Oh, and by the way, the King is out of town.

Second call ... the sound system isn't working.  Okay, that's a big one.  There was lots of screaming and yelling because it quit Saturday night when they were having a big auction.  First off, they sold WAY too many tickets, people were WAY too loud, and they had WAY too many auctions/raffles going on.  The text message exchange was epic.  

Okay ... is anyone working on it?  No one knew.  Relax ... we never used to have a sound system, so we'll live if that one doesn't work.  I arrived to find the guy WAS fixing it as I stared at this monster.    That began the lesson in amps and all things NOISE.  Good grief ... I didn't sign up for this one.

Two of us signed on to the system through the internet to use the controllers while I frantically made notes in my phone at the same time.  Well that was fun, but at least we got the thing working for the time being.  The Bingo Caller was a happy camper that he didn't have to SCREAM out the numbers to the peasants chanting KILL HIM!!!

That's when my Lady in Waiting came in sick as a dog.  Oh no OH NO ... you have to go HOME!  She coughed out a response.  NOOOOO ... I love you girl, but you have to go home!!!  That of course left us even MORE short handed as I proceeded to do the work of two!!  

I saw fire in the peasants eyes.  Thankfully one of the ladies from the "other side" came to help.  She didn't know what any of the papers were, but she spread them out so I could at least see what was there.  We went a little slower, but we got it done with 126 folks on this night.

I kept my eyes on my escape route just in case.  These stairs have always been a problem for me.  They lead right to an exit door where one night it was left open.  Two big burly rough looking guys came down them behind me one night and I thought we were being robbed.  No kidding ... BIG scare.  From that night on, no one can come in that door, but I can escape in a hurry if I need to!!

I received lots of "I'm glad your back" messages from everyone, which was very nice to hear.  Really, they are just glad they didn't have to wait in line an hour.  The line went fast, as did the night with only a few complaints.

In December we gave out Christmas tickets worth $10 each towards Bingo in January, which was explained many times.  We had three ladies bring in those tickets last night.  It's February.  They weren't happy I wouldn't take them.  Nancy was a bad girl and told them to come back and ask the King when he returned.  Nothing like putting it off on someone else!  

Then there was the lady who came in with her phone screaming that she wanted her $100 back.  She SAID she tried to charge $100 on her Venmo account, but was told we didn't use Venmo, which is correct.  She pushed her phone in my face several times saying LOOK IT WENT THROUGH.  You took my money out and I want it back!!  

No, we don't play those games here.  If we don't have a Venmo account (which we don't) then the charge never went through.  When WAS this I asked innocently.  LAST MONTH she stated!!  Ummmm that would be an even bigger NO.  It just amazes me every time the things they come up with to con us out of money or bingo cards. 

She got nothing.  Come back during the week and go to the office.  I'll warn the Bookkeeper ahead of time, but I'm sure we will never see her again.

And so ended another lovely "normal" night at the Magic Kingdom of Bingo.  Always full of excitement and crazy people!!!