The Knights and the Ladys

 Ride those bikes while you can!  We are going from the mid 50's to the mid 70's every single day.  It could not be better for bike riding.  But no, I didn't ride on this day.  I'm feeling much better, but didn't want to push it.  I figured I should take it easy for once.

Mr. Cooper was up at his usual 4:00.  I tried my best impression of a sleeping bump on a log, but the pup knows, and he's never wrong.  

Yeah, an hour later he's fast asleep on the couch and I'm wide awake!!  There are a few good reasons for that.

And this is one of them.  This Kitters ... she barges her way in the door first thing, then slinks around the house until she finally lands in front of Jonathan.  That would be a big NO ... and so she gets escorted outside.  I really can't believe the difference in this cat.  She was mostly black ... now MUCH more tan, soft and silky. 

 Just like a kitty to become soft and cuddly so she can move in, yet she's not into that at all.  Outside, she spends much of her time hanging out under the rose bushes in the dirt.  Hiding as it were ... but comes running, and purring, if I call her.  Inside, she does the same, hiding in the dark corners.

For the first time EVER, both of those kids got a taste of ice cream.  Just a tiny fingernail full.  Cooper was all over that ... but Kitters, not so much.  She hasn't figured out that hands come with goodies.  It sure makes me wonder where she came from.  Yes Jonathan is still in the picture and the ice cream is gone.  

And then there was Bingo.  Even though I have said in the past I would set up the back room since I'm always there early, I got the impression I was overstepping my bounds.  Instead of saying "sure Nancy, please set up for us", there were ten text messages back and forth with three people being scheduled to do 15 minutes of work.  That worked for me ... I went up to the bar for a nice glass of Coca Cola!  

Little did I know, some of the peasants would be nicer on this night than the Lady Knights.  Up came the first one ... I need a key.  We have lots of time, and I hate to have all that moolah hanging out without a watchful eye.  OH THE DAGGERS!  Someone opened the door (it wasn't me), whereupon 30 minutes later I found the cash box just sitting there ... all alone. 

It's difficult to gauge and deal with so many different personalities, but I try my best because they are after all, volunteers.  I imagine they think the same about me!  There's the cranky, the almost-not-there blonde, the "I must have a chair", the guy who always wants to talk politics (it's not allowed),  the guy who screams so loud it hurts your ears, the one who spends 95% of his time watching baseball on his phone, the one who diagnoses every illness in the room followed by medical recommendations ..... no kidding, its a menagerie!!  

My cashier showed up, but my lady in waiting did not.  That meant my plans of going home early went up in smoke.  I had to count.  Here's MY fault ... or at least one of them.  As they pull their cards, I start calling it out to the cashier in order to get them through the line as quickly as possible.  SHE wants to wait until they have picked every card before I call.  Ummm no!  We need to get the line moving as fast as possible.

Making small talk and asking every single person if they need a dobber, wasn't in the best interest of time either.  THEN I discovered she was giving out mostly dollar bills for change.  WHAT?  Every fifteen minutes I was running in the other room for more.  You should only need to do that once a night ... not EIGHT times!!  A little conference was held.  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Oh my goodness .... she was giving out nine one dollar bills instead of a five and four ones.  

The rest of the night went by pretty fast.  There was one incident of growling and pitchforks when not one, but TWELVE people won the same bingo.  That rarely happens.  Players aren't exactly happy to win a payout of $20.00 each.

Finally I headed to the kitchen to order something for dinner.  Chili cheese fries please.  Nope we are out of chili.  WHAT?  Corn dog please ... nope, we are out of corn dogs.  NO WAY!!  You may remember that a month ago I got saddled with the Kitchen Management job.  I figured no big deal ... the gal in charge is really good and she will take care of it.  Not so much.  

I got out another can of chili for them to heat up and found corn dogs in the freezer.  Wow .. that was HARD!!  

The rest of the night went swimmingly because I left early.  I ran completely out of gas around 8:30, whereupon I waved goodbye and headed for the door.  But wait ... I better take one last peek at the kitchen.  Sure enough the fans were running on high, all the lights were on and the walk-ins were not locked up.  Be nice Nancy ... they are VOLUNTEERS. 

I was greeted with this gorgeous sky, a happy puppy and a purring kitty.  What could be better?  Sleeping in ... that would be better, but it was not to happen.  Of course as I type, everyone else is sound asleep.  I think it will be my turn VERY SOON!!!