BLACKMAIL AND BEES KNEES

 Well that was fun!!  You just never know what's going to happen at Bingo.  Is it a full moon?  Asking for a friend.

So here we are, first thing in the morning, raining nicely.  It was the first sign.  Had I taken notice, I would have stayed home.

This lovely, DARN CAT made me want to strangle her right off the bat.  What a troublemaker!!  You can see it in those eyes.  All innocent and everything .........

Yup here she is again, crawling under the quilt on the WHITE background with wet muddy feet.  That was only the beginning and omen #2.

She didn't hang out there long.  Next thing I know, I hear the telltale bonking on the wall.  NOOOOO ... what have you got now?  I round the corner to find her in the hallway, chasing what I thought was a bird.  Oh good grief ... for SURE it's a hummingbird.  

It's flying around, she's jumping in the air ... until I realize it's actually a sphinx moth ... better known as a hummingbird moth.  She can't catch it and neither can I.  Suddenly it flew in the bathroom.  GOT YOU!  

Or not ... it got loose and flew into the living room, landing completely out of sight.  I looked in every nook and cranny until I heard its wings fluttering behind the shutters.  I finally got him and put him outside on the porch.  Poor thing was a little worse for wear.  I've never seen one here before.  It was Omen #3.

With a little time to spare, I loaded the next quilt.  Not completely because I didn't was Missy LaLa sleeping on it and stretching the fabric again.

THIS was my thought of the day.  CUPCAKES!  It was someone's birthday at the lodge, so I left early and picked up 18 cupcakes.  Boy do I love these!!  After setting up everything for Bingo, I gathered up several folks and we went upstairs to the bar to enjoy them in peace and quiet.  There were only twelve people in the bar, an unusually low number.  That was Omen #4.  I should have just turned around and gone home.

Here I am hiding out in the women's restroom upstairs trying to lessen the migraine I acquired.  

The next thing I know, the kitchen staff are rioting.  All two of them.  They are mad and frustrated that they are behind in orders and can't open a can of Ortega chilis.  They have decided they are closing down at 8:00 instead of 8:30, or they are quitting and NEVER coming back.  Bingo breaks at 8:20 ... couldn't you just stay a bit longer?  I mean really, each pair only volunteers once a month!

My first thought was bye bye!  The trouble is, we have a terrible time getting people to volunteer for Bingo night cooking.  The Head Gal was talking to me and though we were NOT happy to be blackmailed, we finally said okay, maybe.  That made the King mad.  Then someone ELSE stepped in and threw in their two cents.  There must be something in the water!!

To make a long story short, there was a nice argument between five folks, all of whom thought they were the bees knees.  I tried to keep the peace and come up with a reasonable solution, but either way there was going to be unhappy folks.

I should have worn DOUBLE armor on this night.  The peasants were not exactly happy either when told the kitchen was closing at 8:00, because someone announced it from the stage before the decision was even made.  By now I'm ready to walk out the door myself, thus the picture out the bathroom window.

In the end, there was no adulting going on, and nothing was resolved.  I don't appreciate being threatened with "we close early or we never come back".  On the other hand, the kitchen made almost as much money as if they stayed open another 30 minutes.  BUT ... can't you stay just another 30 minutes?  I think we need new volunteers, but they are as plentiful as hens teeth or sphinx moths.  

I don't understand.  It never used to be this way.  Where did all this discord come from?

I got home, saw a beautiful moon outside and sat on the patio for a bit, accompanied by my two kids of course.  It looks like a nice snowy mountain, but it's rain clouds coming in.  

I walked the garbage out to the curb, admiring the stars and my little flag light that I thought didn't work.  I was still hoping for a magic solution, but nothing came to my tired little brain.  

I doubt it will happen today either.   But wait ... maybe we can close at 8:00 until we find replacements that will work until 8:30.  Not terribly inventive, but it's the only thing I can come up with.  Any other ideas out there??

I will be snoozing ON THE COUCH trying to recover!

P.S.  I came up with a solution!!