MINI INFERNAL MACHINE BITES AGAIN

 It's going to be a short one today.  Late Bingo nights do me in!  I tried to rest up in the morning from the diving gear gathering, but time passes just WAY too fast.

Back to the day before ... on the way back from the dive shop, I stopped in at the AT&T store to ask about a new phone.  The battery on mine will most likely die just when I'm underwater trying to get a picture of that fabulous turtle.

So here we are ... a nice selection of iPhones.  I walked in the door to be met by a young gal who rushed up ... salesperson like.  We sat at the nearest table.  I need a new phone please ......

She got my number and typed it into her iPad.  I need your I.D. she said.  I have to scan it into my system.  Ummmm I left my wallet in the van.  I'm just looking for prices.  "I can't help you unless I have your I.D. scanned".  I have my credit card ... will that prove who I am?  NO.  

Okay, so I got up and walked all the way out to the far end of the parking lot, got my wallet and came back.  I already had my drivers license out, and I dropped it on the table while I moved the chair so I could sit down.  

"I would APPRECIATE it if you HANDED me your I.D. instead of TOSSING it on the table".  She said it so rudely that it struck a wrong key in my head.  Really ... is there someone else who can help me I said every so nicely!!  

A very respectful young man came over after she stomped off, and I spent 45 minutes with him before finding out they do not have any phones in the store.  You have to order it, shipped by FedEx and it has to be signed for.  Well that doesn't work for me because I can't be sitting at home for the next week waiting to sign anything.  So much for a new phone.

I tried to rest up for Bingo, but it wasn't happening.  I just can't seem to sleep in the day any better than I do at night.  So off I went to the dungeon torture chamber!!

It started instantly.  I could not even get in the safe to get stuff out.  There were huge boxes of supplies stacked everywhere.  That's when I noticed this paper.  This is NOT our normal program of games.  It's a game changer since I use this to keep track of payouts, what got recorded and how much.  This is no bueno!!  I'll figure that out later.

All set up and ready to go, the very first debit card insulted the Mini Infernal Machine and it refused to work.  NOOOOOOOOO!!!  This is a brand new machine.  I unplugged it, plugged everything in tightly and tried again.  We tried four times.  Nothing ... it did not work.  

I called the number on the side and left a message with the error code number.  The guy texted me back ... it's your internet connection.  Yup .. that little plug I have been trying to get them to replace for the last three years!!

Let's try someone else's card and see what happens.  Sure enough, it worked.  WHAT?  Apparently the Chase Visa Disney card is the culprit.  Maybe they were hacked???  Everyone else's card worked just fine except for three people who had the same card.  They went over to the bank and got cash.  You can imagine the pitchforks and flaming torches that came from the people in the line that was now around the building!!!

Let the games begin.  There were the usual newbies calling bingo before they actually HAD bingo, which always causes at least a few swords to come out.  It didn't help that we have been short of volunteers.  We usually have 19 or 20 people, but lately only 12-13 have been showing up.  A sign of the recent times I guess.  

The BIG infernal machine was nice to me on this night, balancing to within one dollar.  That's good enough since that was in quarters and remained in the register.  I am not a fan of change ... nor is the person who has to count it all and haul it to the bank.

So all in all, a good night once we got the mini infernal machine to work ... mostly anyway.

I am counting the days!!!!!