Friday, October 26, 2012
Today’s Bingo theme: a little wacky. In a good way. Dogs were involved. And (fake) spiders. And (fake) rats. And lots and lots of people.
The prize shoppers had stocked up on Halloween goodies, so one of the first things I noticed after I said hi to Ray McDade was Billy waving a giant brown-felt tarantula he’d just won. “I want to stomp that thing,” I told him. Which was just the encouragement he needed—he asked me to release the spider from its packaging, and the next time he won, he picked two smaller brown felt tarantulas, which I also had to touch and release. Billy was very amused.
And Matt, who was pushing the prize cart, was amusing. He kept trying to sell a neglected wooden back-scratcher as a prize, but no one was buying. And every time someone won, he’d yell, “Prize cart coming through!” Loudly.
Eileen from Activities brought in her two sweet border terriers, who, she said, had just been certified as therapy dogs. She tethered them to the door, and when Lyle asked me to help him open his sugary orange candy, the dogs looked at him as if he were frying bacon on his lap. Eddie, a very sweet man I just met today, had won three small rubbery rats, and Eileen asked to borrow them for just a second. Her dogs have the rat-chasing gene, she said, so when she wiggled them, the doggies wiggled, too, in pure glee.
Harriet won the first Blackout, but just as she was about to collect her $5 prize, Greg realized he had a Blackout, too. Harriet was not amused. Now they’d have to compete for the one prize. “Want to draw cards, or have a sword duel?” I asked her. “Swords,” she smiled. But it turned out that wasn’t a viable option. So I spread out the deck, and Greg drew a queen. Harriet was trying to decide between two cards. “All you need is a king,” I told her. She picked the six. I flipped over the other card: a king.
I caught up with Ray as he played. He said he’d just talked to Bill Crowell, who is doing fine. And Ray is very much looking forward to his church’s harvest party next weekend. “It’s the biggest event of the year,” Ray said.
James came in late and asked me to watch his card while he went back to his room for a second. “What do you want me to pick if you win?” I asked. “Anything,” he said. Almost as soon as he left, he won. I picked a bottle of red Gatorade, and when he came back in, I held it up and pointed to it like a Price is Right hostess. He was thrilled. “We won?!?” he laughed. “That’s perfect!” (Glad I didn’t fall for the wooden back-scratcher pitch.)
During the second Blackout, I packed up residents’ prizes for easy toting. Billy had a backpack on the back of his wheelchair, so I said I’d put his hideous spiders in there for him. “Do you still want to stomp them?” he asked. “Yes I do,” I said.
Harriet, bless her heart, won the second Blackout, too (double wins are very rare). “Looks like this time it’s all yours,” I said—30 seconds too soon. Suddenly Billy had a Blackout, too. “Swords,” Harriet said.
I spread out the cards for Billy, and he drew a five. “All you have to do is pick the six you had last time,” I told Harriet. She drew a three. Two Blackouts—zero reward.
After Bingo, Ray waved me over. “Give me a big hugga-bug,” he said. “It sure is good to see you.” “You, too,” I laughed. The hugga-bug was just a sweet bonus.
Today’s Bingo theme: a little wacky. In a good way. Dogs were involved. And (fake) spiders. And (fake) rats. And lots and lots of people.
The prize shoppers had stocked up on Halloween goodies, so one of the first things I noticed after I said hi to Ray McDade was Billy waving a giant brown-felt tarantula he’d just won. “I want to stomp that thing,” I told him. Which was just the encouragement he needed—he asked me to release the spider from its packaging, and the next time he won, he picked two smaller brown felt tarantulas, which I also had to touch and release. Billy was very amused.
And Matt, who was pushing the prize cart, was amusing. He kept trying to sell a neglected wooden back-scratcher as a prize, but no one was buying. And every time someone won, he’d yell, “Prize cart coming through!” Loudly.
Eileen from Activities brought in her two sweet border terriers, who, she said, had just been certified as therapy dogs. She tethered them to the door, and when Lyle asked me to help him open his sugary orange candy, the dogs looked at him as if he were frying bacon on his lap. Eddie, a very sweet man I just met today, had won three small rubbery rats, and Eileen asked to borrow them for just a second. Her dogs have the rat-chasing gene, she said, so when she wiggled them, the doggies wiggled, too, in pure glee.
Harriet won the first Blackout, but just as she was about to collect her $5 prize, Greg realized he had a Blackout, too. Harriet was not amused. Now they’d have to compete for the one prize. “Want to draw cards, or have a sword duel?” I asked her. “Swords,” she smiled. But it turned out that wasn’t a viable option. So I spread out the deck, and Greg drew a queen. Harriet was trying to decide between two cards. “All you need is a king,” I told her. She picked the six. I flipped over the other card: a king.
I caught up with Ray as he played. He said he’d just talked to Bill Crowell, who is doing fine. And Ray is very much looking forward to his church’s harvest party next weekend. “It’s the biggest event of the year,” Ray said.
James came in late and asked me to watch his card while he went back to his room for a second. “What do you want me to pick if you win?” I asked. “Anything,” he said. Almost as soon as he left, he won. I picked a bottle of red Gatorade, and when he came back in, I held it up and pointed to it like a Price is Right hostess. He was thrilled. “We won?!?” he laughed. “That’s perfect!” (Glad I didn’t fall for the wooden back-scratcher pitch.)
During the second Blackout, I packed up residents’ prizes for easy toting. Billy had a backpack on the back of his wheelchair, so I said I’d put his hideous spiders in there for him. “Do you still want to stomp them?” he asked. “Yes I do,” I said.
Harriet, bless her heart, won the second Blackout, too (double wins are very rare). “Looks like this time it’s all yours,” I said—30 seconds too soon. Suddenly Billy had a Blackout, too. “Swords,” Harriet said.
I spread out the cards for Billy, and he drew a five. “All you have to do is pick the six you had last time,” I told Harriet. She drew a three. Two Blackouts—zero reward.
After Bingo, Ray waved me over. “Give me a big hugga-bug,” he said. “It sure is good to see you.” “You, too,” I laughed. The hugga-bug was just a sweet bonus.
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