Saturday to Saturday, May 21- 28, 2011
Three Bingo sessions, one wrap-up: such is the life of the exhausted two-job blogger. Last Saturday, I crashed the VFW ladies’ Bingo session; this week, I had a double hitter of back-to-back Bingos all my own.
Highlights:
1) Doreen, the VFW volunteer, called me last week and said Gary had been in the hospital. By the time she told me, he already was back at the Soldiers Home, and when I saw him last night, he was back to his pleasantly grumpy self. He even invited me to the Muckleshoot Casino field trip in June, but – sigh – it’s on a work day.
2) When I got to Bingo last night, Gus the trusty Bingo helper held out his arms for a hug. Next I went to Ray McDade and Bill Crowell’s table, and I squeezed Ray’s hand. “I don’t want a handshake,” he said. “I want a hug like Gus got.” He got one.
3) Ray and Bill are just so incredibly sweet together, I could feel my heart warming the longer I talked to them. Out of nowhere, Ray said, “On this weekend in 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. I thought you might want to know that.”
Later, from across the room, Bill called me back over and said he needed to ask me a question (he’d already raised the marriage issue, so I was intrigued). I thought he asked me: “What is 5-2 and 5-2?” So I said 104.
Bill guffawed. No, he said; that’s not even close. So this time I thought he said, “What’s 5 cubed and 5 cubed?” And I stood there like an idiot trying to multiply 25 by 25. No again, Bill laughed.
“I am trying to tell you a joke, and you’re making it very hard,” he said. Finally, I heard, “What is 5Q and 5Q?” I was getting warmer: “10-2Q?” Bill did a face-palm. I can’t remember ever having such a spectacular dumb-blonde moment.
“5Q and 5Q,” Bill said, slowly and exasperatedly. “Ten Q?” I ventured, about to cry uncle. Bill grinned a huge grin. “You’re welcome,” he said.
4) Ken Levick called me over to roll up the sleeves of his wonderfully flattering new orange sweatshirt.
“Wow,” I said. “Nice watch.”
“How much do you think I paid for it?” he asked.
I had no idea, but it was very pretty. “Four thousand dollars,” I said, kind of joking.
“It’s a Rolex,” he said. “Those are diamonds. Guess lower.”
He was serious; he’d had it appraised, and it had never once stopped working.
I never did guess low enough: He paid $15 for it in Mexico.
“They wanted $25, but I said that was too much,” Ken laughed. “I think it was stolen.”
5) Dick the lost man had another rough night. After Bingo Friday, he asked whether it was time to “go back to the house.” I told him I’d take him to his room, and he was surprised to learn, again, that he had a room.
When we got there, he took my hand, put it on his forehead and sobbed.
“What I don’t understand,” he said, “is, where are my wife and son?” I told him I didn’t know the situation, but I did know he was in a safe place where people would take good care of him. Not one minute later, he let go of my hand and asked, “Do you know when the TV is going to show that movie about Japan in World War II and the United States in World War II?” I was relieved and saddened at the same time, and I suggested maybe it’d be relaxing to skip through the channels and look for it. And that’s what he was doing when I left.
6) I think I’m starting to piece together at least one subject Ray and Bill discuss when I’m not around. Last week, Ray called me over to ask whether Carson’s dad ever plays golf with Carson. I said no, and we deduced that Carson must have inherited his golf genes from my mom and dad. Not 10 minutes later, Ray called me back over. “This might sound like a crazy question,” Ray said. “But what does your husband do?” I laughed out loud, which was answer enough.
Then, last night, somewhere in between Bill’s flurry of constant compliments, he threw in: “You know, you’re a beautiful woman. Why doesn’t your husband come here with you?” I said he wasn’t interested, and we left it at that. But after Bingo, Bill turned around in the hallway and came back toward me. “I wanted to apologize if I went too far with that question,” Bill said. I patted his shoulder. “You can ask me anything you want,” I told Bill, and I meant it.
Today he asked me when we were going to run off and get married. Fair enough.
7) After today’s Bingo, almost everyone asked whether I’d be at Monday’s Memorial Day service. When Doreen had called to ask whether I could help with refreshments, I wasn’t sure about my jobs and my schedule – but sometimes, even an exhausted two-job blogger gets a break. Memorial Day is an official work holiday, so on Monday I will be where I belong: serving punch to my heroes, and honoring the memory of my fallen friend, Mike Marquie.
Three Bingo sessions, one wrap-up: such is the life of the exhausted two-job blogger. Last Saturday, I crashed the VFW ladies’ Bingo session; this week, I had a double hitter of back-to-back Bingos all my own.
Highlights:
1) Doreen, the VFW volunteer, called me last week and said Gary had been in the hospital. By the time she told me, he already was back at the Soldiers Home, and when I saw him last night, he was back to his pleasantly grumpy self. He even invited me to the Muckleshoot Casino field trip in June, but – sigh – it’s on a work day.
2) When I got to Bingo last night, Gus the trusty Bingo helper held out his arms for a hug. Next I went to Ray McDade and Bill Crowell’s table, and I squeezed Ray’s hand. “I don’t want a handshake,” he said. “I want a hug like Gus got.” He got one.
3) Ray and Bill are just so incredibly sweet together, I could feel my heart warming the longer I talked to them. Out of nowhere, Ray said, “On this weekend in 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. I thought you might want to know that.”
Later, from across the room, Bill called me back over and said he needed to ask me a question (he’d already raised the marriage issue, so I was intrigued). I thought he asked me: “What is 5-2 and 5-2?” So I said 104.
Bill guffawed. No, he said; that’s not even close. So this time I thought he said, “What’s 5 cubed and 5 cubed?” And I stood there like an idiot trying to multiply 25 by 25. No again, Bill laughed.
“I am trying to tell you a joke, and you’re making it very hard,” he said. Finally, I heard, “What is 5Q and 5Q?” I was getting warmer: “10-2Q?” Bill did a face-palm. I can’t remember ever having such a spectacular dumb-blonde moment.
“5Q and 5Q,” Bill said, slowly and exasperatedly. “Ten Q?” I ventured, about to cry uncle. Bill grinned a huge grin. “You’re welcome,” he said.
4) Ken Levick called me over to roll up the sleeves of his wonderfully flattering new orange sweatshirt.
“Wow,” I said. “Nice watch.”
“How much do you think I paid for it?” he asked.
I had no idea, but it was very pretty. “Four thousand dollars,” I said, kind of joking.
“It’s a Rolex,” he said. “Those are diamonds. Guess lower.”
He was serious; he’d had it appraised, and it had never once stopped working.
I never did guess low enough: He paid $15 for it in Mexico.
“They wanted $25, but I said that was too much,” Ken laughed. “I think it was stolen.”
5) Dick the lost man had another rough night. After Bingo Friday, he asked whether it was time to “go back to the house.” I told him I’d take him to his room, and he was surprised to learn, again, that he had a room.
When we got there, he took my hand, put it on his forehead and sobbed.
“What I don’t understand,” he said, “is, where are my wife and son?” I told him I didn’t know the situation, but I did know he was in a safe place where people would take good care of him. Not one minute later, he let go of my hand and asked, “Do you know when the TV is going to show that movie about Japan in World War II and the United States in World War II?” I was relieved and saddened at the same time, and I suggested maybe it’d be relaxing to skip through the channels and look for it. And that’s what he was doing when I left.
6) I think I’m starting to piece together at least one subject Ray and Bill discuss when I’m not around. Last week, Ray called me over to ask whether Carson’s dad ever plays golf with Carson. I said no, and we deduced that Carson must have inherited his golf genes from my mom and dad. Not 10 minutes later, Ray called me back over. “This might sound like a crazy question,” Ray said. “But what does your husband do?” I laughed out loud, which was answer enough.
Then, last night, somewhere in between Bill’s flurry of constant compliments, he threw in: “You know, you’re a beautiful woman. Why doesn’t your husband come here with you?” I said he wasn’t interested, and we left it at that. But after Bingo, Bill turned around in the hallway and came back toward me. “I wanted to apologize if I went too far with that question,” Bill said. I patted his shoulder. “You can ask me anything you want,” I told Bill, and I meant it.
Today he asked me when we were going to run off and get married. Fair enough.
7) After today’s Bingo, almost everyone asked whether I’d be at Monday’s Memorial Day service. When Doreen had called to ask whether I could help with refreshments, I wasn’t sure about my jobs and my schedule – but sometimes, even an exhausted two-job blogger gets a break. Memorial Day is an official work holiday, so on Monday I will be where I belong: serving punch to my heroes, and honoring the memory of my fallen friend, Mike Marquie.
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