Friday, July 13, 2012

First Bingo

For you tried and true Bingo players out there..do you remember your first Bingo?   I think mine was on a fairground at a huge tent.  You picked a stool and a runner came over and sold you a card for 10 cents.  You covered your spots with hard kernels of corn that were up in the top section of the counter you sat at.  I loved looking at all the prizes you could win all stacked in the middle.  If you won you got a ticket.. and all the prizes were different amounts of tickets.

Then I played with the cards that had the little red windows that you slipped sideways to cover a called number.  It was less messy than the corn.  Then came the paper cards and the daubers.

I think I have had the same two daubers for over ten years now..how about 14 years.  I think we were building the house and still living in the camper when I bought one green dauber and one red one.  I don’t go to Bingo every week that’s for sure.

When we lived in Buxton North Dakota I had a part time job..you guessed it.  Bingo caller and Black Jack Dealer in the little bar on main street. I had previous Black Jack Dealer experience but being a Bingo caller was something I had never done before.  I really enjoyed it!

Last night my sister and my nephew were here so we all went to Bingo with my parents.  My Dad goes to Bingo just about every week.  He has a friend who is blind and plays with braille cards..Dad faithfully picks Darrell up and drives him to Bingo.  My Mother often times stays home and sews while Dad is gone.

I won once, Mom won twice and nephew Jake hollered “BINGO” for his very first time.

Julie and Jacob  July 12 2012

My sister Julie and her son Jacob or Jake.

Jake came to visit because he is leaving shortly for Ohi Japan where he will be teaching English. He speaks and writes Japanese. He spend part of last year studying in Japan. He is very excited about this upcoming year.  He told me that Saki tastes a little like vodka mixed with wine and he likes sushi…both things I have never tried.  His apartment is all set up and waiting for his arrival..it should be a wonderful adventure for him:)

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17 comments:

Muffy's Marks said...

Lucky Jake, in all aspects of his live. And being eye candy can't hurt either!

Dreaming said...

I haven't played Bingo in ages. When we went on a cruise they sold Bingo players. I watched and never bought. The players take all the fun out of it. You can play a ridiculous number of cards... and never have to do a thing. The machine flashes when you get Bingo. Boring! I want to hunt for the number, daub it or cover it!
It sounds like Nephew Jake is going to have some wonderful experiences!

DJan said...

Jake sounds like a real interesting person and, as Muffy said, it doesn't hurt that he's also very good looking! :-)

GramMary said...

Good luck to Jake! Great experience for him. Have tried sushi, but never could get it down; it's just the idea... Saki isn't bad but it sneaks up on ya!

Just Stuff From a Boomer said...

My MIL was a big Bingo player. I went with her once when I was first married and had fun. I was astounded at the number of cards people could watch. I don't know why I never caught the fever.

I bought Saki for my daughters to try last year at Christmas. I had tried it at a Japanese restaurant but they had never had it. No one liked it! His description of it is a good one too.

West Side of Straight said...

Good luck to Jake! How exciting for him!

Beth said...

My husband loved Bingo. I not so much.

Congrats to Jake on his bingo win and on his teaching career.

Rita said...

First of all, your sister doesn't look old enough to be Jake's mother!
I have called bingo at a private senior building and played a few times. I know it can be addictive. They told me. Some of them went a couple times a week to various places to play. ;)
Winning is a good omen for Jake on his new adventure. He can drink my share of saki and eat my share of the sushi. I'll pass. All the more for him--ROFL!! ;)

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

Never did "commercial" bingo but helped residents at the nursing home on "bingo days." Prizes were small gifts, stuffed animals. They had so much fun, an so did I Ah, saki. Served warm and tastes wonderful with Japanese food (grew up in Japanese community in Los Angeles suburb).

lisa said...

I can only remember playing bingo once in my life and it was a blast. Wow, Jake is very talented, can't immagine being able to write and speak Japanese!

Sam I Am...... said...

Reading your blog is like scanning my own brain at times. I also still have 2 bingo "daubers"...I think mine might be green and yellow and I might even know where they are. Every time I run across them I shake them to see if they've dried up yet but they haven't so I keep them. They are OLD! I wish my highlighters and magic markers would last that long and batteries too!
I don't remember the corn but my Aunt used to take me and my cousin Kay to the VFW on Thursday nights for Bingo when it was legal to have children play Bingo and be around people that smoked and drank. We weren't allowed in the bar area but I'm pretty sure people were drinking beer and playing Bingo. We loved it!
You have a lot of really smart people in your family! Japanese is tough to learn...not that I've tried and the Japanese say that learning English is no picnic either but they seem to do better learning English than we do learning Japanese.
How nice of your Dad to take that gentleman to Bingo. Good luck to your nephew and besides smart they're all good looking too. I thought his Mother was his girlfriend! LOL! I must really be getting old because everyone else looks SO young to me! LOL! Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

How exciting for Jake; I wish him the best! John's family (MI) played a lot of bingo when he was young. Me, not so much!
How kind that you dad takes his friend along for bingo! That's great!
Wishing you a great weekend. Hope Far Guy is still feeling good!

Lynda said...

Is Jake going with the JET program? Our older daughter taught in it for two years. They had her apartment ready for her, too. She really enjoyed her time there.

Red said...

My only bingo experience is working as a volunteer to run one.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Yes Lynda it is the JET program:)

Anonymous said...

OH, Japan is definitely on my list of places to visit!

I remember playing Bingo with my grandmother when I was a kid.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting Jake's picture, I am glad you had your camera!! Thanks too for the afternoon tour of the museum - it was great! It was nice to visit with you and Gene. Love, Julie