B-I-N-G-Oooooh look at all the weirdos..

So this is my first blog entry....ever! For this momentous occasion I decided to share my experience at the BINGO Hall.

This was my first time to go to an actual BINGO Hall. I had an idea of what it would look like and what the patrons or "regulars" would be like. I imagined a smoke filled room with rough looking people playing several BINGO cards at once with multiple markers. I also imagined these "regulars" having many chotchkies setting out bringing them good luck. I pictured those troll dolls and lucky rabbits feet.

My BINGO Hall fantasy was actually quite accurate. There was a ginormous smoke filled room and a much, much smaller non-smoking room. Cigarette smoke does not usually bother me, but when I walked through that smokey jungle to buy a soda from the sad little snack bar, it was as if someone had shoved a cigarette butt up my nose.

Also, I was pretty spot on with the patrons. Many, many rough looking people. People that when you look at them you sorta get sad...and many people attending BINGO by themselves, which made the whole situation even sadder. However, I was a bit disappointed not to see the good luck charms I had imagined being present. I had even brought my own (against my friends advice) nuggets of good luck in the form of two tiny CareBear figures. (BTW, they were Funshine Bear and Cheer Bear). The "regulars" were easy to spot, as many of them had a BINGO bag. Similar to a diaper bag, it has about 10 pockets on the outside to hold all your markers. I saw many-a-BINGO-bag.

There are some rules at the BINGO hall, or as I called them "things that make BINGO less fun".

Rule (ttmblf) #1 You have to whisper. Now this rule did come in handy as my friends and I were talking about the "regular" the majority of the night. However, when you (or someone else) picks up their good luck CareBear chotchkie and starts blowing on its hair for good luck, you must control the volume of your laughter.

Rule (ttmblf) #2 No alcohol allowed. I don't really need to elaborate on this rule to say why it put a damper on the evening. I will say however this rule, more than likely, helped us follow rule #1.

Rule (ttmblf) #3 You have to split your winnings. Even though the night was a bust for me and my friends, I did feel sorry for the four people who had to split the $75 jackpot, after taxes. Just imagine realizing you have a BINGO and all the visions of money come rushing to your mind, only to walk away with $15.


That's it. Those three rules bummed me out, but it was still a fun night, even though I walked away empty handed. I have a feeling I will return sometime soon.