B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, and BINGO Was His Name, Yo! Scratching That Off My Bucket List

How does Crandall spend a Wednesday night after teaching a turbo and heading into Bridgeport to do professional development for teachers? Well, he takes the invite to play Bingo in Milford as a way to let his mind go towards a different place for an evening.

Oh, My God. Bingo players are no joke. $12 for the evening's cards, and of course I was one of the 3 cheap-o's that didn't spend the $32 bucks for the deluxe package. Still, I tried to keep up with the numbers with my Syracuse orange stamper and the cards before me. I'm very thankful to the lady behind me who kept coaching me on the ever-changing rules as the evening went on. I got my $4 dinner - a burger, soda and potato chips (up, not sure what I ate) and I proceeded to enter the Bingo hall where people didn't blink, lined up their lucky charms and had bells and honkers when 22 and 66 were called. It confused me. I thought it was a way of saying Bingo that I didn't know about.

There is no talking or laughing during Bingo. I learned this as people ssshhhh'd me, especially when I'd get the giggles trying to keep up. There's also not a loud cheer for BINGO when one gets it; instead, it comes out like a sigh of relief.

Note: I never got to try my version of yelling BINGO. It'd be like being called by Bob Barker for being the next contestant on the Price is Right.

This is serious sport. I think people sit at home practicing how to ink up their cards in quick order to assure they get their 'kites, picnic tables, t's, and four corners'. Payouts were typically $50, but the last two games paid out $200 and I was like, "Papa needs a new pair of shoes."

I didn't get even a shoelace. Instead, as I was leaving and the big rollers stayed for the extra rounds, I got, "Sit down. We can't see the numbers."

I'm not sure I'll ever get to Bingo again, but I can say I'm intrigued, especially for investing $12 and possibly coming home with $200. One has to be quick, but the athleticism is mindless. Your eyes simply get wonky trying to look up at what was called and using the fancy market to stamp it.

I'm now $12 poorer, but I'm 100% richer being part of a slice of Americana that I've always wanted to know more about.

Ah, but it's time to head to the University. Loved spending a Wednesday evening trying something new.

Loved the love in the Bingo Hall. Happy Valentine's Day, 2019.