Bingo in GA is BOOTY!

I took Ryan to bingo last night.  I geeked him up about fun it is, I showed him my bingo bag and all the different colored dobbers he could choose from.  I showed him my lucky trolls.  I gave him hints about changing your luck, like if the color you're using isn't winning, change colors.  Or if the lucky troll you have out isn't being lucky, get another one out or rub on a different one. 

I told him that it's kind of expensive...like $25-30 per person, but that each game's prize is $100 minimum, with some games even being worth $300, $500, or $1000.  I told him we would be playing for about 3 hours and that there would be around 30 games.  I showed him all the fun ways a person can get a bingo (it's not just straight lines anymore folks!).  I told him the people are vicious, and if your cell phone goes off you get screamed at by about 4 different grumpy old bingo-ers.  I told him that people yell at the caller if the numbers they want aren't coming up.  I told him that if you yell bingo when you really don't have one (on accident) the whole room goes "No!  It's a coverall!" or something of the sort.  It was fun to reminisce about the fun I've enjoyed at bingo halls over the years...

But that's where the fun ended.  We got to the VFW, bought our packets, and chose a seat.  I explained how the number on the tv monitor is the next number being called, and the blinking number on the bingo board is the last number that was called.  There were five games on the menu.  FIVE!  That's it, only five.  I thought we would be out of there in about a half hour to 45 minutes and I was disappointed.  I was even more disappointed when TWO HOURS later, we were still there. 

This was the absolute slowest bingo caller I have ever experienced.  We played 5 games in 2 hours versus about 20 games in 2 hours in South Bend.  I was playing games on my iPhone in between each number being called.  It was that slow.  It was awful!  Someone's cell phone went off, and I got all excited thinking "Here come the fireworks!" but NOT ONE person yelled at her.  Not one!  In fact, the room was eerily silent the entire evening.  No one was chatting with their friends, like they do in South Bend.  If I needed to tell Ryan something, I felt like I was a freak of nature for speaking during the 2 hour silent bingo. 

No one ever yelled at the caller, there was no smoking allowed, and children were allowed to be there!  It was the strangest bingo experience I've ever been a part of - and NOT in a good way!!!  Phooey...