Last night we attended our yearly venture to play Turkey Bingo. It starts with us visiting the Vineyard Restaurant in Santa Ynez. We arrive early because we have to be at the Veteran's Hall in Solvang by 5:45. The owner of the restaurant waits on us as usual. He is a funny fellow with a dry wit. The food is wonderful and varied or we wouldn't return each year.
After early dinner we rush to the Veteran's Hall where people are already gathering and choosing their play cards. We get comfortable (as well as you can on folding chairs) for the long evening of play.
Turkey Bingo started 97 years ago in the Santa Ynez Valley. The prize was still a turkey, but then they were live! A winner would either put the turkey in a burlap sack and put it under the table while continuing to play, or tie it to the table leg. Either way, the turkey was soon nipping at your feet or legs.
The best part of the evening was not the winning, nor the yelling BINGO, but rather the immense interest and joy that every child there got from playing and winning. Each would quickly carry their card to the stage to get checked, and then most of them would get their trophy turkey (now frozen) and parade back to their seat. It was fun just to be there and to observe. This is what kids in a farm/ranch community do for fun!
The table that I sat at had winners. There were seven turkey brought home that night. I didn't win and neither did Jeff sitting across from me, but almost everyone else did. What fun.
A Montana cowboy appeared before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates...
"Have you ever done anything of particular merit?"
St. Peter asked.
"Well, I can think of one thing," the cowboy offered.
"On a trip to the Black Hills out in South Dakota , I came upon
A gang of bikers who were threatening a young woman.
I directed them to leave her alone, but they wouldn't listen.
So, I approached the largest and most tattooed biker and smacked
him in the face, kicked his bike over, ripped out his nose ring,
and threw it on the ground.
I yelled, 'Now, back off or I'll kick the shit out of all of you!"
St. Peter was impressed, "When did this happen?"
"Couple of minutes ago . . . ."
