Accidents happen.  Somehow I managed to get a pen mark across the side of my brand new leather handbag. I don’t know how or when, I just know it was there and didn’t want to live with it.  So what do you do?  You go to Bingo of course!  A bingo hall is filled with woman that have a life time of wisdom.  You can find the answer to anything.  All you have to do is ask. Within a few minutes you can find out the solution to any problem.

So here is what I found out.

Use a Q-tip to apply a little antibacterial hand gel to the stain. Let it sit for about 15 seconds and then wipe the stain away with a clean cloth.  Who knew?

The alcohol in the hand sanitizer dissolves the ink’s oils which makes the stain come right off.  Plus the moisturizing properties in the gel won’t dry out the leather.

Our Progressive Bingo Jackpots continue to make online bingo players across the world very happy and we are ending the month on a high.

Congratulations to “kimmel1″ and “tgfamilyof4″ who both won the Blowout Hall Progressive Bingo Jackpot on Tuesday, January 26th.

First it was “kimmel1″ who scooped the Progressive Jackpot for $1,152.45 and then “tgfamilyof4″ hit the Progressive Jackpot on the same day for $507.80.

If you want to become our next Jackpot winner then visit any of our four bingo halls to win one of the following progressive jackpots:

Classic Hall Progressive Jackpot – $4,204.64

Party Hall Progressive Jackpot – $1,410.50

90 Ball Hall Progressive Jackpot – $881.14

Blowout Hall Progressive Jackpot – $504.56

Good luck.
Glamour Bingo Management.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 lb medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
3. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.
4. Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

You couldn’t help but have good luck at bingo tonight after serving such a winning side dish.

* This winning receipt was contributed by Bingo Babe Ann B. in Oakland, CA. Thanks Ann!

At first I wasn’t sure about posting this story because it is definitely a 3 tissue alert.  Nevertheless, it is too sweet a story not to tell.  Ya know sometimes life goes on around you.  You see things happen and don’t think much about it at the time, but then regret not doing something differently when it’s all over.  This is one of those stories.

 Every Friday night, Carol would arrive at bingo in a taxi with her 92 year old mother Miss Pearl.  Carol would lovingly walk her mother in, and the taxi driver would carry in their bingo bags and wish them  ‘good luck’ before leaving. “I’ll be back to get you at nine thirty ladies.” He would always say. “I’ll be parked right out front.”

The routine was always the same.  First Carol would place Miss Pearl’s thick bright pink bingo pillow on her Moms chair facing the big monitor so her Mom could see the numbers.  Then she’d get her mother’s bingo papers and make sure she had a hot cup of coffee with just the right amount of cream and sugar. They sat across from each other at a table by themselves so Carol could repeat the numbers because Miss Pearl was a little hard of hearing and they didn’t want to disturb anyone.  Repeating numbers in a bingo hall is often frowned upon.

Miss Pearl was so cute. She’d get so excited when she would win a bingo game and would always push the money over to her daughter, insisting she buy herself something with the winnings.

“I can’t take it with me,” she’d say, winking at her daughter, “and you could use a new dress.  That bright red one I saw you looking at.”

They were such a good team and the love and respect they shared for each other was very obvious.

Promptly at 9:30 they would gather up their bingo stuff.  Miss Pearl always insisted on helping by carrying out her own bingo pillow. As promised, the cab driver was waiting and would quickly jump out to open the cab door and help her in.  This went on for months, maybe more.  It went on for as long as I can remember.

Then one Friday they didn’t come.  I worried that Miss Pearl may have passed away.  She was after all, 92 years old. I asked around to see if anyone knew what happened to her.  Unfortunately I was saddened to find out that it was not Miss Pearl who had passed away, but her daughter Carol.  Even though I had never really gotten to know Carol, or Miss Pearl, I was still sad and wished I could see her sweet smile one more time. Several more weeks went by and as I was crossing the street to the bingo hall, I see the cab pull up.  The driver quickly jumped out and got Miss Pearl out of the cab onto the sidewalk and set her Bingo Bag by her feet.

Now Miss Pearl really didn’t know me, but I was so glad to see her, that I offered to help her walk to her seat as I had seen her daughter do so many times.

“No thank you miss” she said to me with that radiant smile. My gentleman told me to wait right here.  He went to park the car. “

I stood with her a moment until I saw this burley cab driver bound across the street carrying Miss Pearl’s bright pink pillow. He offered her his arm and walked her to her seat.  Tears welled in my eyes as I watched them.  The routine was so familiar.  He brought her coffee with just the right amount of cream and sugar. She instructed him on what papers he needed to get for her… and here is the part that got me…he bought bingo papers for himself and sat across from her so he could play bingo with her and repeat the numbers to her as her daughter had always done.

That night Miss Pearl won the last jackpot of the evening.  I don’t know who was more excited, her or her gentleman friend. When she received her prize money she immediately pushed it across the table and told him to buy something nice for himself. “Consider it a big tip!” she giggled.  At the end of the evening I saw him slip the money back into her bingo bag as he walked her to the door and instructed her to wait for him to get the cab.

Several weeks have passed since that night.  Last night the cab pulled up and I smiled thinking about the two of them playing bingo together.  But the cabdriver was alone.  He walked into the bingo hall carrying one single white rose and placed it at the table where he had sat with Miss Pearl. He said a little prayer, wiped his eyes with his big burly hands and left.  Miss Pearl had passed away the night before and it was clear that this kind taxicab driver had lost someone he had become very fond of.

I have done a lot of reflecting since then.  One of the things I always talk about is how you meet wonderful new friends at bingo.  Some you know their names, and others you know by their smile.  I didn’t find out Miss Pearls name until after it was too late to get to know her.  I wish I had because she must have been a very special lady to be loved so. Even though I didn’t know her name, I will miss her smile.

After reading this story, I hope you take the time to get to know some of the people you see at bingo every week. You might meet a new forever friend full of interesting stories or just someone really sweet… like Carol, Miss Pearl and a very kind, big, burly, taxicab driver.

To remove cooking odors in your kitchen, add about a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to the hot pan you cooked in. This works great when you fry fish.

I have tried this helpful hint and was surprised at how well it works. I use 2 tablespoons lemon juice when frying salmon patties and the smell is gone as soon as I am done frying. I just mix it in with my oil in the skillet.