Or…Happy Chair Dance Lesson 101

Hey there all you Fabulous Bingo Babes,  Bodacious Bingo Babe here and I have something really important I want to talk to you about…Good Sportsmanship… That’s right, being a good sport and having a good attitude when you play bingo is very much a part of what the bingo experience is all about.

Now think about it.  Why do you go to play bingo?  Yes, yes, I know you want to win a few bucks, but what’s the real reason you drag yourself out in the rain or snow to go sit in a crowded room and listen to someone yell out a bunch of numbers.  I’ll tell you why… It’s the thrill you get when you win.  It’s to be with friends, talk about your life (and everyone else’s) and in general have a good time. It’s about coming home at the end of the evening and being able to relive in your dreams what it was like to hit the big win.

There are days you win and are so glad you have all your friends around you to cheer you on when you are set for one more number, and then give you that high five when you actually do win.  Look, winning is always fun, even when you are alone, but winning when you are with people that are happy for you makes it so much sweeter… and that, my dear friends, is the best part of the thrill.

So what’s the deal with those crabby players who always look so unhappy?  When they win they let out a little unsatisfied and barely audible bingo. Pathetic… just pathetic… What’s the fun in that?  If you can’t be excited for yourself, and at least do a little “Bingo Happy Chair Dance Wiggle” no one else will be excited for you either.

When someone else wins, you should be just as thrilled for them as they should be for you.  I know that’s easier said than done, but it is “good sportsmanship”.  I have played bingo with players that have sucked all the fun out of my wins.  I went home with lots of cash, but with a sad feeling in the pit of my stomach because there was no one there to be happy for me. It’s kinda like seeing the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen and having no one else with you to see it too and share the feeling.

At most bingo halls you share a table with other people.  You are NOT there alone.  Good attitude is contagious.  If you arrive smiling and wish everyone else “Good Luck” the Bingo Gods will smile upon you… and so will everyone else.
If you are happy for others when they win and show them a big smile (even if you don’t really mean it) when it is your turn to win, you just might be surprised to get a big smile of congratulations back.  Then of course when you do your Happy Chair Dance Wiggle it will let everyone else enjoy your win too.

So speaking of my famous “Happy Chair Dance Wiggle” It goes something like this… you have your hand in the air and have already begun to get the wiggle going. Then when the winning number is called you “YELL BINGO!” None of that wimpy grumpy stuff. Let everyone really hear it.  That my friends, is why you are there!

Rock your shoulders and wiggle your butt like you are doing the samba sitting in the chair. Be enthusiastic about your win.  Nothing wrong with a little ‘whoop and hollerin’.

Like I said, fun and laughter are contagious.  Pretty soon the entire bingo hall will be a whoopin’ and a hollerin’ too….Now doesn’t that sound like more fun?

A little known affliction that many bingo players suffer from is “dauber arm”; recently, scientifically named “alea balbutio armo-poena,” by the University of Sciences on Bingo Physics.

When someone says to you “You’re just getting older and can expect to have a few sore muscles,” you can tell them your malady is real and has a name, ‘Alea balbutio armo-poena’ (I bet you can’t say that 3 times fast).

Using one arm repeatedly to go up and down all the rows of your cards and putting pressure on an extended arm with each number daubed can play havoc with the muscles in your arm as well as your wrist, elbow, shoulder and back, especially, if you have done nothing to prepare your arm for such a workout. I have also heard many bingo players complain about pain in the armpit.

If you play bingo often, or only once in a blue moon, and do nothing to prepare the muscles in the arm you use for daubing, it is only a matter of time before you will suffer the soreness of bingo arm.

I personally play a lot of paper and give my arm one heck of a workout. So having experienced this problem a few times, I did some research and put together a few simple and proven exercises that if done on a regular basis will strengthen BOTH arms.

Soon you will be able to daub like the wind.  Your bingo buddies will wonder what you are taking to give you such speed, dexterity and endurance. If this Bingo Babe can save just one other bingo player the pain and aggravation of a problem that so many bingo players endure in silence, than I have done my job.

There is no need to go out and buy special equipment. Everything you need can usually be found around the house.

I like to start off using two 5-6 oz water bottles or cans of soup. Any basic Campbell’s soup size can will work.

I just happened to have 2 cans of Campbell’s Tomato Soup and still use them as part of my daily routine.  Zephyrhills brand water bottles are easy to hold because of the indentation in the middle, and you have the benefit of drinking the water when you are done.

After a few months you can increase to ½ gallon milk or juice jugs, and add a cup of water or sand to the jug each week to add weight as you build strength.

Of course you can always go to Wal-mart and buy a set of weights, but the money you spend could be used to buy extra bingo cards.

This Bingo Babe wonders why someone would go out and buy weights when all you have to do is find something easy to hold around the house, and pick it up.

If you are not exercising because you really need to know how much something weighs, then you are making excuses and deserve to suffer from bingo arm.

Let’s Get Started

The first thing you MUST do is stretch.  It is important to stretch before each time you exercise and make it a habit to stretch just before you go to bingo. By warming up your muscles, you are much less likely to get sore.

Stand straight, with feet shoulder width apart. Lift your left arm out to the side and stretch it up slowly and reach over your head to the right. Hold for the count of 5 and then stretch your arm (slowly) back out to the side and down.

Now switch to your right arm and lift it up over your head and stretch slowly to the left. Hold for the count of 5 and back out and down.

Alternating from left to right, do a set of 20 (10 left and 10 right). Move slowly and deliberately.  The idea is to stretch and warm up the muscles, not work up a sweat.

The next stretch is simple.  Extend your arms straight out to the sides, fingertips pointing straight out. Carefully stretch like you are trying to touch the wall on both sides of you. Then slowly, and keeping your arms extended straight out, bend only your wrist, turn your fingers up to point at the ceiling and palms to the walls for the count of 5 and then point back to the walls for the count of 5.

After Warm Up

Now that you have warmed up, here are 4 very simple dauber arm exercises.

Even very small changes in muscle strength can make a real difference in function, especially in people who have already lost a lot of muscle.  I have learned that when you play a lot of bingo, you develop mighty muscles in your butt, which enables you to sit for long periods of time. The rest of your body is often neglected. So start your routine off slowly. Try to do 10 to 15 repetitions for each exercise. Think of this as a goal. If you can’t do that many at first, do as many as you can. You will be able to build up to this goal over time.

Breathe regularly. Breathe in slowly through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth.

Challenge yourself a little, but listen to your body. If you feel any pain during or after these exercises, you are doing too much. None of these exercises should cause you pain.  Remember to do all the exercises slowly.  The only place we need speed is in the bingo hall when we raise our bingo dauber arm high in the air and yell BINGO!

Hand Grip

1.  Hold a tennis ball or other small rubber or foam ball in one hand
2.  Slowly squeeze the ball as hard as you can and hold it for 3-5 seconds
3.  Relax the squeeze slowly
4.  Repeat 10-15 times
5.  Repeat 10-15 times with other hand
6.  Repeat 10-15 times more with each hand

Wrist Curl

1.  Rest your forearm on the arm of a sturdy chair with your hand over the edge
2.  Hold weight with palm facing upward
3.  Slowly bend your wrist up and down
4.  Repeat 10-15 times
5.  Repeat with other hand 10-15 times
6.  Repeat 10-15 more times with each hand

Over Head Yelling ‘Bingo’ Arm Raise

1.  You can do this exercise while standing or sitting in a sturdy, armless chair
2.  Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart
3.  Hold weights at your sides at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Breathe in slowly
4.  Slowly breathe out as you raise both arms up over your head keeping your elbows slightly bent
5.  Hold the position for 1 second
6.  Breathe in as you slowly lower your arms
7.  Repeat 10-15 times
8.  Rest; then repeat 10-15 more times

Side Arm Raise

1.  You can do this exercise while standing or sitting in a sturdy, armless chair
2.  Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart
3.  Hold hand weights straight down at your sides with palms facing inward. Breathe in slowly
4.  Slowly breathe out as you raise both arms to the side, shoulder height
5.  Hold the position for 1 second
6.  Breathe in as you slowly lower your arms
7.  Repeat 10-15 times

Your entire routine shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes and you will feel the difference almost right away.  It is amazing how much doing just a little stretching will help.

The deep breathing you do along with your exercises will get more oxygen to your brain, helping you focus on locating the numbers you need to daub. Slowly you will build added strength in your arms, which will give you lightning dauber speed.  This is always a good thing when you are playing a gazillion cards trying to win that big jackpot!

This recipe is quick, easy and guaranteed to get you out the door to Bingo fast. This Bingo Babe tosses a couple of baked potatoes or sweet potatoes in the oven 1/2 an hour before putting in the chicken. Toss a salad and you’re done!

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Egg
1/4 C Milk
1/4 C Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C Butter
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• In a Medium bowl, mix together flour, parmesan cheese, paprika, oregano, basil, pepper and garlic
• In another bowl lightly beat egg and milk
• In yet another bowl, melt the butter
• Now…Dip chicken in milk and egg bath 1st
• Then roll the chicken in the cheese/crumb mixture
• Then roll the chicken in the butter (Ok, so it’s not exactly low fat, but boy is it good!)
• Place the chicken on a baking sheet

Bake for about 20 – 22 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts