Remember That One Night?

I have a feeling that's the phrase we'll keep saying for years to come.

"Hey Coll, remember that one night? When we set out for ice cream and ended up winning BINGO in a pub?"

Because folks, that's exactly what happened.

It had been a long, hard day full of more diapers than usual, more screams and cries than usual, less Collin than usual (darn that school) and less patience than usual. So when Coll finally walked through the door...actually scratch that, we went outside and walked down the side-walk to meet Coll at the bus stop in order to see him even sooner. Never mind that he got off at a different stop than usual and so he got home and we weren't there and we got to the bus stop and he wasn't there. Anyway, back to the story. Collin was home, the house was a mess, I had no plan for dinner and Nolan had milk stains all down the front of his shirt. That could only mean 2 things:

1. leftovers for dinner

2. a mission to find a cheap treat post-dinner

Sunday night's chicken alfredo it was. We considered googling a good ice cream/gelato/frozen yogurt place, but we'd done that before and it's so hit or miss, so we just loaded the Bubs (like the Beibs but cooler) in his stroller and headed out.

We walked and walked, and walked some more. We found several ice cream shops, just no open ice creams shops. We were all walked out, incredibly discouraged, and close to giving up when we passed a pub which was pretty much the only open establishment we'd seen all night. (No, it wasn't super late or anything, just a week day.) Coll peeked his head into the pub and asked for a dessert menu. When he returned with the news of a pizza-cookie we could have been at an out-house for all I cared, and into the pub we strolled.

The people were friendly, and they put in for our cookie before we even sat down (service!). We picked a seat away from the bar, and right by the shuffle-board. Little Nolan was fast asleep (okay so maybe it was a little late) and so Coll and I tried our hand at shuffle-board. We were both equally horrible, but it was fun. Especially when Collin played standing behind me, with his hands around my waist. It was like the good old days of dates and flirting.

Anyway, the place started to fill up and soon a friendly pub employee offered us each a BINGO card. We hesitated, knowing the usual gambling implications that go along with such a game, but he assured us this was a free and friendly game of BINGO. We obliged, took a card, and casually marked off B2 and G36 as we shuffled our lives away.

Finally, our cookie of goodness topped with ice cream appeared, and we shuffled our way over to our table only to find Nolan wide awake watching pre-season football. We enjoyed our cookie (though we've had better) and continued to kind of play BINGO. Soon our treat was consumed, Nol was getting restless, and it was time to go home.

"One more game of BINGO?" I asked.

Collin responded with "Look at our baby! He needs to be in bed!"

He was right. But that didn't stop me. My needs before my child's needs right?

We stuck around (mostly because I pretended to still be nibbling on the cookie remains) and wouldn't you know it. In a 4-corner round of BINGO, I got the BINGO!! I squealed with delight, walked myself up to the BINGO caller, presented my card, he verified, and I announced my name over the pub PA. It was then that I was told

"Just see the bartender for your free Moose something or other".

"I dont drink" I replied. "Give it to somebody else".

"I'll tell you what" said the nice BINGO caller "I'll give you a prize bag instead".

And there it was. My first BINGO win, and a brain-teaser puzzle to boot! All while exposing Nolan to his first pub, staying out way past all of our bed-time, only to have to walk home, on the streets of Chicago, after dark. Safe I tell you! Super safe! But all in the name of a delicious treat after a long, hard day.

And BINGO was his name-o.