Last month was rather quiet. We had a couple of new team members. Everyone who was supposed to be there, was. The players behaved themselves. Great.
This month we were not so lucky. I arrived early, I was supposed to stop for gas (the gas station did not participate in gift cards, that’s all I had, their loss, I left) and I had to stop for the donuts that we sell during the night.
When I got in the building it was cold. I didn’t think much of it because I’m always cold. Summertime, 90° outside, my feet will be cold. I’m the first one to put on an extra layer and the last one to take it off. So I went about my business and began setting up the gym for the night. When done, I started to set up the kitchen. I unlocked the cabinets and refrigerator and put the first pot of coffee on. Then they started with the buzzer on the front door so I went to open it and let the players in (they start lining up three hours before we actually open the doors, I go in the back door to avoid them affording me a little peace and quiet while setting up).
They noticed the chill immediately and started complaining. OK, so it’s not just me, the light finally went on. The heater in the kitchen was blowing room temperature (cold) air and there were no windows open (it was the first thing everyone thought, it was that cold). I should have kicked everyone out and put a sign on the door canceling bingo for the night. Instead I called the custodian who lives a few towns away. By the time he arrived and got the heat going the players were all revved up.
One man: “I bet if the kids were here it wouldn’t be this cold.”
I’m thinking: If the kids were here they’d be running around, full speed, generating enough body heat to keep us all warm.
In their minds we’d turned off the heat, on purpose, to spite them. Really! Never mind the fact that we’d have hundreds of CCD kids coming in the morning for religious instruction. Kids whose parents drop them in the parking lot and take off for an hour or so to go to Starbucks or the local bakery to enjoy their lattes and mochas and pastries and newspapers in peace. Never mind the fact that a cold building could mean frozen pipes. We did this to them. On purpose.
Those players that were sitting quietly, taking it all in stride were subjected to an earful by others who were not so tolerant. They were walking around the room egging on those that were remaining calm!
Meanwhile, I’m trying to make everyone as comfortable as possible by opening the doors so the air in the warmer room could circulate to the colder room. And they closed the doors behind me!
Of course a 15,000 square foot building doesn’t warm up the minute the heat is turned on. In fact it takes about as long as a night of bingo!
If this ever happens again and I get the idea that we’ll get through it, someone please remind me of this night.
On the bright side?
Posing With Santa
Lil’bug and a friend from ‘school’ get to meet the big guy. The purple spot on her hand? She got a Tinker Bell tattoo for sleeping like a big girl on her own little mattress on the floor next to our bed.
Send Chocolate. 
Leave a comment