One of my favorite things about playing BINGO is the sound the dauber makes as it brushes and stamps the bingo card. It’s part smoosh/part squish and all heart attack. It is especially glorious when the numbers being daubed are creating the pattern needed to win. And, as the patterns take shape and each player gets even closer to shouting the word that every person in the hall wants to shout aloud – “Bingo!” The patterns are always different—Blackout, Crazy Kite, 4-Card Stamp Collection, Layer Cake, Lucky Number Seven, etc.—but the goal is always the same. In the midst of sweaty palms, sloshing daubers, and lucky menagerie laid out before each player, one can cut the tension with a knife. If you think this scene is taken as seriously as an SAT Test, then you would be correct; and the players are just as serious about their weekly mecca of flying balls and pull tabs… …even on Valentine’s Day.

One would think that the bingo hall would be deserted, or at least somewhat vacant, on the day of romance, love, and candy hearts. However, you’ll find that a bingo-fanatic never misses their weekly gamble-fest. We play on holidays, work nights, weekends, birthdays (hell, sometimes we get a free pack on our birthdays!), and all other types of occasions. We play during vacations, and through rain, sleet, and snow…and earthquake, tornado, and hurricane. We play if we’re sick, we play of our spouse is sick, we even play if we have little money (or no money). In fact, the only time we don’t play is if we are in the hospital, dismembered, or dead. Wait, I have heard of people who have unplugged their IVs and walked out of the hospital only to return after they have had a night of total losses. I also believe that even if dismembered, a bingo-fanatic will find away to play—they’ll probably ask you to stick their dauber in between their toes. So, scratch that… The only way any bingo-fanatic would miss a bingo game would be if they were dead. And, if you die, we’ll go to your funeral that morning and daub one for you at bingo that night!

So, with my honey at work and my dad out o town on business, my mother and I decided to spend Valentine’s Day with my aunt at the local Elks Lodge for our weekly Thursday night bingo. I am a huge believer in celebrating holidays and occasions to their fullest, so spending a Valentine’s day in a bingo hall as opposed to in the arms of the one I love was no my idea of a happy holiday. However, since I have been practicing The Secret, I took it as a sign from the universe that I should go play bingo despite my hesitations. It turns out that the universe was pointing me in the right direction.

The night started out with the usual Lightning game and Early Bird Bingo but it was not too long after, during B-N-O bingo, that I found myself “on” (bingo players use the term “on” when they are only one number away from winning). I got close, but it was not in the cards…just yet. Once again, I found myself “on” during the Five Around the Corner game, but this time the stars were aligned! I shouted “Bingo!” so loud out of sheer excitement! It turned out to be a glorious holiday after all. And, even had I not won, I had tons of fun and so it was all worth it.

The next day, at Friday night bingo (yes, there is more than one night of bingo per week—one could attend bingo every night of the week, if they wanted), the Valentine’s Day theme continued with the caller’s choice game—Valentine Heart. It was such a cute game to have, especially following Hugs and Kisses Day! Sure, I did not win it, but I did win the Double Postage Stamps game! And, as I stared at the daubed Valentine Heart on my tossed away losing bingo sheet, I thought what a wonderful holiday it had turned out to be. I will definitely be there on my birthday!

Last night my partner and I went out to dinner with some cherished friends. It was deliciously something that we had so been needing, especially since our social lives have almost become…what’s the word…oh yes…non-existent. It’s not that we don’t go out, it is just that we seem to never have the time for social outings (unless you count playing Bingo and trips to Wal-Mart at 3 a.m.). So it was a refreshing turn of events to be able to just have a night out.

The two ladies met at our pad and from there the four of us went to Legends Classic Diner in Glendora, CA. It was the perfect atmosphere to just kick back, relax, and catch up! It seems that one curse of living in Southern California is that it is so hard to just slow down. Everything revolves around time and money and every morning a new “rat race” begins. Maybe it is because our economy is horrible and our governor has tried to help businesses while in the process hurting the people and only helping himself (and his famously rich family)? Or, maybe it is because us Californians (Southern Californians in particular) are just too focused on the clock and the pocket book? Well, with the high rate of foreclosures, the soaring unemployment rate, and gas prices the way they are, I can hardly blame us for showing that the theory of “survival of the fittest” still rings true today. Which reminds me that I need to get to the gym sometime this week! But, I digress…

What this night out with friends really showed me was that if we can all just slow down and smell the roses every once in awhile it is like re-booting ourselves and getting some much needed “social time”. I am more of a hermit by nature, and would rather stay in than go out. But, it is a known fact that everyone needs to be social at some point. And, what better way to do it than to spend it with close friends! Think about it. If we all just took time out, at least once per week, for friends and family and just had dinner, or played boardgames, or hit the town, or even just sat in the car and talked about old times how much happier we all would be. After our diner, which ended with dessert at the highly acclaimed Donut Man (also in Glendora, CA), I felt rejuvenated and rested. And, as the night ended with the four of us making cute, little Mii’s of ourselves on our Nintendo Wii, it was as if the rat race had stopped, just for one evening, so that we could simply re-boot. Maybe us humans have way more in common with computers than we think?

Friends of the Monkey — Greg and Bobbie pose in front of Legends Classic Diner in Glendora, CA.

Friends of the Monkey — Janel and Bobbie pose while ordering donuts from The Donut Man in Glendora, CA.

Bobbie savors the sweet taste of Strawberries and Cream (a donut made especially for her by one of The Donut Man’s “donut men”).

Be sure to check out the Restaurant Category of the blog for more information and in-depth reviews of both Legends Classic Diner and Donut Man.

Review:

Rated the #1 donut shop in California, this hole-in-the-wall gem in Glendora, CA (on the historic Route 66) is the mother of all donut shops. What it lacks in size it makes up for in flavor! Upon first discovering the shop, visitors may not think it much because of the old look and small size. Being a traditional-style (i.e. walk-up with no drive-thru) donut shop, the appeal is being able to get up close and personal with the wide array of pastries to choose from and the process of how they are made. If you happen to stop by in the wee hours of the morning, chances are you will find a small donut staff huddling over the freshly baked goodies adding various fillings and sprinkles. And, if you are one of the luckiest of customers, you arrive when they are warm and fresh and gooey and oh so sinful! During peak fruit seasons, Donut Man offers up fruit-filled donuts (such as strawberry, peach, etc.). But, do not think these fruit-filled delicacies are your run-of-the-mill type. Oh no sir, they are gushing forth with fruit, so much so that the tops are cut open so that fruit can spill over. The aroma that hits you as you walk up is heavenly and on a cold California night, a freshly baked glazed or tiger-tail and a cup of their yummy hot cocoa are the perfect way to wind down and relax. Also recommended are their Bavarian cream, berry cheesecake, and huge apple fritters (which are “ga-bang!”). Another great thing about this place is that if you are craving a certain taste that is not in the window, you can ask if they will make you a special donut of your liking and, nine times out of ten, they will oblige! And, if you happen to run into Xena Donut Princess while you are there, make sure you ask her about all the foreign languages she speaks (including the language of “donut”). One visit will not be enough, so plan for multiple excursions. And once you have been there, it is awesome to take a Donut Man virgin with you and watch as their eyes explode at the vast array and size of the delectable treats!

Monkey Rating (out of 5):

Strawberries and Cream (A special creation made just for Bobbie Gordon by one of the donut men.)

Tigertails – warm and freshly made.

Back row: Two Strawberry-filled donuts; Middle row: Two Bavarian cream with chocolate icing and one glazed raspberry-filled; Front row: a tigertail.

The Donut Man’s “donut men” hard at work making those yummy, warm, desserts!

Review:

Anyone can have a blast-from-the-past dinning experience at Legends Classic Diner in Glendora, CA. The 50′s-style diner, located on the historic Route 66, boasts a casual 50′s soda shop inspired environment complete with jukebox and soda fountain! The food is affordable and yummy and a fusion of Traditional American fare (such as burgers and pastramis) and Mexican cuisine (such as burritos and quesadillas). The highlight has to be the soda fountain, where guests can order everything from shakes and malts to root beer floats and a multitude of different freezes. The turkey burgers and cheese fries are highly recommended as is the free salsa bar. And, for the 50′s aficionado in all of us, the decor is awesome. There are also many photo opportunities available, so bring your camera and get your friends ready to pose inside as well as out. The only draw back to this quaint throwback is that no one who works there seems to know how to make a friend egg (over easy or medium style) and they all looked perplexed when asked if they served anything other than scrambled eggs. When the cashier, cook, and kitchen manager all tell you that they have never heard of or know what an over-easy egg is, it makes you second guess your experience. The Monkey recommends that they purchase a copy of Frying Eggs for Dummies or at least go to Denny’s and see what all the fuss is about. Other than the fried egg incident, this Classic Diner is definitely a “must-visit”.

Monkey Rating (out of 5):

The Monkey flings 1 poop because they need to work on being egg-stra egg savvy:

In order to catch up on the whole premise of this site, check out my Update #1: A New Year’s Resolution post over at my other site before you read on.

Now that you are caught up to speed on what inspired these ideas, it’s time to tell you where The Monkey’s Agenda fits in to the whole scheme of things. It is an entirely separate project, but with the same umph and spark that inspire the original concept. As I further thought out my ideas for my New Year’s resolutions, I decided to not only write about the items on my bookshelf, but also about the things that I do (my agenda). So, this space is reserved for those tidbits about the people, places, things, and ideas that I experience. You will find reviews and personal essays about everything from a night out on the town to a day spent under the covers watching old Friends re-runs (“I am so good at lightning rounds!”).

Who knows? Maybe I will inspire you to go out and do something, have a little fun, eat, drink, be merry, join a cause, or just sit at home and watch American Idol. Then, again…maybe not.

And, as always, let me know what you think about my blurbs using the comments section!

♥ The Monkey

P.S. Just for your FYI…You have to be a member of WordPress to make a comment, but it only takes a minute to sign up so why not go for it. I mean, in the time it takes you to shake your money maker, bust a truffle shuffle, or fart something nasty, you could already be rocking the membership status. So, join us. Won’t you?

P.P.S. If you had no idea what I meant by “I am so good at lightning rounds!”, then you definitely need to watch more Friends re-runs so that you too will know facts such as the name of Chandler’s father’s gay male burlesque show. Or you could just not watch any and have me fling poo at you. Your call.