Once when my dad was working at Rheem Manufacturing, they had a betting pool. My dad used to bet on certain numbers, but he never won. My ma had a dream that my dad´s numbers won, but that they never quite saw the money. Weeks passed and my dad forgot to play his numbers, and they won!
Anyway, she couldn´t wait for the evening for us to go to the casino so she could play the slot machines. Dad gave us 400 cordobas (around 20 dollars). We got two cups of one cordoba coins and played for hours. Finally, my mom won 400 cordobas so we had my dad change them, so we could pay him back and play the rest. The second evening, my mother announced that she would double the money, perhaps a moment of hubris on her part. We did not. But my dad managed to win! He usually never plays. I have photographic evidence of his playing. The funny thing about him, it´s hard to tell if he´s having any fun. He was sitting at a slot machine with a mermaid theme and I´m not sure if he understood what he needed to get to win, because everytime he pressed the spin button he took a while looking at the machine as if he was reading it. He didn´t get excited by the process like my mother. She was sitting at a machine that had a double winnings theme, though that did not happen. I was at a Winning Streak machine which my mother liked because it was loud and if you got three Winning Streaks in a row it went into a digital bonus round with lots of fanfare and musica.
Now we´re getting ready for Christmas Eve. I made the rounds with my mom to visit her old ladies, who she gives communion to. They all know about me (of course) and all ask about my dad. Two old lady sisters in particular were kind of fun, because they seem mischievous. They had a table set with a Christmas table cloth and we stood around it for the prayers and the readings. Off to the side in their dirt yard, a dog was resting. My eyes kept wandering over to him, until I noticed that he had a missing paw. The paw had been missing for a while, because he didn´t seem wounded at all.
Today, the government gave out free toys and pinatas for Christmas. There´s a carnival with rides at the centro. There will be loads of fireworks tonight. The firemen (bomberos) were on the news talking about the safety measures they´re involved in regarding the fireworks (polvora). They´re only allowed to sell fireworks in certain spaces. They´ve given safety measures to people who transport the fireworks. Now they urge the populace to use common sense and not allow children to set off fireworks, saying that only adults should use them and with caution (meaning--not drunk!), talking about how a burn lasts forever and they want to avoid that. Further talk of avoiding burns...while people are getting ready for their Christmas dinner...making nacatamales or cooking their chicken dinners, el bombero (the fireman) acknowledged that many people are cooking on open fires and are perhaps preoccupied with making a big dinner and the children are playing near the fire and that could be an avoidable tragedy...
Other news...el Diputado Valle is a rich dude who donates his paycheck from the Assembly every month. This month, his paycheck went to the taxistas. There was a line of them on TV getting money to fill up their cabs with gas and to spend on Christmas.
Have your bets paid off this year? What will you put your money on next year? Thoughts people? I´m going to do my best not to waste $$. That´s the plan. Save save save. Be resourceful in all ways...
Note: she gambles rarely, but when she does, she enjoys it.
Hope yours is a lovely one.
Signing off for this evening, ya´ll.
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