Bingo 10/7: Everybody’s a winner

We had SEVEN grand prize bingo winners this week — an unprecedented event that had us scrambling for bottles of Tito’s, Hideout t-shirts, and just about anything else we could lay hands on to beef up the prize basket. Thanks to Kent Lambert, who showed up late with a bag of cucumbers and eggplants fresh from his garden, we even had some extra veggies!

Our callers David Kodeski and Diana Slickman gracefully oversaw distribution of all the prize booty, which was accomplished without blood or tears. Everyone went home happy … and David even got to go home with a bottle of vodka, as his boyfriend was one of the lucky seven.

Outside, a small contingent of patio diehards bundled up and soldiered on.

Inside, things were warmer, but no less serious  …

Though Slick kept things light with, apparently, the occasional pelvic thrust.

We made $251 for our friend Vera and her Videnovich Farms. Can’t you just feel the excitement?

Also exciting — and a little sad — is the news about next week’s bingo. It is the LAST BINGO OF THE SEASON (sad) — but it will be hosted by BOBBY CONN (exciting!). Proceeds go to benefit the Chicago Rarities Orchard Project, or “CROP” — an ambitious new community orchard initiative dedicated to preserving rare and heirloom fruits. This recent Time Out story has the low-down.

After this week we’re gonna take a little break and finish this dang cookbook, before we start dusting off the crock pots for the return of Soup and Bread, currently slated for January 6. Watch this space for more information — and please come on out on the 14th for one last round of b-i-n-g-o.

See you then!