Sunday - Markets and Millionaires

I could have done with a few more hours sleep ... I think sitting around The Big House working on numbers (Roulette) for a few hours yesterday did me in. Still, more sleep was not to be, and I was lucky to get what I did considering Maggie came bounding up the bed at one stage, almost frightening a squeal out of S, before she (Maggie) settled at the bottom of the bed, on my side, so I ended up sleeping around her. It's good that she feels so comfortable with us. She had started out the night on a box in the corner, sleeping on a towel with the camera bag, a pair of boots, and a few other miscellaneous items.

The Skype call with Tr went well, although it was delayed a little because of technical issues at her end. There's just no way to argue - and win - with a computer when it tells you it's updating Skype. We ran a little over this morning (that was my fault ... I was busy telling her "interesting facts" I have researched through the week for Samagrams) but we still made it out of the house in good time to be second at the Markets (after Mouse).

The Markets (not all of us)

The Markets were great - and while we thought the numbers might be reduced because Mi and Az, Sy and An, and Ni are all away, we ended up 15 in total. It was a good mix and we ended up doing our usual trick of closing the markets ... I'm not sure they would know how/when to do it if we weren't there! While it was a lovely day today and I was hoping we would be able to find some shade outside at the Markets so we could go out there, there wasn't, so we didn't ... that's one of the joys of having such a diverse group, we have some who love the sun and can't get enough of it (that would be Fl and I) and others who eschew it at all costs (that would be S and Az when she's about ... and Mouse isn't that fond of it either.)

Next stop ... The Big House and more Card swipings! And the last draw in the Search for a Millionaire promotion. It's a long time to hang around the Casino - four hours - draws are at 2, 4 and 6, but at least M has a room there today which meant we could take ourselves upstairs for a rest if we wanted/needed to.

Even though I had determined not to, I did find myself back at Roulette (machine play not the tables) and rather than just doing my "no money" playing, decided that that was enough practicing and it was time to pony up some dollars from the stake I had put aside for just that purpose! It was very, very nerve-wracking but an hour later I had doubled (and then some) my little stake ... so I was quite pleased - though exhausted - with the effort.

Alas, none of us walked away from The Big House a Millionaire, and no-one else did either. So, the Millionaire promotion - which gave people five chances to be a Millionaire - didn't produce any, but at least five people walked away with $25k each, and ten with $5k each. I'd say that The Big House got out of that promotion fairly lightly (that would be "cheaply") - $175,000 rather than what could have been $5,000,050.

Mouse had made soup for dinner so we trekked over to her place after The Big House. It was wonderful, and with the bread which, amazingly, was leftover from The Markets, it made a great meal. We watched "Australia's Got Talent" as we ate and there's no doubt that Australia's Got Talent. There were some incredible acts including a dancing dog (really, on two legs), a Paralympian who swung, with his wheelchair, from a rope from the ceiling - what amazing upper body strength he has! - and a young male singer who wanted nothing more than his father's approval (his father had wanted him, as the only son, to go into his business rather than being a singer) which he can never get because his father died last year. The judges were very kind to him - and the other contestants. We'll have to tune in next week to see what other Australians Got Talent!

Part of dinner was spent with M, Mouse and s trying to find Polly Puzzler in the That's Life magazine; I had been through it several times and not been able to find her. Thank goodness for other eyes otherwise I'd still be looking. Well done M ... and Mouse for noticing when M found it - she was g oingto take me at my word and let me have another look for Polly - in retrospect I'm glad I didn't have to.

S now has a page quota so she has a chance to finish Chagall before it's due back to the Library so she was hard at work on that this evening when we arrived home. One of the problems is that, because it's so big, she can only read it at home, otherwise she might have been able to get a few pages read at The Big House this afternoon.

The furries seemed pleased to see us home when we finally arrived - even though M had been back to feed them this afternoon, we'd been out all day. Everyone soon settled into their favourite places (once Tinka had had those several serves of special cookies that is) and a short while later it was lock down, nighty-night and lights out.