Many, many years ago...

... there was a land of brightness and tropical beauty called O'Bing. In this beautiful land the weather was always warm and balmy. On a very rare day, a strange bird came out of Noahwhere spouting reports of an impending blizzard. Rather than chance arctic conditions, my ancestral grandparents booked passage on a Bingo Couples Cruise. On the third day out it started to rain. I've been told that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. To pass the long days and nights, they played a game they had learned as hatchlings called Bingo, named after their homeland's founder, BINGO O'BING.

When the rains subsided, the cruise ark found itself in a desert land, where the passengers remained to raise their families and carry on their homeland traditions. This land is now known as Las Vegas. To this day, the game of Bingo is still a very popular pastime.

Many of my ancestors opted for a more tropical climate reminiscent of O'Bing, so they migrated to Florida. It was in Florida where my parents first met. One night, when the weather was particularly fowl, my dad, a riverboat gambler and a very sketchy character indeed, came upon the Drawing Board, a very popular club and bingo hall. There was a PROGRESSIVE band playing, and that's where he first saw her. She was playing the lead bugle. It was DAUB at first sight!

After the show, he followed her into the hall and found her sitting at the FOUR CORNER table. There was a seat beside her seemingly unoccupied, but with a coat over it. "Excuse me, is this a FREE SPACE?" he asked. She fluttered her long lashes and said demurely, "Why yes, just let me remove my COVERALL." It was time for a WARM-UP before the EARLY BIRDS arrived, and dad being an old, HARD CARD shark, was winning one game after another. They returned night after night becoming regular NIGHTOWLS. One night dad popped the question for a WINNER-TAKE-ALL, and hit the JACKPOT. They were drawn together and married soon after.

On May 12, 1993, I was born in the small town of Bonita Springs, Florida. Dad got so excited when he saw me he cried, "Flabingo!" and hence my name. Luck has been with me ever since. I've become somewhat of a celebrity with my picture gracing t-shirts and a series of cartoons in the local bingo publication.

Hope to see all you winners in bingo halls across the country and share all the luck and fun that life has to offer.