The Hollywood Boulevard game is also great because it means I can pretend to live the high life for a bit and act like I’m a movie star. The whole theme and all the imagery is designed to give an aura of opulence and take you right to the movies. It’s red carpets all round.

When you have a go the pictures move around and if you match more than three you win a prize; the value is dependant on which image has come up. The thing that I like too is that payouts are always multiples of what you put in, so the more you play with the more you could win. There’s also a progressive jackpot, which makes me always want to play on and sometimes I’m lucky to get it.

Last week I kept matching the Paparazzi symbol, which gives you twenty free spins – I must have had hundreds of free spins thanks to all my playing hours. Apparently players can win up to £500,000, I’m just waiting for my luck to come in and then I’ll be able to live the Hollywood lifestyle for real.

If you’re an online bingo fan, try challenging yourself whilst you’re playing by mixing things up with a side game like Hollywood Boulevard. Bucky Bingo have lots of side games, but this one is definitely my favourite of the moment.

I’m not sure if all bingo sites are doing it but, the site I probably visit the most, Bucky Bingo has some great ones. Until now I’d only ever played for money (or for chocolates when I’m playing offline), to be honest I’m not sure I even realised they offered anything else. But, now I’m aware of the great online bingo bonus games that Bucky offer it’s made the game even more exciting than before. I know playing for money you’ll probably get more from it, but playing for prizes brings something different. Like the one penny machines at the arcades, they were always more fun when there was a toy to win as well.

Anyway, the prize I’m after is an Apple iPad. They offer other really great stuff as well like designer sunglasses, vouchers for holidays and high street shops, LCD TVs and… wait for it… Take That tickets. I’ve seen Take That before though so the iPad will probably be more useful. Apparently there’s an app for the iPad that cats can use, where they chase mice on the screen. How cool is that? I’m sure my cats will be thrilled if I do manage to win it. That will definitely be the first app I download. After Wordpress of course.

Geoff’s not particularly happy as my bingo playing levels have certainly risen and I think they’re going to continue to rise exponentially until I get that iPad. Wish me luck

It started on Christmas day when I was given the new version of Trivial Pursuit as a present. I love quizes and general knowledge trivia so this was a very good gift. I had no idea how long it takes though – we literally played for two hours solid. Oh how time flies when you’re having fun.

Then we had to play our family’s traditional Christmas game of Country Town River. It’s basically a paper game where each person has a list of categories e.g. country, town, river, girl’s name, boy’s name, and then a random letter is chosen. When the timer starts everyone has a minute to write down an answer for each category beginning with that letter. The person with the most unique answers at the end wins. It’s a lot of fun.

Another game we played, introduced by some friends who came over, was hilarious. I think it was in fact a children’s game; it’s a board game that has cards with physical challenges in. Such a challenge might be ‘how many frog jumps can you do in 30 seconds?’ Then you have to guess how many you think you can do and challenge the other teams to beat you. It caused a lot of laughs, believe me.

Much to everyone’s annoyance, I demanded that we play bingo for a substantial amount of the Christmas period. I wanted my family to appreciate why I’m always playing bingo online and how much fun it is. Obviously it would have been a bit difficult playing my online bingo games with all of us so I bought a mini bingo ball set so we could all play together.

We didn’t play for money though, instead the winner got lots of chocolate. Even better

You know when you learn a new word and then you keep hearing it? It feels just like that. Whether I’m watching TV or surfing the web, everywhere is talking about bingo. Apparently online bingo is the new craze for housewives and young women who work from home. There are a few television adverts that I really love. These adverts would make me use their sites, had I not been playing online bingo games on Bucky Bingo for ages now (I’m a loyal customer now, so could never betray them). I haven’t seen Bucky use TV advertising yet though.

The best adverts are the funny ones, that play on words and are a bit gimmicky. Foxy bingo has got a really good ad campaign where there’s a man who’s actually a fox and where ever he goes women dote on him. It’s a good play on the words ‘Fox’ or ‘Foxy’. There’s another advert I’ve seen, I think it’s for Fabulous bingo, where two drab looking girls play bingo online and then are instantly transformed into fabulous looking young women.

These adverts really appeal to women, another one that strikes chords with most bingo-playing ladies is the Barbara Windsor one. Babs is a British institution and an iconic woman. The online bingo target market can relate really well to her, and her laugh is infectious. Using identifiable women in adverts will always appeal to female customers and encourage them to use a product or brand. I don’t think it’ll be long before Bucky Bingo start to use TV adverts – maybe I could be in it drinking Bucks Fizz.

Usually I go as a social event with my sister, we go together and drink lots of cheap wine and if we win it’s just a bonus. But, this week I want to try really hard as I think it’s not just about luck. The ladies who always win are the old ladies who sit on their own and focus really hard on the numbers. It sounds silly as surely it is just down to the luck of the draw, but because it’s so fast paced it’s easy to miss numbers out all the time.

I’m certain there must have been so many occasions where either me or my sister should have won a large amount of money but didn’t simply because we were too busy drinking our wine to cross out the number on the card.

This weekend though I’m starting my personal training as a Bingo pro. I’m even going to take part in the 80 Ball Bingo that they play during the breaks. Usually I either have to go to the loo or the bar during the breaks, or just end up getting sidetracked chatting to my sister. This week though I’ll be on full focus and maximising every opportunity to win big. I just hope my hard work pays off, or my luck comes in

Although not being able to get out of bed for 10 days sounds like heaven to some people, being an overactive energy generator I find it nearly impossible to simply lie and do nothing all day. After watching all ten series of Friends back to back, plus all the Bridget Jones films, the novelty has seriously warn off. I don’t understand how there are people that exist who just sit at home all day, it really makes me appreciate my general health and mobility. I’m just itching to get out of bed, even though I can’t.

Following my movie marathon I felt my eyes were turning square so turned to something more intellectual – the laptop. When Geoff saw I’d opened it up he went mental and said I shouldn’t be doing anything where I needed to think. I wasn’t thinking too hard, just reading the Telegraph online and a few blogs to keep in touch with recent articles about health and organic foods. Then I found some real relaxation in the form of ladies leisure online gaming sites. That’s right, I found my relaxing place and Bingo is his name-o. It really is extremely addictive – so great for lying in bed, the hours just fly by as I win more and more money (and lose some).

Geoff seems a lot happier now I’m relaxing too, although I don’t think he realises the sums of money I’m playing with. He just asks what I’m doing and when I say ‘playing Bingo’ he sighs with endearment saying ‘that’s fun dear, keep at it’. So my recommendation from this post is this – find some an ill looking subject in the street, steal their germs then resign yourself to bed for a month to play Bingo online as a lady of leisure.

Buttt back to the original thing I wanted this blog to be about – BINGO!
Yes, I know it’s an old ladies past time but don’t worry I’ve not started getting my blue rinse just yet. What has, in fact, happened is that I’ve discovered (well actually Geoff told me about it) online Bingo. I was telling Geoff how when I get bored some evenings and I’m in front of the computer I start going on games sites and as embarrassing as it is, I’ve actually got quite good at the little games. He then said, if I really was as good as I thought, I could probably make a few pennies from it.

So I did some googling about and found this website called bucky bingo it has loads of those really addictive fun games to pass the time when you’re bored. To be honest Geoff should not have suggested I play for money as I do have a rather addictive personality – but I’m sure I’d stop if I started losing huge amounts of money.

Some of the games have really big jackpots. My favourite, Clover Rollover, has a progressive jackpot of nearly £750,000 – imagine winning that, simply by sitting at your computer playing games you already enjoy. It does make you wonder how many people actually win the jackpots though; as I’m sure it’s always the site that wins overall. Although I won’t disclose how much I’ve won to date – it is a tidy little sum – well worth playing that’s for sure. I wonder how long before my luck runs out though? Maybe I’ll hit the jackpot, and then I can retire from online gaming, maybe even retire altogether!

Until then I’ll keep my new little obsession under check to ensure I never lose more than I win

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela

Well, this week has certainly been an interesting one, hasn’t it? I can’t remember anything quite like it! First we had the Liberals and Labour getting into bed, then the Liberals and the Conservatives. All settled now, and let me say I think we’ve got the best mix possible: strong principles and liberal sensibilities. It’s like Hebden Bridge!

Over the weekend I was again glued to the television screen, remote in one hand, the other on the laptop keypad. I was playing online bingo all weekend, I had such a lot of fun. I had a ’system’ too – every time things seemed to be going Labour’s way, I start losing. Is that a system? Well, it worked for me!

The cats are so much more relaxed these days. Oregano, especially. I think he’s found his lying-down-spot – right under the window when it’s sunny, and sometimes when it’s not! Rosemary is still quite undecided as to where her favourite spot it, but most mornings I wake up to find her at the foot of my bed.

I’ve received some more orders this week! Just for two locals – I can’t really reveal their identities but they know who they are! And so do Oregano and Rosie judging by the way they look for attention from them every time they enter the house. Honestly, I’m glad my cats are cats and not children as I really don’t think I’d be able to keep up with them. Draining!

“Every few seconds it changes – up an eighth, down an eighth -it’s like playing a slot machine. I lose $20 million, I gain $20 million.” – Ted Turner

“Truth is not determined by majority vote.” – Doug Gwyn

Well it’s certainly been an exciting 24 hours! I spent last night glued to the box watching the coverage of the election. It was quite overwhelming really, and a tad confusing. Luckily I had a bottle of wine and a game of online bingo to take the edge off!

I suppose the election is a little like a bingo board. You have all these numbers in front of you, and you keep crossing off areas until you have enough to stand up and declare yourself the winner. I wonder if the ‘house’ people shout is actually the House of Commons??

Apparently some people were unable to vote last night. I didn’t have a problem. I had all day so I took my time and went down to Hebden Church (our polling station) and put my ‘x’ in a box.

I voted for… none of your business!

The polling official at the station was named Ross. He was a young man of around 24 (I remember that age! haha). I was surprised to see someone so young with an interest in politics, but then I realised that the world is changing. Not in a bad way! I mean, look at Rick Clegg and Cameron – both young men. Gordon Brown isn’t so youthful though – he certainly didn’t come across as someone I’d vote for in the television debates – at least not facially.

So now we have a hanging parliament, and it seems the only thing that isn’t changing is my luck playing online bingo. There’s probably more chance of me standing and becoming prime minister than there is for all my numbers to be pulled out of the hat.

Except for number 13 of course… just my luck

“Bingo, that’s a goodie!” – Paul Bryant

With that in mind, I present to you…

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of Jen Stark. Her 34-year mission to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and civilizations. To boldly go (with her cat) where no man has gone before.

I want to go into space. Ever since I was a little girl, looking up at the night’s sky from my bedroom window, I’ve dreamed of journeying into the black. To quote the nummy Karl Urban as Dr. Bones McCoy, “Space is dark and dangerous”. But I want to go.

And now, I finally can. The news that Richard Branson’s fleet of commercial spaceships is moving towards trial testing made me giddy all over. Apparently the project, codenamed (not very originally) Virgin Galactic is moving up a gear; test flights are set for next year and the first tourist-laden shuttle is to scream past the upper limits of the atmosphere in 2012.

With a little luck, I could be in space in two years. All I need now is a rocket-sized payload of money.

Naturally, my first instinct was to go out and buy a lottery ticket. Alas, my Saturday night entertainment did not involve running around my living room while clutching a winning ticket. Still, I did manage to win £10 on the internet in a game of free bingo later in the evening and I guess every little counts. Plus, I have £20 in my purse from last week’s excursion to the bingo hall. Maybe I should get a special ’space fund’ jar

Still, I did make a few cost-cutting measures this week and young Felicity didn’t seem to mind the switch from Whiskas to Tesco own-brand cat food. I’m sure that £0.76 saving will eventually add up. I’ll be sailing among the stars before you know it.