When Alan and Phyllis Wallace invited Sandra and me to accompany them to game night at the Greene Street Diner in Snow Hill, how could we say no? Alan and Phyllis were so excited about the eatery at 213 N. Greene Street. We just had to check it out for ourselves. Alan even offered to pick us up.

So at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25, we found ourselves heading up US 258 N and turning left on Greene Street. By 6:00 p.m., we had chosen a booth and ordered our food. Sandra and I split a large steak sub, Alan wanted a meatball sub presented as a salad, and Phyllis ordered a hot dog all the way – and six hot wings. We also got an order of fried dill pickle spears.

The food was delicious. We ate and waited as the clock moved closer to 7 p.m. when the games would begin. We would be playing two rounds: “Movie Songs Bingo” and “Beach Music Bingo.”

Kristie and Steven Dail conduct the Monday night games. Somehow, Steven has found a website that allows him to obtain computerized “Bingo” games. The program has the songs in audio – and even checks the winning bingo card for accuracy.

Of course, players need more than mere knowledge to compete. A player needs to have luck – luck in the form of the right card. For example, when “Eye of the Tiger” plays, a player needs to know the song comes from “Rocky III.”

However, just because the player recognizes the song and knows the movie title does not necessarily mean that player is closer to “BINGO!” If “Rocky III” is not on the bingo card, then those pieces of knowledge count for zilch.

I nearly faced a mental meltdown just trying to remember the title of the movie that matched the song I was hearing. When my cognitive lightbulb did light up, more often than not the movie title was not on my bingo sheet.

After two games of “Movie Songs and Titles,” we moved to what proved a less stressful test of our musical knowledge: Beach Music. These next games would be a piece of cake for our team. After all, we had a ringer: Big Al of the popular Big Al and the Coconuts – beach music band par excellence.

Alan Wallace has been playing beach music since he was 15. He can just about hear three notes of any beach music song and tell you the title. But even though we had the Doctor of Beach Musicology on our side, winning was not in the cards because the right titles were not ON our bingo cards.

At one point, Alan lacked one space of having bingo in at least three different directions. Sandra was waiting for “My Girl” to complete bingo on her card.

We boarded Alan’s F-150 for the trip home. We had lost – but we had a ton of fun.

On Monday, March 4, we were back at the Greene Street Diner for another game night. This time we would be playing Trivia. Categories included “General Knowledge,” “Current Events,” “Picture Round – Fish,” “Audio Round – Piano in Pop Songs,” and “The Auto Industry.”

Each round required players to come up with 10 answers worth two points each. Before we started the competition, each team used a highlighter to box the category that team wanted to count for double points. We settled on “General Knowledge.”

The game moved fast. After the “General Knowledge” round, we swapped papers with a team just behind us so we could grade the answers. We got six of 10 general questions correct. Six times two was 12 – and our score for that rounded was doubled. Our score was 24. Another team scored 36 that round. I knew they had answered nine of the 10 questions correctly.

The category we should have chosen was “The Auto Industry.” I had forgotten that “Big Al” had managed a number of Firestone stores during his career. We got nine of 10 auto questions rights.

By the time we finished the first five rounds, our team – “Bahama Breeze” – was in second place with 73 points, but another team – something with an “X” in its name – was in top place with 104 points.

During the bonus round, we could wager up to 20 of our points on one all-or-nothing question. The category was “NFL Teams.”

“I got this,” I said confidently.

Question: “Five NFL teams have a bird as their logo. Name four.”

I needed less than 15 seconds to write down: Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Atlanta Falcons. I knew we had earned 20 points and would have 93.

Did team “X” get the question right? Did team “X” bother to wager?

Evidently team “X” also watches “Jeopardy!” and could spot a runway. They wagered nothing. Bahama Breeze lost, 104-93.

That evening was the most fun I have ever had coming in second place.

Looking for some good, clean fun? Give the Greene Street Diner a shot on Monday evenings. The games start at 7 p.m.

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com .