Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Major Award

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

This past week, Beth sent all of us an e-mail informing us about a wonderful sweepstakes at Amazon.com. Simply by creating or adding an item to your wish list, you could enter the sweepstakes and have a chance at winning 10 kindles! Wow! So we entered, and you can probably guess that since none of us are screaming “woo hoo” in our blogs, we didn’t win. Well, darn!

Every time I enter a sweepstakes or contest I can’t help but think that maybe I’ll win. I mean as I’ve said before, somebody has to win, so why shouldn’t it be me? I love the excited feeling I have waiting to hear who the winner is. I love the thoughts that run through my mind as I dream about what I’ll do with my prize.

As a child, I remember watching “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and being so excited for him as he opened that candy bar and pulled out the golden ticket. I often would dream of something like that happening to me.

I don’t think it would really matter what my prize was. Just winning anything would be a great feeling. Of course some prizes would be way better than others. Winning a car would be much more exciting than winning a bowl of fruit. But hey, I’d take the fruit. At least for a week I could look at that fruit and think, “Anyone could have won that fruit, I’m lucky it was me”. Okay, well maybe I wouldn’t think that, but it would bring a smile to face every time I looked at it.

I love the scene in “A Christmas Story” when Darren McGavin’s character wins “a major award”. That is one of my very favorite scenes in the whole movie. Everything from the mispronunciation of the word fragile (“It must be Italian”) to the look of horror on the mother’s face to Ralphie practically molesting the leg, is priceless! It may have been a hideous lamp to the mother, but to the father, it was “a major award” and one that he displayed proudly in his front window for the world to see.

I’ve been trying to think of things I’ve won. I’m sure it’s happened. The only thing that comes to mind is a printer for my computer. I happened to answer a telemarketing call one day and received an offer from HP. They said they would provide me with a printer and all I had to do was complete some “projects” and send them in and when all projects had been completed and turned in, the printer was mine to keep. It was a pretty good deal, so I accepted, and I got a decent printer out of it.

I’m hoping that something more exciting comes to mind…I’ll have to think on it. But in the meanwhile, have you ever won a sweepstakes or contest? If so, tell us all about your major award!


SIS Bren

15 comments:

SIS Brandy said...

I can't think of anything that I have won!! I always tell everyone that if I even touch a scratch off lottery ticket it is void. Maybe someday I will win something really big to make up for all of this time!!

BJ said...

A couple of years ago I won $700 in a drawing. That is the only thing I can think of. Maybe some day I'll win bigger. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Tori Lennox said...

For the last three years or so, I've won books around November/December. Not that I don't want to win books. I love winning books. But I also can't help but wonder why I never win anything bigger. Greedy R Us. LOL!

Beth Ciotta said...

I hardly ever enter contests. But I really wanted those Kindles! Wahhh!

At my very first RT conference in '94, I entered a drawing for a replica of a Excalibur, the Medieval sword of King Arthur fame. I couldn't believe it when they called my name. I NEVER win! I treasure that sword to this day.

A few years ago, Steve entered a contest though the New York Times newspaper and won a trip for two to... yup our favorite place, London, England. I was so sure it was a crock. But it was for real. Five days in London for free! Woo-hoo!

I have to say, Brenda, 'A Christmas Story' is one of my all time fave films and that scene is one of the best! One day I will own that leg lamp. They sell them on line in different sizes. I want one for my desk, but refuse to pay the high price. Hey... Wonder if anyone's having a contest with that as the prize???

Olga said...

I won some books, but that's all I can remember right now. As for the award, I think anticipation of winning is a pretty good award in itself...

Sisters-in-Sync said...

Brandy,

You're just the sort of person it will happen to. Some day, when you are thinking how you never win anything, you will win big! And you deserve it! Instead of getting the fruit bowl, you'll probably get a whole orange grove! HA!

SIS Bren

Sisters-in-Sync said...

B.J.,

$700? Wow! That's great. I'm sure you were thrilled, I know I would have been. But you're right, keep your fingers crossed, and see if you can't win something bigger!

SIS Bren

Sisters-in-Sync said...

Tori,

It's great that you've won books. Maybe this year you can win something like a weekend with your favorite author. Is there such a contest I wonder?
Keep trying! There must be something more than books on your horizon!. And greedy? I think not. You just have bigger dreams. I mean, Charlie didn't just get a tour of the chocolate factory, he got the whole darn factory, Oompa Loompas and all!

SIS Bren

Elle J Rossi said...

Do singing competitions count? If they do, I won a few of those. Remember POW WOW? I almost cried when I got 1st place one year!

Other than that, I really don't remember winning much of anything, but then again, I really don't enter much.

I'd love to win some books. I'd love to win some free coffee! There's where all my extras money goes, so it'd be nice to get some for free.

SIS Barb

Sisters-in-Sync said...

Beth,

I'm sure you do cherish that Excalibur sword. I know I would. And I remember when Steve won the trip. What fun!

"A Christmas Story" IS my all time fave movie. It makes me smile, laugh, and cry every time. I put it on the day after Thanksgiving. That's generally when I put up the Christmas tree and we decorate. We watch it all day long and then I probably watch it another ten times before Christmas even gets here.

Two years ago, my oldest was at the mall and spotted a blow up lawn version of "the lamp". Without me knowing, he called my husband and told him about it. Together they set up the whole seen for me on Christmas day. They had a huge box marked "FRAGILE" and had it plugged in so that when I opened the box, the lamp inflated, and I had my very own "major award". What a great memory!

I, too, want the desk lamp version. I think it would be awesome. I'll keep an eye out for us and see if I can find a bargain somewhere.

SIS Bren

Sisters-in-Sync said...

WOW! Did I just type seen instead of scene?! OOPS! I was caught up in the moment I guess.

SIS Bren

Sisters-in-Sync said...

Olga,

You've won books too? I need to enter more contests.
As for the anticipation of winning...you're right! It is a great feeling, as long as you don't get too disappointed if you don't win. Which I don't, I just enjoy entering and hoping.

SIS Bren

Sisters-in-Sync said...

Barb,

I DO remember Pow Wow. When I was in school it wasn't a competition though. It was just a variety show. How great that you won! You ALMOST cried? You know me... I would have been bawling.

Free coffee and books? That would be a great day. We must enter more contests. It doesn't hurt to try.

SIS Bren

Taylor said...

What a relevant topic, Bren! I just so happened to have won two things recently! I have to first start off by saying that I normally don't win things in contests, nor do I really seek out contests for that reason. But just recently Lady Luck has been on my side! So here goes:

- I belong to a publisher's book club, a small genre club known as Hard Case Crime (www.hardcasecrime.com). Once in a while they send out advanced copy contests and I just so happened to win the most recent won! So now, I got "The Corpse Wore Pasties" a few months early (I never said they weren't trashy novels!).
-Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year, and this year I had a pretty cool costume. I got the idea from the movie 'Hocus Pocus', and ended up doing a skeleton man. Long story short, I went to a friend's school organization party to say hi and they had a costume contest. And that's how I ended up winning the ultimate prize...and a brand new digital camera! It was a very good Halloween for me :)

Sisters-in-Sync said...

Hi Taylor,

So glad you stopped by!

I'll have to check out that website. Are they true crime stories? Sounds interesting anyway and congrats on your win!

While Halloween is not my favorite holiday, I do love the costume contests! I love to see what innovative costumes people come up with from year to year. Lucky for you that you stopped by to see your friend and how great that you won the contest! Enjoy your new digital camera!

Oh...and please send some pics of your costume. We'd love to see it.

SIS Bren

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