Today, we rushed out of the house to the Orr Honda car dealership to go enter our names into a drawing for a free Alaskan cruise for two by the 1:30 SHARP deadline. The contest was hosted by the local radio group.
A few months ago, while I was checking out at a children's consignment shop, I decided to pass the time by filling out a free cruise form. I was just fiddling around because the counter help was ridiculously slow and I felt a little awkward watching her bag tiny overalls at a snails pace.
Months later, a friend messaged me on Facebook saying she heard my name on the radio, "something about an Alaskan Cruise?"
I immediately contacted the station thinking I won, but they told me I was qualified to enter the drawing and that I must come pick up a letter. I did a bit of research on this contest and couldn't find a thing about it. Nothing listed on the Radio websites, news stations... nothing, so I just blew it off as some dumb scam. A couple of days ago I got a call informing me that I still need to come pick up my qualification letter to enter the drawing. The person on the phone informed me that this was a local contest, not national, so there would be no more steps to take other than go to Honda dealership, enter my name and wait for the drawing. So I decided to give it go. I've never entered a drawing before...well at least not for something that grand.
We didn't win.
The end.
But I did wear my new awesome $2 ring to the shindig. That's cool right?
Honestly, I was more curious to see if this contest was legit. (EDIT: It was legit. Not a scam.We just didn't win) For a free Alaskan cruise I was totally willing to risk being scammed into test driving five minivans before qualifying for another round. I've never been on a cruise and the farthest away from home I've ever been was New York... and even that was for a wedding. The last vacation me and the hubs took alone was our honeymoon. We didn't get to go far because we had to hand over our honeymoon money to the photographer- er, because we kinda forgot to set aside money to pay him. So we had to cancel our New Orleans plans and settled for Dallas.
After not winning the cruise, we decided to take a loser's lunch at a new fast food restaurant in town called Slim Chickens. The name and logo make it look like something really hep and happenin'...
Slim Chickens? Slim Pickin's more like.
Everything was slim. The menu... the portion sizes... the decor... forced to watch college football turned up full volume on all six flat screens around the joint. Pathetic.
Look at this tiny-ass fried pie. C'mon folks! We're in Texas!!! Everything is supposed to be bigger in Texas. We paid $2.50 for this thing. At one of the local BBQ shacks here, $2.50 gets you a fresh handmade fried pie the size of your forearm! Why can't I win today??? Grrr!!
Have you ever won a big prize in a contest? A vacation? Shopping spree? A love slave?
Have you ever won a big prize in a contest? A vacation? Shopping spree? A love slave?
Well I'm off to go have myself a India Pale Ale, stuff more envelopes with faire flyers and get caught up on my blog reading. Peace out mutha suckas.
After entering then you are qualified to enter the draw...? Jerks. Don't worry, your ship will come in. Scammers.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yep, that's one measly piece of pie, eaten to football. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, unless it's a cruise ship.
When I was a little girl, I won a really big Pollyanna doll. She was about 2 feet tall and looked like Haley Mills. I have no idea what happened to her.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of being stuck on a boat with a bunch of strangers scares me.
I guess you just have to keep entering more contests if you want to win something cool - like a car. Wouldn't that be great?
ReplyDeleteI won a jackety top thingy a few months ago via Over 50 Feeling 40 (blog post in April). That's the only thing I've ever won. I never even win at cards or board games. Ever.
River is soooo cute!
Fuckin' a you didn't win :(
ReplyDeleteI hate those fake draws. Your time will come.
ReplyDeleteThe best competitions to enter are the ones in boring old trade magazines, people barely bother reading them and there's few entrants. the best thing i won was a week in Paris, staying at a five star on the Champs Elysees with first class British airways flights. I was so broke at the time, Jon and I had recently got together and it was just amazing. I think i squealed for the whole week x
Aww that's too bad you didn't win in the cruise or the pie department. But look at you winning the grand prize in the cute family department!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teen I won a New Years radio contest and the prize was a record single of every song on the top 100 for that year, that naturally included the b-sides too. I was in heaven I tell you. Because back then every cent I saved used to be spent on records.
Sorry, dear. I've never won anything either. We have to build our own happiness in this life; nobody hands us anything.
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, I hope you do get to travel in the future. It's fun. I've been lucky enough to visit Europe (once; a weekend in Amsterdam), Canada (riding the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia with a motorcycle group), and the Caribbean (Grenada [the bananas!] and Jamaica [the ganja!]).
so sorry you didnt win! exciting to be called though! love your ring.
ReplyDeleteDammit so close, sorry you didn't win. I've never won anything either. At least you the family looked so cute! Slim chicken the name would have scared me, I like my chickens fat:).
ReplyDeleteXxoo
Ha, I'm always cynical about those contests too, especially when you get a phone call. But hey, you got an awesome ring and a chicken dinner to make up for the disappointment! I haven't been on a honeymoon get, LOL, so you're one step ahead of me. Your little man is really grown up looking - so cute! Xo
ReplyDeleteSounds like the restaurant won't last long..
ReplyDeleteSorry you didn't win the cruise. I've never won anything big like that but I did win a chicken house & run once - does that count?
Oh. My. God. That. Baby.
ReplyDeleteHahah aaaaaw the first photo is SO cute! The look on River's face is priceless! :D
ReplyDeleteBummer you didn't win the drawing :-/ But at least you had a nice day out with the family! :)
bummer you didn't win the cruise, maybe next time you never know! I haven't won anything big but a couple of years ago my mom won $500 to a local furniture store through a radio station. your son is adorable and that slim pickins, chickens place sounds terrible!!
ReplyDelete