Um, you know what I realized? I suck. Seriously, that's what I realized.
Because yesterday? I won my third pay-it-forward contest. The first was from She Likes Purple back in January, and at the time I actually told Jennie to pass the prize on to someone else because it involved yummy baked goods best consumed by someone not on Weight Watchers, and also because I knew--I KNEW--that I would suck at the whole "pay-it-forward" idea. (Incidentally, I was RIGHT.)
Anyway, Jennie totally understood my dilemma and, presumably, gave the prize to someone much nicer than me, and I felt absolved of all guilt about not paying it forward.
And THEN. Also in January, I won ANOTHER contest over at Random Rantings. And you guys, Slynnro sent me the NICEST prize from World Market, it was so cute and thoughtful, and you know what? I totally suck because I meant to do a whole post about the great prize, complete with pictures, but it arrived the day I was leaving to go wedding dress shopping in North Carolina, and I was distracted, and then it never happened. Not only did it never happen, but I totally DIDN'T EVEN THINK to email her and TELL HER I'd gotten her package. She actually had to SEND ME AN EMAIL asking if it had showed up. That's how much of a bad person I am. Clearly I do not deserve to be winning all these contests.
And also? At the time, I totally did not realize that it was a pay-it-forward contest. But I just went back and looked at the post again, and it totally WAS. AND ALSO? I just realized that the reason Slynnro HELD a pay-it-forward contest is because SHE won the pay-it-forward contest at She Likes Purple TOO.
It just goes to show, doesn't it? I give up a prize because I suck at paying it forward, but someone more worthy ALSO wins and pays it forward, and who do they pay it forward to? ME. And despite the fact that by that point, it was clearly inevitable that I was going to win a damn pay-it-forward prize eventually, I STILL dropped that ball.
GOD. I SUCK.
And NOW. I just won a THIRD contest over at And You Know What Else. My THIRD contest win this year. It's just too much. I cannot go on ignoring my good luck on the whole contest thing. I have to hold a contest of my own. I just have to. It's too much pressure otherwise.
So! Consider this a contest. Comment if you want me to send you something cool, and tell me about a contest in your life that you won, or even that you didn't win and really wish you had. Or maybe you're glad you didn't win because the prize was crappy? Or something? Fine, JUST TELL ME ABOUT A CONTEST. Any kind will do, apparently. I'll pick a random winner (so no pressure to make your comment particularly witty or charming) and send them something cool. I won't decide now what the something cool will be, because OBVIOUSLY it has to be tailored to the individual winner (read: I haven't thought far enough ahead to pick a prize at this point, because I am a LOSER).
Anyway! This is a contest! Time for you to enter! Go! But consider yourself warned: You WILL be expected to pay it forward. (Although APPARENTLY there is no punishment if you don't, except winning MORE CONTESTS.)
New Recipe: Greek Penne Pasta
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14 years ago
I think this is my fifth or sixth pay it forward contest I've expressed interest in winning and I know I'll lose out on this one too. I used to always win door prizes, always! How did you get to be so lucky?
ReplyDeleteMy mom is like you. If there is a random drawing contest anywhere in her vicinity, she will win it. Sometimes even when she doesn't enter. She once won a 2-week trip around the country from a radio station. I mean, come on. Who wins radio station contests? Never anyone you actually KNOW.
ReplyDeleteI, on the other hand, have never won a random drawing thing IN MY LIFE. If there were only TWO entries, the other person would win. Seriously. I've won writing contests, jump rope contests, races (as a kid, anyway, I run much slower now, if at all), science fairs, even Olympics of the Mind competitions (do they still have those?) but no random drawings. Because luck and I are not acquainted.
Hahaha - this is a funny post. Because I know you well enough to know you're a nice person with the best of intentions. And did not ignore the pay-it-forward stuff out of malice.
ReplyDeleteIf I win, I agree to pay it forward, but since I just sent out 3 care packages to winners of my last pay-it-forward contest, I'll pay it forward in some other way. K?
Let's see...contests...I have NEVER WON any contest, EVER. I am not a lucky person. Basically what I'm holding out for is winning the lotto - I mean, since I haven't won anything my whole life, it would only be appropriate to save all that unused luck for the lotto, right?
ReplyDeleteI won a karaoke contest last year. It lasted many, many weeks and took place in a bar on Wednesday nights so there were many not-so-great Thursday mornings. I entered because I knew I would win. I sang "Me & Bobby McGee" and "Walking After Midnight" on the final night, and I won! The prize was a trip for two to Vegas. HOM and I had a blast!
ReplyDeleteYou have some VERY good luck!! Hmmm...a contest I've won....I've only won like two in my life. The first was when I was 6, I won a coloring contest for Nesquick and got a bunch of art supplies. I apparently was the best at keeping the crayons within the lines. Score!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest one was probably a couple years ago I got second place in a design competition for Johnson & Johnson (fine, I didn't win, but WHATEVER)I'm still waiting to see if they build what I designed. :)
Other than those two very far apart wins, I don't have much luck with contests. And aslo? You do not suck. :)
Ok, story time. Once, my sister, brother, and mother and I all went to a local signing by some famous rock dudes in our hometown. We all entered a contest to win various prizes. Ok, so far so good. My sister won a free cd, yay! My brother won a t-shirt, yay! The last prize was being called out. "This lucky lady is winning two tickets to their concert, yay! aaand she's from (enter my hometown here). Her last name is (enter my last name here). . . and her first name is. . . my mom's name, ya. . wha?"
ReplyDeleteThis is one story in a long line of losers. Long story short: I am always the loser :(
I had a contest on my blog once, and I chose a few winners - it was for a homemade Canadian CD.
ReplyDeleteThen I decided that I couldn't ONLY send a CD - it had to be cooler than that- it had to also include some maple chocolate, and some handpainted cards by a local artist depicting scenes from Winnipeg.
By the time it was all purchased, put together and shipped- that contest cost me a LOT of money. Even though I could have easily sent one winner one CD and that was the end of it.
Well worth it though, I love doing blog contests!
xo
I won that booty shaking contest at the strip club (omg that sounds so dirty! I promise I was wearing my clothes).
ReplyDeleteOther than that... I won a basketball contest at work once and got 50 bucks! that was pretty sweet
this is the first time i've heard of a pay it forward contest! i'm in. one contest i entered that i *really* wanted to win (but didn't) was for one of those awesome kitchen aid mixers. and it was yellow, which would have gone so well in my kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI want your luck!
ReplyDeleteI won a gold silk robe in a raffle at a high school fashion show. I still have it.
I would like to win a contest online because I have never won one! I've won a few small contests that have had minimal prizes like some golf balls, free tickets to concerts, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe best contest I ever won? A black bra contest in Mexico that involved me dancing on stage while sexily showing my black bra and removing a layer of clothing to show it off better. Yes, I was drunk and when I beat out a Mexican girl, I got booed by the other Mexican people!
Hey, don't feel that bad. Jennie still hasn't sent me MY prize. I'm really the big nice person in all of this. Poor victimized me.
ReplyDeleteAnyway! The only thing I have ever won was some Spurs tickets at our health fair when I was in the third grade. UNTIL! Two days I go, I totally won Kristabella's signed copy of Jen Lancaster's new book. Both have been random drawings.
I don't really do well with random drawings either. But I won a cookbook from Kirida!
ReplyDeleteJason's favorite band in the world (Dazy Head Mazy) held a "biggest fan" contest, and they asked people to submit photos showing why they're the biggest fan. Jason had SO MANY CDs and hats and t-shirts and tank tops (for me) and other misc. crap that we hung it all on our wall and stood in front of it like we were the merchandise guy.
We won a brand-new guitar that all the band members signed. That was pretty cool.
I never win anything, however, like 8 years ago when I was still working for Blockbuster my name was called in a radio contest. I didn’t have a cell phone at the time so I had to wait until I got to the store to call in. As I was on the phone with them I entered the alarm code incorrectly and the burglar alarm started going off. I fixed it and the radio folk thought it was hysterical……I continued talking to them answering the question of the day and all of the sudden, the police were there, screaming at me to get off the phone and to put my hands where I could see them etc. I had to hang up on the radio folk and explain what had happened to the cops, who were none too thrilled.
ReplyDeleteI called the radio station back, and ended up winning $200—which I used to buy a cell phone.
I haven’t won anything since, lol.
I won a contest once, but it wasn't for me. I listened to KISS FM in Dallas for years and every year they had something called Kissmas Wishes ... where they did good things for people you nominate for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI nominated my friend Tara, who's grandson was terminal. He had down syndrome and needed a heart/lung transplant. Well I WON! I got to talk to my favorite DJ and then also got to be in the room when they told Tara and they played our clip on the radio for about a month. I was SO excited!
She got a Toys R Us gift card (and they needed it, because they had no money and lots of medical bills) and with the GC they got hi a "big boy" race car bed which he used and loved until he died about three years later.
I didn't get a THING, but I WON because I had done something nice for my friend and her family. It was such a great time.
You know how I love to win contests, so I think the thrill of winning is better than any prize. Except a prize from you, I'm sure that prize will be amazing.
ReplyDeleteLast year I won a bunch of stuff at a charity auction and I loved it, even though I felt kind of bad taking stuff from a charity. Whatever- Kate Spade sunglasses!
im like a Bingo Goddess.
ReplyDeleteseriously, i never win anything but Bingo.
I have won glass ware, motor oil, lawn care products, a humidifier, two casseroles, some coloring books and a lamp.
(church bingo rocks no? yeah, no.)
all items were confiscated and used by my parents.
and while I would like to beg and plead my lack of winning skills, i will promise I make winning cookies, which will be included in my Pay It Forward packages!
should i triumph, YES TRIUMPH, over yours...
I never win anything and I am not really commenting to win anything. I just wanted you to know that I am a big believer in the pay if forward concept of life and even if it takes contests to get the meaning of paying it forward across to the masses, it is still an important message. Just think what a great world we would live in if for just one minute a day we all stopped thinking of ourselves and helped someone out. Then the next day we all paid it forward and helped someone else, and so on and so on and so on...
ReplyDeleteBTW - you don't suck, well you don't completely suck, you won 3 contests in a row! You just now owe 3 pay if forwards, that's all...
Umm...I tried out for drill team in highschool and was passed over. Does that count? I think I suck more than you because I can't remember ever being in a contest!
ReplyDeletebah. i've lost all the pay it forward contests i've entered so far. i'm not very lucky in most random contests, really... i did win a karaoke contest once, though! got a $100 bill out of it :-)
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should stop entering the contests? ;)
ReplyDeleteDo you have the same success rate with lottery tickets? :)
ReplyDeleteI entered a coloring contest for Roll N' Roasters under my sister's name because I was twelve and you had to be under ten. She won, but I kept the t-shirt, which had this cartoon of a lady with balloon like breasts on roller skates. I still wear it sometimes.
I loved this whole post. I thought it was so funny and cute.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in sixth grade, a "doing your colors" and make-up specialist came to a [group like Girl Scouts] meeting, and she drew one name out of a hat for a girl to be the one she'd demonstrate the colors/make-up on. I ASSUMED I would not win, because things like that ALWAYS seem to be won by Other People---but I DID win. I was so surprised, I almost didn't understand at first.
P.S. I'm a summer. Evidently.
ReplyDeleteThat's OK that you didn't pay it forward the first time, because you're doing it now and better late than never, right?!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I've been entering in all these pay it forward blogs and trying to win, but I haven't won yet either. SO, maybe, just maybe...I'll win this one! :)
WOW, you are the contest queen! You should run out and buy a lotto ticket because you clearly are having a lucky streak!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in grade 6 my school decided to have a raffle for two gingerbread houses. One was GIANT and adorned with HEAPS of candy - exactly what any gr 6-er wants. The other was much smaller, still coated in sugary goodness...but the competition became FIERCE for that big one. I knew kids who were spending all of their lunch money on raffle tickets to win that big one.
On a total whim, I bought one - just one - raffle ticket for the big house. I'll never forget hearing my name called when I one it! Lame, I know, but I loved every last inch of that diabetic coma-inducing house.
Tis a sweet memory, to be sure.
I've entered about 5 of these contests and I've never won. Actually, I don't think I've ever won a contest. Except that time in 4th grade when I won the special pencil box when the teacher pulled my name out of a hat. Every kid in class was jealous. 4th grade was a good year. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to be really lucky about winning concert tickets, which sounds really cool. But here's the thing: I am a huge music junkie. Some of my friends would tell you that I am a bad influence on them because since becoming friends with me they now spend way too much money on concert tickets. Whatever, enablers.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I digress. So it sounds pretty cool that I was on a winning concert tickets streak for a while, but being such a music junkie many of the concerts that I won tickets to I had already bought tickets for in case I didn't win the contest (solution: give tickets to friends to convert them to my favorite bands!), or I already had tickets to another show on the same night (dilemma!).
Not that I'm complaining, of course. but I am also under no illusions that my luck at winning concert tickets once upon a time extends to other areas of my life. Like, say, winning the lottery!
Years ago I won a radio contest and got to fly with a friend to Philadelphia to see the Rolling Stones open up their Steel Wheels tour. That's probably the biggest prize I ever won.
ReplyDeleteIn eighth grade, I won an anti-drug essay contest held by the local police department. I WON $150!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty darn exciting for a 13 year old.
I hardly ever win anything... except way back in November or December I won a bunch of stuff from that quarterly Bloggy Giveaway Carnival thing. I did it again like a month or so ago, fully expecting to win a whole bunch more stuff, especially since I entered more contests this year... not so much. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteWell this wasn't so much a contest, but we were at a zoo fundraiser last week and we won a night at a bed and breakfast which is awesome because it is our anniversary in less than 2 months!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I have participated in a contest since highschool... but I still want to win!
ReplyDeleteFun!
ReplyDeleteRight, so my freshman year of college, the mens hockey team was trying to raise money. Somehow, I won this enormous stuffed whale, or dolphin or something...seriously, it was huge. When lying down, it was about six feet long and three feet in diameter. When I won, I had no idea what the prize was, and then when I won this thing, I had to get a friend to help me carry it down the hill to my room from the athletic complex. My roommates were dumbfounded- we had a tiny room that FOUR, yes, FOUR girls lived in.
One morning when I returned from class, it was gone. My roommates had no idea what happened to it. One of their "boyfriends" had thought it would be funny to put it in the hallway. Then someone put it in the elevator, where it rode up and down for a day, before a few frat guys grabbed it and took it to their house, where it lived for the next few years....
I did try to find it (my intent was to give it to the local childrens hospital, or something similar), but by the time I found it, lots of beer had been spilled and I didn't think that was appropriate for children...
I do wonder where it is now...
You don't suck babygurl, be easy ;-)
ReplyDeleteI once one a home security system at a street fair, but didn't have my own home and gave the prize to my sister in law.
ReplyDeleteI also won a poetry contest at school once, but there was no prize for that.
As I already told you, it took me 3 months to finally pay it forward, so I don't think you should be worried about this. Plus, I still haven't figured out what to send you. =)
ReplyDeleteI totally won a contest over at The Juice early last month and I STILL haven't gotten the prize. And I am sad.
ReplyDeleteI won this bed early this year by signing up for an e-newsletter at a mom-type website. I wanted the newsletter, didn't realize I was entering a contest. The delivery of the bed was a mess and it took over 6 months (long story) but it sits in its box in my garage getting sidewalk chalk graffiti from my kid. I also got a groovy set of sheets to go with it. I have no idea what we're going to do with it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.designpublic.com/shop/argington/4283
Last year People.com held a "Worst Dressed Woman in America" contest, and you had to submit an essay entry on why you deserved to win. Out of the thousands of entries they received they chose me, as one of 75, to make a video of why we should be chosen, and then the 10 best videos would go up on the website for votes and the one with the most votes would win a $2500 shopping spree AFTER meeting with a stylist (so you could make sure you were spending the money on stuff that would make you look good). Obviously my video sucked because I didn't get that far. And I really, REALLY, wanted a shopping spree.
ReplyDeleteI won my boyfriend, that counts right? It was the best contest win ever :)
ReplyDeleteI think the last time I won something was in high school when I was working for my elementary school's auction. I won a bag full of stuff with my elementary school logo plastered all over it. I liked my school...but not that much!
ReplyDeleteSome kind of strange Karma I think! Well I'm glad you are finally getting around to this.
ReplyDeletei won my first pay it forward and just picked my two winners last night :) I think they're fun!
ReplyDeletei don't really win many things though...it's kind of sad :(
I was big into horses back when I was a kid, and one blissful season I was a member of the Feilding Pony Club.
ReplyDeleteWe held a big meet, with lots of games, and pretty much everyone won a prize. Except me, and my great big ex-racehorse, because all the games? they were for people on little short fat ponies that they could weave in and out of things quickly.
At the end of the day they split the entire feild of ponies into two halves and we raced against each other. Our team lost because, while my team had an ex racehorse (called bob)and many teeny weeny ponies who were tired and cranky, the other team had many hellishly excited slightly bigger ponies.
At the end of the day the organisers gave everyone a ribbon (second prize in a two team race... hm, the loser prize maybe?) To add insult to final injury the ex racehorse called Bob totally freaked out about the idea of someone strapping a pink ribbon around his neck, so I had to carry the danm thing home myself.
Oh well!
You probably shouldn't pick me because I'm in NZ, and that's a heck of a long way to send anything! I'm just sharing for the sake of sharing :)
Hope I'm not too late for this contest ... There was this Revlon competiton where we had to write about the most romantic thing in our life. I din't win. I would have won a trip to France.
ReplyDeleteI know the contest is over, but the best thing I ever won happened when I was a kid. I won one of those old, giant satelitte dishes. You remember the ones from the early 80's that stood on a pole and were about the size of a house? Yes, that. Yes, my parents were thrilled. NOT!
ReplyDeleteGaaaahhh I've missed out on the contest - damn job and single momming!
ReplyDelete