Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Winner Announced... A tale of good luck and bad!

I promised you a story and a winner, and you'll get one of each here today.   In case you would like the "short version,"  I'll go straight to the winner!

I appreciate all of you who participated so enthusiastically in the drawing for the Artisan Whimsy Holiday event and drawing.   

This necklace and earring set, inspired by the Art Deco period for a History Challenge....


goes to:
New Moon Scents!

Please send me a comment here with your mailing address.  (I won't publish it.)   I'll get your winnings off to you!  Hopefully this brings the best of luck your way!

For the rest of you, please stay tuned in the coming weeks.  I'm planning more giveaways and announcement of sales (mine and others) that might be of interest!   

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Now for the story...



Why am I so behind, you may wonder?  Why so long to announce a winner?   Well, have you ever heard of "bad luck coming in threes?"    I'm not a superstitious person, truly, but here is my story (and bad luck list)....

Prefatory Notes:

-- Over Thanksgiving I got a new workbench.  (That wasn't bad luck, that was GREAT luck!)   Not together yet, but it's waiting for me to prepare a space for it!   Of course it did cost a bit of money, which is why I mention it here at all.

-- For my birthday, a few weeks before, my family gave me an IOU for a new camera too, as the lens on mine kept sticking.   It was clearly time for a newer model!

Now here is where we start counting:


1) One day last week, the modem died.   Luckily, I could get a new one free from my internet provider.  Just had to go get it.  (While I was out, I decided to shop for that new camera. Found one and bought it.   Good thing, just more money out.)

2) I took photos with my new camera the next day and as I went to load them on my laptop, the laptop died.   (Dang!)

3) I went and bought a new laptop.  Ka-ching!  

4) Two days later, it's the weekend and my husband is doing laundry.  (Love that husband of mine!)   Washing machine won't agitate.   Full load with water that won't drain.  Not good.  Ka-ching, ka-ching!

5)  While husband goes to buy a new washing machine, I get the only large bucket I can find and a small plastic bowl, and begin dumping the water from the machine into the bucket.  When I would get the bucket about 1/2 full, I would take it to the bathroom just around the corner and dump it in the toilet.  (Too much info?  Sorry... but this is vital.)   About the 2nd or 3rd trip, I notice water running all over the floor.  Must have been messy in my pouring.   I cleaned that mess up and filled another bucket.   Wow!  More water on the floor.  Cleaned that up.  By bucket 6, I stopped.  Water was running on all sides of the toilet, under baseboards, all over the bathroom floor.  Could I be that messy in pouring water from a bucket?!   I think there must be a leak in the toilet.  I call my husband while he's still on the road to the store to look for machines.  

He calls the plummer.   

I call my sister.

My sister is very familiar with all things lucky and unlucky, so I had to ask her if I hit 3 rounds of bad luck and kept going to 4 and 5, does that mean more bad luck is to come or I am just being an over-achiever?   We're realists in our family, so even considering my prior history of over-achieving status, she bets there is more bad luck to come.  (Gotta love her!)

6)  Monday, first thing in the morning, I realized that little decorative flag on my front step needed changing from fall to winter.  I stepped out on the front step and the door which had been open about 2 feet, slammed shut with the force of the wind.  Locked.   Locked out.   ...Did I mention I was barefoot?  (I'm NEVER barefoot, even in the house!)   Called that dear husband of mine who drove home 30 minutes from work to let me back in.   

Then I called my sister to let her know she had been right and how thankful I was to  hit a multiple of three again!  Whew!   So glad that was over!

7)  Monday night the plummer finally made it over to our house.   He looked everything over.  Yep, the washer was shot--good thing we were having a new one delivered.   Couldn't figure out the bathroom leak though.  Decided to reenact it.   Turns out there was a $40 leak in that bucket....

8 and 9)  Yet to come...


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Image Credits:

Jewelry and jewelry photo by Sharyl

Story:  http://www.wpclipart.com/education/reading/reading_3/contemplation.jpg

Camera:  http://www.wpclipart.com/camera/.cache/old_camera_2.png

Laptop:  http://www.wpclipart.com/computer/laptop/laptop_2/.cache/notebook_smiling.png

Washing machine: http://www.wpclipart.com/smiley/assorted_smiley/assorted_3/.cache/smiley_in_washing_machine.png

Call to sister:  http://www.wpclipart.com/holiday/halloween/assorted/assorted_2/.cache/scared_phone_call.png

House:  http://www.wpclipart.com/buildings/homes/house/.cache/house_symbol_round_1.png

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8 comments:

Christine Altmiller said...

I have not stopped by in a while but am glad I did today. I am laughing so hard (at your expense...sorry!) at #7. I sure hope you are done and 8 & 9 fail to happen.

Alice said...

Oh dear, that is really bad luck, but fortunately nothing serious except lots of money being spent to fix it all. Hopefully the bad luck is over and you can rest easy!

Just in case, I'm sending lucky hugs your way.

Sharyl said...

Thank you, Alice! I'm in need of some of those lucky hugs! And I'll send some right back to you too!

And Christine, I used to have a Great Aunt who would exclaim, "Laugh, thought I'd cry!" My sister and I often quote that when our luck turns bad and all we can do is laugh hysterically over the mess!

Indeed, I feel very fortunate that none of this has been life-threatening or beyond our means to put right. So laugh on... that's what we're doing! :-)

Carole M. said...

uh-oh yes have had periods like that in my life too Sharyl; feel for you! Hopefully you roll on into a new year with a clean slate. Things can only get better? (Being locked out took me back years, when that happened to the door to the motel room when taking the breakfast tray out. Like you dressed in slip-slop comfie clothes and bare feet and had to take the lift down to the front-desk foyer for help. You can imagine how I felt standing there midst the tie-clad executives signing out!

Shai Williams said...

So I wasn't the only one. Mine has stopped at number 5 so far.

Tanya said...

I'm so sorry for everything that has been going on. I am especially sorry for #5. I think I did something similar. :)

On the brighter side, I hope you are enjoying your new camera. It's been so nice out that you might have been able to get some nice outdoor shots.

Sharyl said...

Thanks, Tanya! #5 was aggravating. #7 was just plain humiliating! lol! I haven't been out lately with the camera, but will have to give that a try. Thanks for the idea! I need to get back in my "I heart macro" participation! Good practice for me!

To Shaiha, yes, please stop at 5...no matter what my sister says! :)

And to Carole M, your story is as funny/sad/embarrassing as mine! So glad we can laugh over these moments later! Take good care!

Alicia said...

I know I shouldn't be laughing - but it's hard not to! OMG, Sharyl, I surely hope you stop and #7 was just a little 'cherry on top', not the reset of the counter!

#6 is what I hate the most - we have a couple of electronic door locks just because I never have keys in my pocket and I am always bare foot!

The good part is you have new equipment to work with :)
Hugs and a bunch of good luck sending your way!