The Lucky Dragon

Nice DVD for a Star Wars Fan!

2009-06-26T13:11:00.001-05:00

I believe we owned this before in a videotape box set, but I'm sure we will enjoy watching it on DVD!

Books!

2009-06-04T17:19:00.002-05:00

Two more books won recently.

The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters

The six notorious and passionately opinionated daughters of the second Baron Redesdale knew many key figures of the 20th century, from Hitler and Churchill to Evelyn Waugh and Lucian Freud. The sisters wrote some 12,000 letters to each other over a span of 80 years—the last was a fax sent in 2003 by 83-year-old Deborah to the dying 93-year-old Diana—and 5% are included here. The turbulent years before and during WWII produced the most noteworthy correspondence: Jessica scandalized her family by running away with her Communist cousin, and Diana divorced a Guinness heir to marry British fascist leader Oswald Mosley. Anti-Semitic Unity gushes like a schoolgirl over Hitler and tells Jessica that she wouldn't hesitate to kill Jessica's Communist husband for Nazism—but in the meanwhile she hopes they can be friends. Nancy writes cheerily to the imprisoned Diana after secretly testifying against her during the war. In later years, Jessica irritated her sisters from her home in America and broke completely with Diana over political differences. Peppered with colorful nicknames, filled with love, encouragement, jealousy and gossip, and written primarily to amuse the recipients, the letters testify to the bonds of sisterhood. Diana's daughter-in-law has diligently edited the mammoth correspondence, although readers will need to fill in the gaps with Mitford biographies and memoirs.

Sounds good. Also sounds like I need to learn more about these famous sisters first! Off to the library, I guess.

Absolutely Positively Not

Sixteen-year-old Steven relishes square dancing, drools over his male health teacher's musculature, and keeps a stash of International Male catalogs underneath his bed, but is determined that he is absolutely, positively not gay. In an eager crack to prove his heterosexuality, he futilely attempts to buy a Playboy magazine, tries mingling with the meathead jocks at lunch, and embarks on a series of disastrous dates with girls from his class. From the outset, it's obvious that Larochelle's first novel is mostly lighthearted laughs as Steven tries to rid himself of deviant sexual behavior (as explained in an ancient teen sexuality book he borrowed from the library). When he finally does own up to his shortcomings as a heterosexual, he decides to out himself to his best friend, Rachel, who is relieved that he has finally told her and blabs the news to her entire family while urging him to form a gay-straight alliance in his high school the following day. Even though the good-natured humor does cloud the book's overall sense of reality at times, Larochelle's eye-opening and accurate portrayal of Steven's coming out will ring optimistically true for many teens and their friends who are struggling with sexuality issues. And it's the delivery of his outing, coated in a healthy dose of hilarity, that makes Absolutely, Positively Not a fast-paced, funny, and frivolously frank read.

Very nice personalization by the author! Enjoyable book (for those of us who still pick up teen novels).

T Mobile Instant Win

2009-04-20T17:41:00.003-05:00

This is a pretty cool instant win - one of those folding camp chairs:

Try it yourself: T-Mobile Pasaporte a los Partidos Sweepstakes (ends in a couple of weeks)

Simply Red 25 CD (a while ago)

2009-04-20T17:39:00.001-05:00

Won this CD a couple of weeks ago, but I'm just getting around to posting it now.

Back in the Saddle

2009-03-17T16:41:00.004-05:00

I haven't been entering many contests recently, and started trying to get back into it today. Had a win pretty quickly to remind me how fun that is!

Unlike usually, I'm not going to give the link for this one, because the game is rather confusing to play. I probably wouldn't have even tried myself without the advice on Sweepstakes Advantage from other members!

A 2008 Win Arrives

2009-03-13T15:07:00.002-05:00

Took a bit of time - but I'd say it was worth the wait.

The box (which is bigger than 2' x 2' x 2'):

And the contents (sorry for the glare):

I think my nieces (Zo Peep and Libby Doodle Doo) will enjoy most of these, and the rest will likely end up in Toys for Tots.

My DVD stockpile is growing!

2009-03-09T15:05:00.002-05:00

Heard this movie is very good - just need to find the time to watch it!

American Rust: A Novel

2009-03-02T14:53:00.003-06:00

Another advanced reader copy book - which have the advantage of having a fair market value of $0 (something I'm very aware of at tax time). Book description starts "Set in a beautiful but economically devastated Pennsylvania steel town, American Rust is a novel of the lost American dream and the desperation--as well as the acts of friendship, loyalty, and love--that arise from its loss." Don't think it's quite like the town I grew up in, but should be interesting to read!

First Blu-ray DVDs!

2009-02-18T16:34:00.004-06:00

Last fall I won a blu-ray player, and now I've won my first blu-ray movies to play on it!

I am suddenly feeling rejuvenated about making the time to enter contests.

February Wins (so far)

2009-02-11T15:08:00.005-06:00

February has been slow, but mostly because I've been busy and not entering contests as much.

I did receive two surprise wins in the mail last weekend. One was a DVD "first prize" in a daily entry contest:

The second was a total shock. Not because of the prize - a $5 gift card to Chevron - but because this was an instant win prize and I never had a winning screen! Sometimes, though, this game got glitchy and froze before it showed the "try tomorrow", so perhaps I actually won one of those times. Who knows? Still $5 of free gas is nice.

Historical Romance Trilogy!

2009-01-25T20:24:00.007-06:00

They were once orphans from London’s toughest slums. Now they are students of Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Select Young Ladies, learning the art of swordplay and seduction. Bold, beautiful, and oh-so dangerous, they are England’s ultimate secret weapons—spies that no mission can daunt and no man can resist. . .

So, three more books to add to my shelf of books I really need to get to readin'! These sound like a lot of fun and will probably move ahead of others in my queue.

And Once Again!!

2009-01-18T14:49:00.004-06:00

Would not print this time either. I have received an email reply from them for the 1/3 win that they would mail me a coupon. Hopefully I'll get one for this win also.

Another DVD!

2009-01-14T09:49:00.007-06:00

Now this is one that I was really hoping to win! I will be eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Other contests from this sponsor: parenthood.com

Tinkerbell DVD

2009-01-12T15:16:00.004-06:00

This was one of those "surprise" wins - it just showed up in my mailbox without any warning. It also came directly from Walt Disney Studios and didn't include any information about the contest or sponsor. I actually don't remember entering for this DVD, but it's possible that it was in a contest with numerous prizes.

More Free Product Coupons!

2009-01-05T09:03:00.005-06:00

First time I played this game, I won! Rules give little details, just Kraft free product coupons valued up to $15.

Try it yourself: Kraft So Good Together On Game Day

Just a Small Win to Start 2009

2009-01-03T07:17:00.006-06:00

But then who can't use free coupons!

I did have to email the contest because the coupon wouldn't print. I've won this prize twice before and only had it print once, which seems to be a problem actually on their end, not with my buggy printer.

Try it yourself: Win Free Pace Salsa

Win Wishes for 2009

2008-12-29T16:32:00.004-06:00

Of course wishing makes no difference to the gods of random chance, but here are the top 5 wins I'd love to get in 2009:

5. Anything from the iPod family. Not that I actually need one, but in the 4 years I've been entering contests, I have never won an iPod - not even a shuffle. And, yes, to the non-sweepers reading this, that is unusual. Many folks I know have won 2 or more. I may as well wish big so I'll go with -- a 32GB iPod Touch.

4. A small camera because, well, they are just so cute nowadays and I think it would be fun to have one.

3. A 32" LCD TV. We are planning to buy ourselves one this year to replace the 15-year-old 20" CRT in our exercise room, but it's always nicer to win than buy!

2. A laptop - because ours is showing its age, but not enough to justify replacing it (from the people who took 9 years to replace their desktop).

1. And the number one win I'd love to win in 2009 - CASH. My biggest cash win so far (not including gift cards) was $100. I'd like to beat that number - and, obviously, bigger is actually better in this case!

Feel free to post your win wishes in the comments.

2008 Wins Round-Up

2008-12-22T11:01:00.017-06:00

Following is a list of all wins for 2008.
* -- the item has not been delivered yet (and in some cases never will).

Coupons and Samples and Small Stuff

M&M's (12 oz)
Hershey's Bliss Chocolates (12 oz) - won 3
Birdseye Steamfresh Dinner
Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kit
Dole Salad Kit
Pace Salsa - won 2
Subway chips - won several times, but store would not accept
makeup foundation sample
Colgate toothpaste sample
Disney Lapel Pin
Cesar small dog entree
T-shirts - won 3
Band Posters - won 2
Blackberry Application

CDs / Music-related

Michael Buble - Call Me Irresponsible
Alison Moyet - The Turn
The St. Alvia Cartel
100 Pepsi Stuff Points (used to buy MP3s)
$30 Itunes

Books ("ARC" are Advanced Reader Copies)

Newes from the Dead
The Dark of Day
Careless in Red
In the Land of the Free
The Smart One
The Space Between Before and After
Outback Baby Miracle
Reunited Marriage in a Million
The Tycoon’s Virgin and The Prince's Arranged Bride
Vamps (ARC)
Anna: The Fold (ARC)
The Victoria Vanishes(ARC)

DVDs

Ghost in The Shell
Gamers
Full Throttle Adrenaline
Darfur Now
Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control
Toy Story 2
Dexter (Season 2)
John Oliver: Terrifying Times
Wayside School (Season 1)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall * - confirmed lost in mail
The Happening
Birds of America
Futurama: Bender's Game * - can not contact sponsor at all
Kung Fu Panda and Furious Five
Shrek the Halls
Madagascar
The Godfather Boxed Set
Flow

Video Games

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (Wii)
Quantum of Solace (PC)
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Xbox)

Gift Cards and Codes / Cash

$125 of Visa/Mastercard/AmEx
$25 Regal Theatre
4 Movie Tickets
$25 Gift code for Wolfgangs Vault store
Thrifty Car Rental - 1 day
6 Month Netflix Subscription (1-at-a-time/2 per month)
$1000 Home Depot

Miscellaneous

Flying V Guitar
Chantal Mixing Bowl Set of 3
Sack of Toys

Electronics

Blu-ray Player
Xbox (The Dark Knight edition)
Wii with extra remote
Smart Shopper

Won By Other Family Members

Trip to a Movie Premiere in 2009 * (we have not heard back on this)