Unusual Lucky Streak

I'm having a real lucky streak lately. Nothing big mind you, but normally I don't tend to win much more than a bit of makeup or the odd book anyway, no matter how many draws I enter.  While it's true that I've won a good number of books over the years, the key word there is Years.  Here are just some of the books I've won, pictured at the left. 

Something has changed since 2012 has begun however, as I've already won 3 this year, plus a necklace, and a $10 gift card for Sears.
 One day in particular was so lucky I couldn't believe it.  First some friends had passes for 2 free buffet dinners at Rideau Carleton that they couldn't use before the expiry date. They knew we liked to go there, so they gave them to us.  The day we went we stopped into Shoppers Drug Mart on the way.  I happened to spot something that I use all the time and it was on sale so I decided to buy it.  They rang it in at full price, and when I pointed out that it was on sale, they told me that if I was right, I'd get it for free. They did a price check, and verified that it was indeed on sale. It's their policy that if anything scans incorrectly the customer doesn't have to pay.  This was news to me, but I came out $10 ahead of the game and quite happy to have learned about this. 
When we got to Rideau Carleton, there were several tables set up outside the dining room area. I asked one lady what that was all about, and she said it was Spanish Night, and would I care to sample some wine. I looked up in time to see my hubby being led off to our table, so I said I had to go.  Moments later someone arrived at our table with two glasses of wine, and said they had heard "the hubby was in a hurry."  That kind of service was certainly unexpected.  Oh, and they came back with more later on.  Free dinner, free wine, things were going great. Normally they charge you extra for coffee and tea, but that night they told us to forget that too!

Now, we are not gamblers, but we like to pick a horse and bet $2 to show, just so we have one to cheer for.  By the end of the night we generally break even, or only be up or down by a buck or two.  During this particular evening I picked a horse that came in 3rd.  While many of our horses that come in first only pay $2.10 for the $2 bet, this one, even though it was third, paid $18.50.  The stars must have been really lined up right that night!

My most recent win was yesterday, when a letter arrived from Reader's Digest. It seems I've won a Swap and Drop Kit, worth about $40.  I've been entering Reader's Digest contests regularly for so many years I can't remember, but I've never won anything from them before.  I don't know what's going on, but maybe I should buy a lottery ticket, just to see if I can win something worth a bit more.  What do you think?

A Night at the Races

We had a nice quiet day at home Friday. But when the rain promised to hold off for the evening, we decided to go to Rideau Carleton Raceway for dinner and the races.  We called a lot of different people but nobody was available to join us on such short notice, so we went alone. 

We did find friends there, sitting just a couple of tables away. They didn't seem interested in the races though, so they might have been better off to have come on a different night, when the buffet is only half the cost.  They wandered off to the casino while we stayed and played the ponies.  We figure the races are a lot easier on the wallet as we just bet two dollars "to show" just so we will have a horse to cheer for.  The worst we can do is lose a twoonie every 15 minutes or so.  LOL   Most of the time we come home within a dollar or two, one way or the other, of what we went with. Tonight we didn't do as well, but even so, we got 3 1/2 hours of entertainment. We also got to eat the whole time and while we managed to lose ten dollars on the horses, others lost a lot more in the slot machines, I'm sure.

Actually I'm sure we lost more tonight than we ever have before.  We generally like to brag that we have been playing with the same little purse of coins for three or four years now.  And I guess we still can as I topped up tonight's losses with winnings I keep in another change purse.  We're all set to go again sometime soon, and I'm sure we'll do better next time.