I Confess: Itching For a Prize

I confess that in all of my thirty-seven (thirty-eight in less days) years of breathing, I have won a free prize only twice. By "free prize" I mean a reward that did not require working or paying for it. The first was a Malibu Barbie doll from a scratch off ticket in a box of Kellog's Sugar Corn Pops (it's now called Corn Pops, that's how long ago it was) cereal. There is a folklore that says if your palms itch money is coming your way. That day I itched my palms until they were raw, then begged my pa to buy a box of Sugar Corn Pops even though there was still half a box left at home. I was convinced of the truth of that folklore when my prize was revealed beneath the foil coating on the ticket. One month later, my Malibu Barbie came in the mail, wearing a teal bathing suit.

The second prize was from a pull tab ticket at an indoor amusement park. I spent Thanksgiving with my freshman (college) roommate and her family. Her aunt took us out on the town, and bought us each $2.00 worth of pull-tabs. We couldn't play the tabs because we were under-aged. I don't remember if I itched my palms this time, but I was elated when my tab revealed a $5.00 reward. My pocket jingled all the way home.

Today Five-Star and I had a lunch date. Our server gave us this ticket with our bill:

Also today I started applying hydrocortisone for an itch that is causing my face and neck to break out in a hot, sandpapery rash. This itch has no mercy!

Finally, today still, I started taking Prednisone. NO MERCY! Yet. My neck and face are burning with an itch that just won't back off!

You think karma- or whatever it is that creates luck- could add the neck and face to that itchy folklore so that I could at least win the iPod? Please? With corticosteroids on top?

Great Apple Pie Cook Off Score Card

This is how serious the Great Apple Pie Cook Off was. 

The judges judged by fixed categories. And one of them even made notes on his/her score card. 

This was my score card, by the way.

Yours Truly.

The Great Apple Pie Cook Off

At last, the Great Apple Pie Cook Off arrived. For the last two weeks I had been scouring the Internet for an apple pie [click] recipe. Not just any apple pie; it had to have a special umph! to win the Apple Cup. (Not to be confused with the [click] football Apple Cup.)

If you are reading this for the first time, and are not familiar with the events leading up to the cook off, you might want to read [click] this.

Four Judges:

Five-Star Scotty.

The Boxster

Mary Kay. (Who was not allowed to drink champagne.)

Liam's Mom.

If Liam could be a judge I know exactly which pie he'd pick. 

 

 And why not, what with the festive sparklies that adorn it's top crust.

Yes, those are apples shaped out of the pie crust top.

The contestants wasted no time sidling up to the judges.

 

The Contestants:

(L-R/Top-bottom) 

James, Yours Truly, Palomino, Alfonsina, The Author.

 

The Vanna White of the cook off:

Liam's Dad.

*What? Vanna is an icon; it shouldn't matter that she is a woman. It's an honor to be compared to her.*

Once again, the five pies:
(In random ranking order)

And the winner is... Drum roll please!

 



Pie Number Three! James!




And why not? It had the classic lattice top. It cut softly. It stayed in place. And the apples were cooked through without being mushy.

 

Just like a proper celebrity, James thanked the panel of judges for their discerning taste, his competitors for the challenge, and God above for everything else.

 Amen!

A Day With Tita V

Telltale signs that Tita V is well on her way to full recovery:

(If you're just now reading this, you might want to

  read this first.)

1. She's NOT in her bed. 

2. She's been lotioning (is this even a word?).

3. She's eating solid food.                        .

4. She's on the phone WHILE she's eating.

5. Her new feel-good cocktail is cranberry juice.

          6. She sits up in bed.                                             
          See the incline level on the bed rail?               
(Mouse over the photo below.)             

 

7. She's taking visitors.

Yours truly.

Who could these matching shoes belong to?

Mattie and Jamesie Cat. Even their tops match!

Most obvious sign that Tita V is recovering quickly:

8. She's adopting more sons: 

Her surgeon, who looks like he's 19 years old...

And this cute blue-eyed blond.

Tita V is getting healthier and stonger as the world turns.

A Day With Cousin Ain

Don't let this picture scare you off. It's 

Tita V's hand. She had surgery yesterday.

She's now resting comfortably. She's fine.

She's got her feel-good cocktail available 

to her at the push of a button.

In fact, the way she's rigged up right now, she could probably beat me to the finish line of a 5k race. That's right, let me say it again, 

TITA V IS DOING FINE.

Before this though, there was some minor panic. She took longer than expected in the operating room, which got Abby's and Ain's iPhones lit up with test messages.

(Mouse over photo to enlarge.)

Cousin Ain is too cute!

When it was all said and done, we were all left in a pile of starving relief. So I picked up some food at this Hawaiian style restaurant just a few blocks away.

Apparently their food appeals so much to islanders that Abby and Chris even stopped by there before coming to the hospital.

Tita V on the other hand was restricted to a "clear diet". 

 Fed and relieved, Ain wastes no time offline.

Needless to say, her Facebook wall must
be lit up like a Christmas tree.