My Minute of Fame. . .

The week after Christmas my mother-in-law came to visit us for a few days.  She always flies in on Christmas day, much to the delight of her grand-girls.  It's like an extra special present saved until last and special delivered every year.  It's a tradition the girls look forward to. . . but that's not what this post is about.

While Leesa was here, she happened to be perusing the newspaper and noticed a writing contest.  Turning to me she said, "You should enter."

I have never entered a writing contest.  Why, I can't fathom when I consider it now.  At the time I smiled and said, "Yeah, I should." Then I didn't think of it until after she had left.  Then I thought, "I SHOULD!"

And I did.

I figured the stakes were pretty low.  It was an essay about Astoria in 250 words or less.  I've already typed more than half that in this post.  Plus, I had a story about Astoria.

So I took 15 or 20 minutes and wrote something up.  Then submitted it by email.  Then I waited.

On the day they were to announce the winners I checked the website repeatedly all day.  Then I left and took Hannah to a party and went grocery shopping and got dinner. . .

When I got back there was an Astoria number on my caller ID.  I rushed to check the website.

My name was on the short list . . . of three winners!  (Out of over a hundred submissions).

The only one more shocked than me was Rob.  I think he was inordinately shocked, quite frankly.

My prize? A stay at the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria and a $50 gift card to dinner at an Astoria restaurant.  And they published it in The Daily Astorian.  (You can read it yourself.)  They are planning to publish it in the Oregonian as well at some point.

So what I have learned from this is:  I should enter more writing contests.  Winning is fun. . . and so is writing.

Have you won anything lately?