Sweepstakes and Suckers

The high temperature today was: 54 degrees

The humidity was:  36%

Cloudy and cold this morning. 

Sunny and cold this afternoon

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Quite a few of the blogs I read have poetry that the ladies have written.  I love to read them.  This is a poem I wrote a couple of years ago.  Not real profound, but I giggle every time I read it.  It is going in the book for the chiropractor's boys--aged 5 & 7.

I had a Woozle, a very fine Woozle

And I asked him outside to play.

But I got a refusal from my fine Woozle

Inside for a snoozle he’d stay.

I found a stout rope put it over his moozle

Tugged and pulled him down the hallway.

When we got to the porch, he got scared of course

And dug in his claws to stay.

I pleaded and begged and tugged on the rope

I was going to have it my way.

But my Woozle was strong and he broke the rope

And promptly ran away.

So if you have a Woozle, a very fine Woozle

And he doesn’t want to play.

Then accept his refusal, let him be a Woozle

And snoozle inside all day.
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A sad thing today.  I walked up to Pearl's and we chatted a bit, then the mail came and I walked out to get it for her.  She had a huge pile of stuff and while I sat there, she went through it.  All entries for sweepstakes.  It seems she has entered about fifteen different sweepstakes.  She thinks she is in the final stages of winning $2M in one of them.  She went through ten of the today and threw the rest away--only keeping the ones worth a million or more.  It seems out of the ten, she is in the running for the final prize in each one.

Okay

She looked at me and said, "Don't sit over there smirking at me.  Thinking I am silly for doing this."

"No--it's okay.  It gives you something to do."

"Yeah--you can smirk now, but when I win--you won't be smirking then!"

"I hope you know not to send in any money or buy anything from them.  You don't have to pay or buy to win.  It's the law now after the people sued Publisher's Clearing house for requiring a person to buy something in order to be in the drawing."

"I know the law...I know that.  The only money I have sent in is a measly nine dollars for the judge's fees."

"Pearl!  That means it is a scam!"

"No.  It was all explained in the paperwork.  If you don't send in the judges fees, you won't be put into the final drawing."

"But...you've sent them money, so you are getting scammed."

"No I'm not!  It is just a few dollars for the judges fees so they will put my name in the final drawing.  Just wait until I win a million dollars...or more.  Then you will see."

GOOD GRIEF!!!

So, I came home and did some research and this is what I found:

1. Sweepstakes Scams Require You Pay to Receive the Prize

Legitimate sweepstakes will never ask you to pay fees to participate or to receive a prize. You should never have to pay handling charges, service fees, or any other kind of charges up front to receive a win - those are sure signs of sweepstakes scams. No purchase necessary -- it's the law!

You never have to order or pay a fee to enter and win a sweepstakes. You always have an equal chance of winning whether or not you order -- it's the law.

The requests must come in writing and can come from the individual personally or from bulk mailings... You never have to order or pay a fee to enter and win a sweepstakes, by specially trained judges, or by a computer using random selection programs.

She won't listen.  I am not the teacher of the world...or of Pearl.  I have told her.  I have shown her and still...she has only spent a total of ninety dollars for judges fees and she will recoup that when she wins!

and, I'll bet when they tell her she is in the final drawing, but they need twenty-five dollars or whatever to insure her name goes in--she will pay it.  Twenty-five times ten entries.  

...and she just can't see it.  ...and she still hasn't called Comcast to have her home phone taken off the bundle.  A phone that is not hooked up to the outside world!

...and she can't work her new Smart Phone.  She cannot take an incoming call, because she can't figure out how to push the talk button, or whatever button you push.  She actually said to me, "I don't understand this damn thing, but...it is a Smart Phone so it will help me figure out how to operate it."

I mumbled, "A smart phone is only as smart as the operator of said phone."

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House is separated

 House is prepared for the road

Half a house gone

Bye, bye house.  Bye, bye hunky boys.

Other half going

Hello view!

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I spent today running around.  Got an oil change for my car.  The guys said it had been taken care of real well.  Nearly 16 years old and only 42,000 miles on it--no rust--no problems.  Yes--I am very lucky.  Stopped at the Wal-Mart to get some stuff to make the story book for the chiropractor's boys.  It turned out really nice.  Made an appointment in late October to take Pammie to the Opthamalogist.  Dar came to visit--blah, blah, blah.  She did ask how my weekend had gone, but when I went to tell her, she started looking down at her watch, stretching and yawning, so I kept it short.  She really isn't interested--unless it concerns her.

Cross stitched some more on Elmo--I think I am going to make it and...put in a couple of hours on my new job.  Could have worked more hours, but trying to pace myself.  It is real interesting and I think it is going to help me too--if I ever want to self-publish a book.  

If it would just warm up a tad, I would get really interested in cleaning up and painting my front porch.  I really would like to get it done before winter comes.  October has some real nice weather--I am thinking--3 days max to get it all done with 2 coats of paint.  We shall see.

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Oh yes--I bought a three pack of cotton underpants.  I haven't worn cotton in years and years and years--they feel nice and comfy, even though they tend to drag on my jeans when I pull up my pants, but still in all.........nice.

Another mass shooting today--it seems as if we are all becoming blase' about these types of things.  

I am also working on this for a Christmas present

for Jennifer.  Like the one I did for Karen.

Boy--I sure do miss those little kids   <sigh>