A Christmas Potty!

It has been AGES since I've held a contest on GAG!  Ages since I've had any type of writing fun, at all.  So...I'm gonna have a contest!

A "Photo Caption" contest.  

I snapped this photo in Kingfield, in the parking lot of "Trantens Too"... a popular convenience store, take-out and gas station.

Surely, you can come up with a funny caption for this photo?  Or... how about this version of it?

I have faith in you!  Come up with a caption, and enter it as a comment to this blog entry.  On December 11th, I'll have my pal Saint choose the one he likes best (unless he enters, himself--which I don't think he'll do...except that the prize is so....unique?  Coveted, even??  Hah!  Well, if Saint enters the contest, I'll have my oldest son Guy choose the winner.  He never reads the stuff his lame-oh mother writes!)

The winner will receive a DVD of the 'comedy show' I performed at Nostalgia Tavern in November of 2009.  Not a single copy of this show has been released anywhere (and there's good reason for that!!)  Listening to myself afterwards was PAINFUL!  Excruciating.  All I can say is... Thank God the crowd was drinking!!

Enter my contest and win--and I'll release one copy of that fund-raising show to you. It will be NON-copyable (is that a word?)  After all, I can't go around being a total bonehead to just anyone, can I?  Ugh...

Please enter.  What have you got to lose? Your dignity?  Nope.  I've got that one in the bag.

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Okay!  This didn't work.  So... at the suggestion of one of my Australian friends, who is an expert on...well, to hear him tell the story-- he's an expert on everything that I'm not-- (which allows him a fairly large repertoire!) I'm 'expanding' the contest (and writing a tremendously long run-on sentence, too!)

Below is a photo which will be easy to write captions for--and there is nothing in it to prompt any political zingers.  I guess....  (We try to save those for VOW...)

Here you go.  I'm closing this down on January 8th, and someone will get a prize.

Enter a caption in the comments section, please???

Thank you and Happy New Year from the crew at The F.A.R.M.--where there's Fresh Air and Room to Move!
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Oops!!!! Sleeping on the Job!

Hey, gang...

I owe you an apology! I have been so busy (not kidding! I know it's a bad excuse but it's true) that I not only forgot about the ending of my most recent contest, but in between posting it and now, I forgot to promote it, too.

Holy smokes.

It is, of course, obvious that we have a winner. Once again, Crookedpaw prevails. Against all odds and strong opposition, he managed to pull another one out of the bag!

Hehehe........ I feel like such an idiot.

And we really made this way too easy for our Down Under pal. A man with the brains and talent of Mr. paw should have had to work much harder for his victory. (And I should have worked much harder to get others involved, so that he had to.)

A quart of Lexington maple syrup, fresh made six weeks ago by Cousin Jimmy, will be on its way to CP very soon. Since that's a trip of 10,000+ miles, I'll mail a copy of GB under separate cover, just in case the syrup jar breaks, or it leaks, or something. (Won't Aussie Customs love me, then!? We have such a sticky relationship, already!)

Again, I'm sorry I dropped the ball, here. In addition to job and family, I started a new blog, Voices On the Wind (VOW) so that I could keep windy stuff separate from my other writing here on GAG. And I've been very involved in legislation at the Capital in Augusta, along with myriad details having to do with the Highland Wind project. And other projects and people and issues. Like I said, that's no excuse... but it IS my excuse.

Hugs from here,
Kaz

Frivolous Lawsuits-- A Contest.

Even though I take full responsibility for the subject matter and tone on Grumbles and Grins, there are times when others influence the content of my blog. My family, friends and neighbors all play a role in my life… and my life is what inspires the content of this online journal.

After a recent post (“Testosterone-Smelling Ears”) one of my Australian friends wrote to me with a suggestion. He proposed that I start a new contest. He thought it would be fun to have readers write in with their best and brightest ideas for bringing a frivolous lawsuit, based on something stupid that they had done. Let’s face it… we’ve all done stupid things. Some of us even make a bit of a career out of it!

His idea sounded good to me.

At his suggestion, however, I am expanding the contest. In my next “Observations from The F.A.R.M.” column in The Irregular, I am going to invite the newspaper readers to join in the fun. Hopefully, they won’t be too shy to play along. I’ll invite them to come to GAG and submit their entries here on the blog, so that you can all enjoy their ‘bonehead moments’, too.

Since there is a bit of ‘lag time’ between when I write my column and when it appears in the newspaper, I’ll keep the contest open for awhile. I’ve already submitted articles in advance, so I believe the contest won’t get mentioned until I write the column for the April 27th issue. Therefore, I’ll let the contest run until May 11th, my mother’s birthday.

Since this is maple syrup season, I’ll award the winner a quart of maple syrup made right here in Lexington which, at today’s prices, is worth almost $20.00. I’ll also throw in an autographed copy of Grumble Bluff. If you’ve already got one, maybe you can think of someone who’d like my novel as a gift.

In addition, I’ll take my top three favorites and publish them in the Irregular, in a subsequent column (with or without the winners' names-- your choice!) I think I’ll ask an author friend of mine to do the judging this time, so that—if we have a repeat winner—it won’t seem as if I’m playing favorites.

How does that sound? I hope it sounds like fun, and that you will enter. Just think of something dumb you’ve done (or something a member of your family has done) which would be a prime example of what might make a frivolous lawsuit, and tell me all about it!

Chances are, though… that lawsuit’s already been 'tried'.

A Lobbyist, a Senator and a Representative... A New Contest on GAG

It’s time for a contest on GAG. It’s been far too long since I had some fun on Grumbles and Grins, and I figured I’d better do something now, while it’s First Quarter moon. Because… you all know how I get when the moon is full!

Grrr!!!

Recently, I was telling a friend about some of the events, meetings and activities written into my schedule for the next few days. I wrote, “I have a meeting with a lobbyist, a senator and a representative in a coffee shop…”

Of course, I immediately thought, “Boy, that sounds like the intro to a joke!”

“A lobbyist, a senator and a representative walked into a coffee shop…”

“A lobbyist, a senator and a representative walked into a bar…”

“A lobbyist, a senator and a representative walked into a…”

So, here is my challenge. Come up with a joke for one of those introductory sentences and submit them in the comments section of this posting. The winner will receive a copy of the new cookbook just put out by the Lexington-Highland Historical Society, and a copy of the DVD produced by Tom Olds and me, which contains photos of the beautiful state of Maine, set to music. (By the way… the photo on the label shows Hutchins Hill in the background, and although you can’t see it, my house is nestled in those woods half-way up the hill.)

The contest will run until February 27th, and I will decide the winner, this time. No drawings, no ‘eeny-meeny-miney-moes’. I’ll simply choose the one I like the best, or the one that made me smile the longest, or groan the loudest. Enter as many times as you want—the more, the merrier.

And if you’re not ‘into’ cooking, just remember—someone you know and love, IS! This book will make a great gift, and you are supporting the efforts of the folks in two tiny, rural communities who are trying to preserve the history of this region in the western mountains of Maine.

Okay! “A lobbyist, a senator and a representative walked into a….”


Give it your best shot! And thanks for playing with me on GAG.

Kaz
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Bottom (fuzzy) photo was taken in the Tavern at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, Maine-- where I actually DID meet with a lobbyist (er...Governmental Affairs Consultant) on Friday night.

Contest: 104 GAGs, $104.00 for Charity

Hello, my friends! Welcome to the 104th posting to Grumbles and Grins!

I’d intended to write something special for my 100th posting. That’s a grand number—one hundred—and so I thought it only apt that I celebrate, somehow.

But… life got in the way. And so did issues which have become an important part of my life, lately.

I thank you all for your forbearance. When I started Grumbles and Grins, I was not involved in the effort to stop the industrialization of Maine’s mountains. I was simply a wife, mother, business owner and writer. I am still all of those things, but I’ve taken on a new role… a new duty. And GAG has become a part-time medium in which to ‘spread the word’.

But!!! One’s life cannot consist of work and duty and responsibility, only. Can it? (Please say ‘no’…)

No! It can’t!

There is a proper balance to be found--and I work every day to find it.

So… to commemorate the 100th (oh, fine! The 104th!) posting to GAG, I am holding another contest.

No autographed copies of Grumble Bluff, and no Maine t-shirts to be had for prizes, this time. Nope. THIS time, we’re ‘giving back’. This time, the winner of my contest will be able to direct me to pay $100.00-- a dollar per posting-- to the charity of their choice. Or the person of their choice—someone who is deserving of a little assistance, but who is, perhaps, too proud to ask.

Okay! Okay!! A buck a posting doesn’t equal $100.00! You’re right…it equals $104.00.

So, now we know what the prize is. The next question? What is the contest?

Well… honestly? I had such fun with the answers you gave to my ‘Name That Caption’ contest, that I simply have to try it again. The problem is… I hate to have my photo taken, so the photo options are fairly limited. So, what I’ll do is go into my “pictures” file and see what I can come up with. I'm sure there are some terrible ones I can embarrass myself with, and I'll include them in this post. You can choose the photo and create a caption. And the one that tickles the funny bone of Mr. Grumbles the most… wins. Just don’t tell him I’m awarding $104.00 to the winner, okay? If he knows that, he’ll be able to justify not buying me anything for our anniversary. And if you’ve been a follower of GAG since its inception last August, you’ll understand why that’s a touchy subject, around here.  

Right. That’s as easy as they come. Pick a photo. Tell me which one it is (I’ll number them) and then write a caption. You can enter as many times as you’d like. Or as few. (Of course, the more times you enter, the better your chances to win…)

Be thinking about who (or what) you’d like to see receive $104.00, and enter today! The contest will only last until August 14th--one week from today--unless I get busy. If that happens, then it will end when Ali g calls a halt to it. (He expects to win, you know. And the benefactors, if he does? Some needy subjects named Claude, Tigger and Wookie. In keeping with the theme, between the three of them, I’ll bet they weigh 104 pounds.)

Good night, my friends. Take it easy on me, will you? (You're not going to take it EASY on me, are you??? I didn't think so! Now that's more like it!)

Love,
Kaz
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Photo #1


Photo #2


Photo #3


Photo #4

And The Winner Is...

Bronson! An entry from Mr. Grahame Kent Dowling of Mudgee, NSW, Australia! We'll have an Aussie Newfie! (Will that mean he's a mutt? A mixed breed? Oh, they are the best kind!)

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. My favorite name, I have to admit, was 'Bumble', submitted by a young Mr. Reid from Kingfield, Maine. I'd actually already thought of that name, so it was a nice surprise and coincidence when he submitted it. I think I'll send the fellow an autogrpahed copy of Grumble Bluff, just because! (Because they're mine, and I want to!)

To be fair to all the contestants, I wrote each name on a small piece of paper, turned them upside down and scattered them across my desk. I shut my eyes, licked my finger...and chose the name on the scrap that stuck to it. (Sorry, too much information? These details are vital in assuring you that the winner was chosen fairly. I don't part with spit for just any old reason!)

So! Grahame gets a Grumble, and his choice of Bronson will forever live on in a Grumble Bluff sequel. Thanks to all!

And remember...the paperback version will be out soon, and will sell for just $10.95! Tell all your friends.

The picture above is of my Newfoundland, Tender Titans' Giant Jordan, my oldest son Guy, and me, taken in 1992. What a dog. What a boy. What a good dog for a very good boy!

Name That Newfie Contest

Before I forget--AGAIN-- I'd like to invite everyone to enter my 'Name That Newfie' contest on my website, http://www.karenbesseypease.com/. I will be introducing a Newfoundland puppy in an upcoming sequel to Grumble Bluff, and I'd love to have reader participation in choosing a name. The winner will receive an autographed copy of Grumble Bluff. I'll be naming the winner on September 20th, so come on by and place your entry!

(You can also enter by leaving your suggestions in the 'comments' section of this blog entry.)

Along that same vein, Grumble Bluff will be coming out in paperback in the next few weeks, with a retail price of $10.95 per copy, which will make it much more affordable for young adults (and their parents!) And in this economy, we need all the help we can get!