Friday's work day was drawing to a close and I was awfully conflicted about how to spend my evening. Jesse and I had planned to attend the holiday party for our new apartment community, but when he picked up a dinner shift at work, I didn't really want to venture out alone. Teresa had invited me to Newberg for a night of Patron tequila, cheesy fries, and gossip, but the 40 minute drive and threat of freezing rain were dissuading factors.
I grabbed a long memo from my desk to proofread at home, anticipating a self-imposed lonely night on the couch. I hopped on the MAX and headed east toward home, all the while mulling over my options. The closer I got, the more seriously I was considering going to the holiday party alone. One of the big draws for Jesse and I had been a raffle contest for anyone who brought an item to donate to Toys for Tots. As I disembarked from the train, I decided to go for it. I walked over to a grocery store very near our apartment and chose a Crayola art set to bring.
It was still a bit early, so I went to our house to unpack my work bag and have a small glass of emboldening wine. Once it was safely past the party's start time, I walked down the hill with my donation in hand. Entering the party, I could hardly believe my eyes. It was an amazing improvement in holiday spirit from our prior apartment home. There was a National Guardsman taking toys and handing out raffle tickets in exchange. A live rock band played in the corner and several people huddled around the crackling fireplace.
I walked down the main hallway to a room full of people. One large table displayed an array of appetizers, while another had at least 10 kinds of desserts. Wine was being served at the bar. I grabbed food and drink and wandered around aimlessly, trying to decide how long to stay. I spotted two girls chatting and eventually talked myself into going over and saying hi.
The girls, Sarah and Clara (for real), and I talked for quite a while, when suddenly the raffle ceremony was announced. Everyone crowded into the main room, pink raffle tickets clutched in their hands. Many prizes were up for grabs, including gift cards to a grocery store, Target, P.F. Changs, and Claim Jumpers. Sarah was one of the first to win - a handy Target card. Not too long after, Clara won a Shell gasoline gift card. The female half of the couple in front of us declared a desire to win a grocery store gift card because it'd be just enough for two "Snuggies." Her husband or boyfriend immediately won that prize.
I was left the only one in our trio who hadn't won anything. It wasn't heartbreaking, but I felt a bit left out. The apartment employee announced that they were about to draw the ticket for the final, and most impressive prize - $500 off of a tenant's January rent. She pulled a ticket and slowly read the numbers. 1...4...0...4...9...5!
I breathed a loud, sudden sigh. I WON! I felt like a celebrity as I walked up front to submit my ticket, a camera flashing in my face and people reaching out to congratulate me.
So that makes my third contest win since I adopted contest entering as a renewed hobby! The moral of the win for me was that I should get out more often - talk to people and ditch any plan to take the boring, lonely route. Yay!
