So i went to my town's annual health fair last weekend; i think i posted about it earlier. Among other things, i took a minute to enter a free raffle. Actually, i barely glanced at the list of prizes.

I got a phone call on my machine Monday night from my town's health district, which sponsors the fair and the raffle. I won a prize! But she didn't mention what it was. I was hoping it was the one prize i saw listed, something about a weekend stay at Mohonk Mountain House, a beautiful hiking spot and Adirondack style resort in Dutchess County, about an hour or so northwest of me. I've been there hiking many times, but it's very expensive to spend the night.

Of course, this is all i thought about Monday night, until i could call them back Tuesday am and learn about the prize.

Sure enough, when i asked her what i won, she started saying something that sounded like "Mohonk Mountain...." but i actually interrupted her with my scream of delight and subsequent rants. Staying at Mohonk Mt. House would make me deliriously happy. (Even though right now i have no SO to stay there with, but that's another matter that could be worked on.)

So I raced to pick up the prize before work, and that's when i learned that what I REALLY won was 4 adult ski lift passes to MOHAWK Mountain Ski Resort in Cornwall, CT. Oh. Wow. Sounds very similar, doesn't it? Problem is, I don't ski!

I decided that maybe i could either sell them on Craig's List or call the place and see if i could exchange the tickets for an equivalent amount of spending money in their ski shop. I considered which was the best choice and decided i should try to sell the tickets. I'd rather have the cash instead of a few more severly overpriced fleece pullovers or some such thing of which i already have enough of anyway.

When i got to work, i recounted the whole experience to my friend and he immediately offered to buy them after i told him i recalled the letter with the tickets put a value on them of $100. I offered to sell them for $75 and he immediately accepted. I was quite content. But it was only later that i realized after reading the letter more thoroughly that the ski place apparently intended at first only to donate 2 ski lift tickets at a value of $100. That's what was typed in the letter, but then someone had crossed out the "2" and replaced it with "4" and crossed out "$100" and hand-wrote in "$200." (There were, in fact, 4 tickets included in the packet.)

I hadn't caught that change. Meaning that i could have gotten a lot more $ for the tickets and that my friend got a REALLY good deal. Oh well. He's got 2 girls so i hope they will enjoy a day of local skiing this winter. ($50 for one lift ticket sure sounds expensive, doesn't it?)I will be content with my newfound $75, which represents, oh, i don't know, a month's worth of electricity.

Anyway, it was EXCITING to win something and it certainly reinforces my intention of filling out EVERY RAFFLE i come across in the future!

I've been on a homemade pesto sauce kick lately. Made it for the 3rd time this summer today over pasta for lunch. Once I learned how easy it was to make it (fresh basil leaves, olive oil, walnuts, garlic and parmesan reggiano cheese all ground up in a Cuisineart) I've begun looking at the basil plant i've got as not just an herb, but a food source.

In the past, i would snip off just a leaf or two occasionally for a cold summer tomato/feta cheese salad. Now, that sturdy little plant i buy each summer can be as productive as the veggies growing in my garden. And i love the vivid green color of it in my blender. Once again, no comparison with the store-bought variety. Yum.

I am working at home today and taking my little lunch break. It's just my 2nd work at home day and tho they don't come often, i treasure them. And i am super-productive, too!