I never win anything.  Well, that’s not entirely true. I did win back money I’d already played in Las Vegas one time. However, I don’t think you can consider it winning when you break even.

The world seems to be divided into those who win and those who don’t. I know people who win contests regularly. My late uncle used to win all kinds of stuff. One of my former co-workers has won everything from free lunches to a cruise – and this was at least a monthly occurrence.  You ask those who win how they do it and you’ll hear responses like, “Oh, I just enter” or “You have to enter to win.” Oh, really? I enter and I don’t win; that is until last month.

I entered a contest on Facebook to win one of three different coffee machines. Medaglia d’Oro®, maker of traditional Italian style espresso coffee, was offering 5 First Prizes (Mr. Coffee Café Barista Espresso Maker), 5 Second Prizes (Mr. Coffee Café Latte) and 5 Third Prizes (Mr. Coffee Café Frappe). I entered and forgot about it, because I never win anything.

About a month later, UPS dropped off a box. This is not unusual, as we often shop on the internet. My husband had made a purchase recently, so I assumed this was his delivery. The box sat in our kitchen for a few days because he wasn’t concerned about his order. The weekend arrived and he had the time to open the box. Surprise!

“Bink (that’s his nickname for me and possibly the subject of a future blog post), did you order a coffee maker?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s what’s in the box, and the address label has your name on it.”

I took a look inside the box. No information, just a Mr. Coffee Café Latte machine.  The light bulb finally went off and I checked Facebook. Yep, I was one of the winners!

I had a free sample of Medaglia d’Oro® espresso, so I gave the machine a try. Normally, I’m not a latte fan (too milky), but since I could determine the milk to espresso ratio, I figured I could create an enjoyable treat. My first attempt was a little too sweet, but other than that, quite good! My subsequent attempts were almost perfection.

A few days later, another box arrived containing four 10 ounce cans of Medaglia d’Oro® espresso. Sorry Starbucks, but we might not be seeing you for a while.