Waiting for my dear wife Karen to open together.
Just this morning I received an email from my dear BloggyVille friend Rachel, putting me on alert that she’d put the prize from her Could Do Worse: Adventures in London anniversary sweepstakes in the post.
A bit back Rachel had noted how she’d been publishing her words and photographs here for several years, and would therefore celebrate by putting the names of all who commented on said story in a hat, pulling one out, and sending them a prize.
That’s not why I clicked the comment box. I sent my congratulations, respect and admiration, as I’ve done regularly since we began following each other way back when. She’s good, traveling around her London world and sharing images and thoughts of landmarks, not to mention cooking and the arts and the act of living and raising two teens with her husband Steve. She’s my kind of person. Click the link above, and you’ll see what I mean.
Lo and behold, she drew my name out of that hat. Fair and square.
Today’s email — yes, we are real-life friends now who can’t yet meet in person, all these miles and all that water in between us, but can send off-the-grid messages of support and encouragement about inevitable peaks and valleys — warned of how the packing of said prize warrants special care while taking it out of the box.
The carton above arrived with the mail this morning, addressed to Mark and Karen, from Rachel and husband Steve. The international labels surely will be saved by me. I hope you don’t mind my blurring for privacy’s sake. I mentally pronounced the operative word in the last sentence with a British accent, getting even more stoked.
Yet I shall wait until my dear wife returns home from her job at SMG, and we will proceed with care.
Look for an update tomorrow … providing we get through it unscathed.
Have you received a mystery package, and if so, what did it end up containing? Have you won a BloggyVille contest, and if so, from which blogger, and please supply the link. What do you think is inside that box?
Mark Bialczak 
Oh, how exciting! 😀 I can’t wait to find out what’s inside. 🙂
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It’s a big reveal, Rachel!
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This is great Mark! Well done on winning! Even if it was a draw you were obviously meant to win! I have never received a surprise or mystery package… Thank goodness in a way and due to a solemn promise to my husband and sons never to divulge my address to anyone on wordpress I haven’t and never will receive a mystery bloggy prize. Can’t wait to know what it is… Photos maybe. 🙂 xxx
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The reveal is up photos, my dear friend Willow. Just look for the title with chocolate! Be assured that address was only traded via secured email. 🙂
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🙂 I am sure you are a safe guy!!
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I am a safe guy, Willow. 🙂
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🙂
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Reblogged this on HarsH ReaLiTy and commented:
What a cool blogger interaction to have! I always love when people follow through on prize promises. It is good to see and I hope it was something exciting! Maybe kimchi? -OM
Note: Comments disabled here, please visit their blog.
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Thanks for the reblog, Jason. Part of the package from Rachel was something to eat and drink, but no, not kimchi. 🙂
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Awww, oh well I am sure it was still good Mark! No worries bud and have a good weekend. 🙂
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You too. I’m so glad spring is here at last. Are you into the Rockies like you are the Broncos?
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No I am not a baseball fan. But it is funny you mention “spring.” I just wrote a poem about that season that I am posting now lol. Mind read much?
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Great minds move in the same direction, man. I’ll come take a look.
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If you have the time! 🙂
http://aopinionatedman.com/2015/04/29/seasons-come-and-go/
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surprises and packs are so fun – ooooo ❤
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Thanks so much, php! Wait until you see today’s for fun. 🙂
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hey mark – well it is actually phb – for prior house blog – but I love the php – it actually has more symmetry too –
and I will be back to check in
xx
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Y, Y, it’s Y! Y oh Y didn’t I just call you that on my last smarty pants comment? Losing it. 🙂
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oh no – it is not you Mark – I just changed my blog stuff again – ha!
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I did see that particular gravatar photo at least once before, though, Y. I have to be on my toes, you know?
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🙂
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Good morning, Y. Good to see your beautiful photo and Priorhouse Blog initials to start my day. 🙂
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🙂 – well top of the morning to you marly mark – and be over later to catch up (and can;t wait to hear the reveal) ttys
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I’ve bad self control issues. As a kid,,I used to unwrap and re wrap my Christmas gifts under the cloak of darkness. I was always grateful for any gift, I just couldn’t handle the wait time. 🎁🎁🎄
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Oh, Apple Pie, you’re one of those! I had a careful unwrapper-rewrapper close by in my past life, and that was a tad challenging. 😮
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How exciting!!! I will definitely be checking in tomorrow 🙂
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Thanks, Sadie! It’s a big, fun reveal! We loved it by the way. 😉
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How exciting! I look forward to the reveal, Chum. Congrats, by the way!
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Thanks, Aud. I love being a random winner. 🙂
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What’s in the box??
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Reveal to come tomorrow morning, Wormy. Edward will have to wait. I know he wants to slice it open right off.
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congrats and i’m so excited to see what’s inside!
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Thanks, Beth. It’s a great reveal!
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I have received many packages over my lifetime but none which were a prize. So, this is me holding my breath, well at least for a few seconds. . . smiles and will check back tomorrow, Mark!
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Thanks, Robin. I will do a good job on the big reveal, my firend. I promise.
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YES I RECEIVED A PACKAGE !!!!!! It wasn’t a mystery per se. I knew it was coming and it was from YOU!!!! 🙂 I still have the hot sauce sitting right on my tea cabinet in my kitchen. A place of honor considering it isn’t tea. 🙂 The book sits amidst the other hundreds of books in the living room 🙂 And the little peppers long ago disappeared in the hands of little hands! 🙂
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Ha! From sender to receiver. That makes me happy, MBC, this cycle of BloggyVille life. 🙂 And your reaction these months later makes me happier, still. ❤
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😀 That was fun !!!!!! Even though you had to send it twice….. 😉
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Very cool, Mark … Rachel is a kind and giving person. I’ll vouch for that.
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Yes, she surely is, Jim. Lucky us to be her friends way over here.
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Oooh! Yes I have! Several years ago an ENORMOUS box was delivered to me from my friend Tracey in Alberta. (She is an online friend, too.) I had to push the box through and it barely cleared the doorway! I began opening it immediately, as the box instructed.
It was a refrigerated shipment of Godiva chocolate!
So much chocolate, all kinds! It was great! It really made my day 😀
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mark – first, thank you for your kind words – you are a good friend. Second – i do hope the contents of said package doesn’t disappoint. Finally, can’t quite believe i emailed you just in time!!
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Your timing was perfect, Rachel. And there’s no way you’ll be disappointing us. 🙂
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enjoy!
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I think I may be more anxious than you are Mark! It’s hard to see the dimensions of the box from the photo but I’m going with a book or a picture/photograph. You’ll have to let us know. I recently won a Metallica bio from a blogger who does book reviews ( a lot of music ones ) therealrene.
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That’s a good prize you won from the realrene, Marissa. This package is bigger than a breadbox and smaller than a pizza oven. 🙂 It doesn’t shake like a book or a … Never mind. I think it could be anything, knowing Rachel. 🙂
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Oh yeah, I couldn’t really see the height of it that well. Don’t break it when you shake it, ha, ha!
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OOOO I hate waiting to see a prize. Look forward to tomorrow
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Me, too, Donna. It’s going to be exciting!
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I was wondering how they got it to you with all the addresses rubbed off.
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Magic labels. They appear and disappear at the snap of the fingers. Mine!
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OOOOOO The wait must be just driving you nuts to open this package, cuz. I am so proud of you for waiting for your wife. (((HUGS))) Amy ❤
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Thanks, Amy. I think it’ll be worth it!
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Darn -I hate teasers. (Says the woman who publishes a “schedule” at the beginning of each month with one-sentence descriptions that usually have very little to do with the posts that are actually published that month.)
Can’t you take just a wee peak and then re-tape it?
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No peeks from me, Cordelia’s Mom. I want it to be a marital experience. 🙂
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I understand, and thanks for the spelling correction – I typed that comment too quickly!
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No worries, CM. Type away. I do it all the time. 🙂
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Ooooo! A suprise!
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It’s not ticking or buzzing in any way, Paul. 🙂 No smells.
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