Winner Winner Chicken Dinner...

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding......

Every time I close my eyes, I hear that sound. It's the sound of of that 25 cent slot machine at MGM Grand Detroit Casino.

It was summertime 2009 and I was so happy to have just turned 21 years old. I couldn't wait to go to the casino. Of course, it was my first time there and something like this happens...

It all started with a few cocktails to celebrate my birthday. Well, 1 led to 2, 2 led to 3, 3 led to 4 and 4 just led to a big back door. It was all down hill after that.

I started gambeling, just dumping $20 here and there like no big deal. I sat at one slot machine and it was hot! So I played it next to an older man who had been playing for hours. We started talking and I found out he had just been laid-off from GM, had 3 kids away at college, and finances were a problem for him.

So long story short, he lost all of his money in about 3 hours. Being that it was a 25 cent machine, the deminsions of how much to bet ranged from 25 cents to $1.25 a spin. Well he was playing different demensions and when he hit "max bet" on what he though was his last spin, it did not spin because he only had $1.00 left in the machine. So he said "good luck hunny, take care and have fun." Then he walked away. My luck was running out so I decided to play the next machine over (the one the old man was playing on). I noticed there was still that $1.00 left so I just put in $20 and started playing. Well wouldn't you know it? Bam..... Triple 7 Triple, $725 winner!!

Wow, I jumped up and screamed. Sure enough the old man from before appeared. He was so happy for me that when I printed the cash voucher I told him that he still had $1.00 in the machine and I wanted to give him a few hundred dollars to help him out. So I gave the old man $200 of my winnings and later went home.

Would it have been morally wrong to have kept all the money without telling him? Probably not but being that it was my birthday and given his situation it only seemed right to be generous. What do you think? What would you have done?

Hi My Loves....

"Hey everyone!!

So.....heres what's going on with me. Today was craaazy.... I had to take my brother to the airport so that he could go see his ex-girlfriend. I tried to talk him out of it but once he has his mind set, that's it!!

After that went array, one of my sisters, my mom and I went to lunch. They got soo mad at me just cause I was late. Like OMG, it's not that big of a deal.

Then me and the boy went out to the club. I told him I couldn't stay out late cause I had to be at a photo shoot in the morning. He threatened another break up so I stayed with him all night. hehe

Now it's time for bed, God I love my life....

Till next time.....

Love ya,"

........

One Scoop or Two? Cream and Sugar?

Do you remember what your first job was? I will never forget mine.....

I was 16 years old and my parents said it was time for me to get a job if I wanted a car. I applied to a ton of places. Finally, Baskin Robbins/ Dunkin Donuts called me for an interview. I was so excited that I said I would come in "right now" if they wanted me to. So sure enough, I went. They offered me what I think was minimum wage at the time; $6.75 an hour. I did not care what I was making as long as I was making something.

I started the next week for training. I got a shirt, a hat and an apron. They took the cost of those from my first paycheck. I started working the morning shifts, I had to be at work at 5am to prepare for the morning rush. Naturally, Dunkin Donuts was booming with business by 7am. Time was flying. the job was easy and everything was going well. Until the mop came out in week 5....

I did not know when I signed up that I was going to have to clean toilets. In fact, I didn't see it as part of my job description. I guess when you work for BR/DD you are considered responsible for everything. So after weeks of learning how to make special coffees, lattes, how to scoop ice cream in the afternoon, make shakes etc. I was told that I had to be on clean up duty. Maybe it was because I was spoiled all my life but I refused to do it. My manager at the time said I had to either do it or I had to find somewhere else to work. So I took the mop (since she threw it at me) and threw it on the floor. Turned around, punched out and went home.

I told my parents what happened and they said not to worry about it, that I did the right thing. I never went back to that store, it has been 5 years and I probably won't go in there unless I absolutely had to. If nothing else, it was a great learning experience. hmmm maybe not so much! :)

A Christmas I'll never forget...

Christmas day 2009.... it was a day I would never forget. It started like every other Christmas, we waited till everyone came to the house before we opened presents. My brothers and sister have all moved out and I am not allowed to open any gifts until everyone is "home." Finally, everyone arrived by noon. One by one I unwrapped my gifts. Those included clothes, perfume an Ipod etc. My family followed suit.

After we all finished unwrapping our gifts my dad gave me one more big box that he pulled out from the coat closet. I unwrapped it anxiously, a smaller box followed, then another small box, finally the third box that was very tiny was left. I opened it and there it was....a set of keys.

I thought to myself, could it be true? Did I just get keys to a new car? Next thing I hear is "beep, beep" and I look outside and my brother pulls up in a new car with a bow on it. I began to cry while embracing my mother and father. I couldn't believe that they bought me a new car. What a great Christmas!!