Not Everyone's Mama

I’m not normally a sore loser.  In fact, I’m usually a very good loser.  I feel a moment of disappointment then think on to the next thing.  This time though, I’m mad.

Remember that whole iPad giveaway?  That I was giving extra entries into my giveaways for if you registered at that site?  I was in the lead until March 31 at about 6 PM.  I was ahead before then by about 2000 points.  Then this guy jumps ahead of me by quite a bit. He was in around the 1600 point range and adds  5000 points out of nowhere to his score.  So, I sat there that night until 2 in the morning, searching for places and specials.  By the time I went to bed, I was ahead by 1000 points again.  I was worried when that he’d jump on and add more while I was sleeping, but I was tired.

I got up at 7.  Still ahead by 1000.  The rules stated that the winner would be chosen on April 1 when they checked the points.  It didn’t say what time.  So, I continued adding and was ahead by quite a bit.  Then I notice that guy’s points are going up again.  Right when he pulled ahead of me, they called the contest and he won.  (At like noon or 1 PM.)

It didn’t make sense to me.  I had stayed up way later adding stuff (I could tell because his points were staying the same) and I was on in the morning adding things.  I still was only able to add another 6000 points to my score.  How the heck was he able to add 9000 points in less time than I got the 6000?

And they call the contest right when he pulls ahead of me?

I had noticed all night on the 31 when I was adding stuff, one at a time, my points would go up by 50, his would jump by a couple of hundred.  WTH?

I mentioned my thoughts to the owner of the contest.  I said something reeked.

His response?

This is my first contest, It could have been organized better, and I should have made more precise rules and drawing times etc. As far as the winner, He is responsible for a large percentage of the listings on the site… some type of automation was used which sucks but I didnt explicitly say it wasnt allowed… and may not have, being that the goal is to get huge amounts of information. Now I know.

My response?  If he was using automated software, disqualify him.  We all know you don’t use that to enter contests.

I lost the iPad due to a computer beating me out.  Even racing the computer, I was only 100-200 points behind when they called it.

If I had known automated software was allowed, I wouldn’t have busted my butt adding establishments and specials all month to keep my lead.  Probably 2500 of my points came from referrals.  When it was called I had over 11,000 points.  You got like 10 pts per establishment and 50 pts per special if that tells you how hard I was working to keep my lead.

I wish one of you guys would have beat me.  It would feel so much better getting beat by someone who put an honest effort into it vs being beat by a computer that I had no hope of winning against.

I’m a sore loser.  But, they got what they wanted. Now they have almost all of the bars/restaurants in central Iowa listed, plus tons from Mansfield, Oh and the Omaha, NE area.  I tried doing big cities where there’d be a lot of bars to list, but I didn’t feel comfortable with those because I couldn’t tell by all their names whether they were in fact a bar or restaurant.  I ended up going back to places I have lived and know the area and establishments.

I’m still mad.

I was always taught cheaters never win – but they do don’t they?

I need to let it roll and get over it don’t I?

I will.  After I stew for a little longer.

I will never enter a giveaway of that type again unless it specifically says, NO automated software.  That is so uncool to those of us who actually are working towards the prize.

I also will never buy cheapest car insurance from a ambulance chasing lawyer.  Did that make any sense?  Neither did how that person got away with winning that contest.

Have a great day.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Read these too:

• Can you say Sore Loser?
• Shout’s Go And Play Sweepstakes

Yesterday I went to get my IUD checked.  I’ve had it a year now. 

I have the Paragard IUD because I didn’t want to mess with the hormones in the Mirena.  Birth control pills tend to give me migraines so I stay away from anything that has extra hormones.

My doctor and I were talking after he checked to make sure everything was in place.  I brought up the fact that I haven’t had my period yet.  Christiano was born February 23, 2009.  I said, I really don’t mind not having my period for 2 years, but I thought I’d bring it up just in case I’m supposed to be having it.

He looked at my file and said,  – well, I can’t even figure out how to type the sound he made.  Kind of a cross between ew and mmmm.  Which of course makes my insides start to clench up.  He said that if I had the Mirena that not having a period would not be unusual at all, but because I have the Paragard he wanted to do a pregnancy test. 

Let me pick myself up off the floor.

I said, couldn’t it be because I’m still breast feeding?  Although, truth be told, I always get my period back at 9 months when I’m nursing.  It takes a couple of months after the kids start solid foods and then I’m back to normal. 

He said the same thing, if Christiano is eating food, you should have your period now.

Well, that’s just great. Now I’m stressing, and as any woman knows, when your stressing about your period, it NEVER shows up.

He said that we’d do the pregnancy test and then if that came back negative he was going try to force a period.

You can force a period?

That sounds pleasant.

Not really.

I’m assuming it’s done with estrogen, which means I’ll be in migraine central if it comes to that.  I’ll take a few migraines over having a 5th kid though.

Off to the lab I went.  They drew my blood after I asked if they could give me some kind of guarantee that it would come back negative.  They wouldn’t.

All this was before 11.

I called at 1:30.  Are my test results back in?  No.  They’ll probably be in after 3:30.

I called at 4:40.

Are my test results back in?

No and it’s so late now that they probably won’t be in until the morning.

The morning????

I have to sit and wait all night with Pato teasing me about being pregnant again?

I told him if I was that he was never ever having sex again because obviously he has sperm made of steel.

This whole time I’ve been waiting I’ve been checking websites.  You know searching I got pregnant with an IUD in on Google.  There are way too many people who have gotten pregnant for my comfort.  Of course the internet ALWAYS brings out the extremes in people.  Either you love love love something or you absolutely hate it.

One website said that usually a pregnancy is caused when an IUD starts to be expelled but that sometimes it happens when the IUD is in place because, and I quote, “some sperm are determined”. 

Egads.

That describes Pato.  Christiano was the best oops I had, but we were using protection.  Sponge baby.  Of course, I read the fine print after I found out I was pregnant with him that the sponges don’t work so well when you have already had kids.

I read the fine print on the IUD.  The rates are about as good as sterilization.

I really wish my doctor would call.  I’m 99.4% sure I’m not pregnant, you know, the same rate as the paragard is effective, but I just want to know the results of my test.

You know we’d have to get down to business and buy a house if I was don’t you?  It’s not just a matter of space, but there’s that too.  Our lease agreement is no more than 6 people in a 3 bedroom apartment.  We’ve got 6 here now.

I’d need a new car too.  My car seats 7, but not with 4 car seats.

I am not pregnant.

It’s because I’m nursing still.

Looking at my phone willing it to ring.

Do you think it would be annoying if I called them again?

I’m going to have no hair left by the time they call me.

I may puke – and it’s not from morning sickness, thank you very much. 

I don’t feel pregnant.  In fact, the thought of being pregnant hasn’t crossed my mind at all.  That’s got to say something right?

Why did he have to make that noise?

Man, I thought I was doing good getting the IUD put in.  I wanted no “accidents”.  I actually was going to get sterilized, but SOMEBODY’S OB said, you know you’re a little young to be wanting to terminating any chance of having another one.  I was like 34 (this was last year) is young?  for having kids?  And have you met my 4 children?  I decided, ok, I doubt there is going to be any chance that I am going to want another one, but Pato is younger than me (by 8 years) and though the chance of him talking me into another is like an ice cube’s chance in hell, I won’t cut off all possibility. 

The older my kids’ get, the more certain I am about being done.

Crap.

Ok, you all have a great day.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Hopefully the next post I post will go a little something like this –

I’M NOT PREGNANT!

Yeah, you all are probably thinking this is an April Fool’s joke.  I wish it was.

No one is going to believe me either way when i get my test results are they?

Crap.  Again.

ETA – Just called the doctor and the receptionist looked up my results.  She whispered, I’m not supposed to tell you this, and I could get into a lot of trouble, but you are NOT pregnant.  He’ll probably want to run the test again to make sure and then force your period.

WOOHOO!!!!!  My faith has been restored in my IUD.

I hate pregnancy scares.

Now to go find our spring plungers (actually we only have a regular plunger).  Alyce is having fun with toilet paper and potty training.  *sigh*  See, this is why I don’t need another one.  I HATE potty training.  I can’t house break a dog, how did I possibly think I’d be good at it and children.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Read these too:

• Waiting and Worrying
• Update To Waiting And Worrying
• Made It Through Day 3
• Day 1 – No Nursing
• Someone Want To Clean Off My Desk