Where in The World Did Robyn Go? Giveaway Game!

My Dear Sillies,
I missed you! Full disclosure: I took a digital detox for 2.5 weeks, during which I focused on my book (InSanity). Plus I traveled far beyond my kitchen. Let's play Where Did Robyn Go?! I'll be dedicating photos to you, as I drop clues.  Winner will receive a prize from that place.

   RULES: (1) You can ONLY MAKE ONE GUESS this entire game. Use it wisely.
   (2) Must be a follower (in general and to play).
   (3) Your guess must be specific, not just the continent or country.
   Hints will get easier, if necessary. But you're so smart, it won't be easy for me.
   I won't drop hints in comments. I'll simply reveal winner once first person guesses correctly.

    Nervously awaiting my departure, San Francisco International Airport.
    I returned on Thursday, March 21, the same day I departed for my trek home.

Oops. How did he get in here? He wasn't there, but this photo is dedicated to Yvonne. May Aquaman treat you well, my dear.   

                                                          Minion sighting for Spunk.

I only saw one Starbucks, one KFC, and one McDonald's. No other coffee or fast food chains, though I wasn't looking for any.
  And, GO...

The Date to Hate Contest Winner!

Dear Sillies, 
   The polls closed late into the night last night. Votes were tallied and re-tallied. It was a close struggle. We suspect possible Russian collusion, but we know our citizens are good with some fowl (or in this case, goat) play. So now, I present to you this year's Life by Chocolate's Anti-VDay Winning slogan - the best of the worst attempts to seduce:

Baby, 

I am ready to float your boat.

I've been practicing for years 
on my pet goat. 

Our winner is our very own, the one and the only, a friend to all...felines and goats, Mr. Pat Hatt!

Thank you to all who entered.

Congratulations, Pat! Pat Hatt will receive a nice, sweet WINNER'S package!

Sympathies to your pet goat. 

Sweetness to you, my dears, today and always.

You are loved.  

   

The Date to Hate Contest, Vote Now!

My Dearest Sillies,
   I challenged you to create a Valentine's message that, while meant to seduce, does the opposite - in no more than 30 words.
   You rose (err, lowered) to the task in a colorful way.
   So as to keep you focused on the sentiment versus the blogger, I've numbered the entries. Your task is to vote for one and only one entry. Please don't vote for your own. Must be a follower to vote. Polls will close on Wed, 2/13, 8p EST. Thank you!
   Ready, set, vote!

1) Dear Valentine,
It seems you are mine,
Over time you have grown on me,
I am not certain there is an antibiotic strong enough to set me free.

2) I'm not a cactus expert but I see a Prick when I see one.

3) Blood is red
Dead people are blue
I love you to death
That much is true!

  

4) If you have burning love to share for V Day, I can scratch your itch.

5) my heart beat faster when I was with you
I could barely breathe after our first kiss
Yes, I'm allergic to nuts like you.

6) Roses are red
Violets are blue
Just one in the bed
My right arm is huge

7) "Erica? Take a letter, please.
Sweetheart,
Happy Valentine's Day, my Darling, my Love, my One and Only!
Yours eternally,
Mark.
Carbon copies to Mindy, Sheila, Caitlin, Brianna, Elaine, and Janis."

8) Some days I hate people.
I love that we have than in common.

9) I said I'd love you through thick and thin. 

I didn't think you'd get so much thicker after I said that. 

Get thin and be my Valentine!

10) I love you almost as much as my boat...

11) Darling Valentine, be mine, always mine.
Join me at my table.
I'll take you out of the oven and be ready to dine.
Love,
Hannibal Lecter, with some fava beans / cut-off at 30 words (and a nice Chianti)

12) Happy Valentine's Day. You're the reason I like animals better than people.

13) Baby, I am ready to float your boat.

I've been practicing for years on my pet goat.    

14) Roses are red
Violets are blue
That’s because I’m strangling you.

15) I don't like you, you're annoying,
but heres some cheap chocolate, lets get busy boinking!!

Annual Anti-Valentine's Day GIVEAWAY!!

Dear Sillies,
I'm kicking-off Superbowl Sunday with announcement of:
Life by Chocolate's Annual Anti-Valentine's Day GIVEAWAY!! 
There's a natural connection to football...fields of sweaty, studly young men and tight-end receivers working up a sweat, making passes, charging forward and scoring -- in SOMEBODY ELSE'S end-zone. Play after play. Game after game. Year after year. So, yeah, see rules below.

In any format (photos, cartoons, sculpture, words only...), and using NO MORE THAN 15 words, create an Anti-Valentine's Day slogan. Either post it in the comments section or email it to Rawknrobyn@aol.com. Entries must be submitted by midnight PST on Saturday, Feb 11th. Enter as many times as you like, and anyone can enter (You need not be a blog follower.)

You, dear readers, will vote on the winner(s). I shall cast deciding vote(s), if needed. And you can vote for yourself, but it's one person, one vote. Kinda like real democracy, only I always accept bribes and compliments. Not that this has anything to do with who's gonna win. I just like bribes and compliments.

Oh, the winner(s)* will receive a very generous, sweet chocolate package in the mail -- their preferences and dietary restrictions taken into account.

*It's been too close to call for a few years, so more than one of you might win.

Have fun and send me your hate!

A good week to you, my friends.
Take care of yourselves.

Anti-Valentine's Day Giveaway & Beer Chocolate!

I. Anti-Valentine's Day Giveaway! Create an anti-Valentine's Day slogan in 20 words or less. Put it in the comments section. That's all! Just write something funny/entertaining/hateful about V. Day. You'll vote on your favorite, and the winner will get a sweet package involving fair-trade chocolate. (I don't skimp when it comes to chocolate.)

Deadline for submissions: Tuesday/Wednesday, 12 midnight PST.  

I've already received these worthy entries:  

 

Roland D. Yeomans said..

Nothing says YOU'RE SPECIAL like a mass-produced sentiment written by someone else!

Daisy said...

Chocolate hearts

make Valentine's Day fun,

but if you're alone,

all you REALLY want

is the day

over and done.

Al Penwasser said...

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Chocolate makes you fat
I'll eat the chocolate
and you can have the flowers.

Fanny Barnes Thornton said...A Valentine -just my luck!
I wanted a heart, but I got a duck!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
II. I've sampled Chocolate Beer, and now we have Beer Chocolate!

This contest winner will get to choose one of these flavors. There's a bacon flavored chocolate bar too. I'll let you know the options when the time comes. For now, I tasted devoured Vosges' Smoke & Stout Caramel Bar made with Rogue Ale's Chocolate Stout beer.

I hate beer, but I liked this chocolate bar, mainly because the taste of caramel is primary. It's like a gooey, yummy, caramel-y mess with a splash of stout. The flavors blend well together, actually. It's not a match made in heaven, but they do alright. Still, I prefer Vosges' bacon flavored chocolate bar. Vosges chocolates are fair trade. They're pricey, $6 per bar, but worth it for the novelty and taste.

All in all, I give Vosges' Smoke & Stout Caramel Bar a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10 (1 being impotent and 10 being orgasmic).

Have a sweet day.

 

Anti-Valentine's Day Giveaway, Sundays in My City & More

UnknownMami turns blogland into a wonderfully small world every week, through Sundays in My City. Visit her site to visit the world of bloggers' hometowns.

Welcome to Chico, CA, where DuPont is ready for Valentine's Day.

A few miles away, this beauty poses for a photo. Does anyone know what kind of bird it is? It's so pretty. I'd like to find out.

And now, back to Valentine's Day. I hate it. Thus I'm hostessing my annual Anti-Valentine's Day Giveaway. All you have to do is write an anti-Valentine's Day slogan in less than 20 words. Put it in the comments section of this or an upcoming post. {I'll announce the contest once or twice more.} That's all! Just write something funny/entertaining/hateful about V. Day. You'll vote on your favorite, and the winner will get a sweet package involving fair-trade chocolate. (I don't skimp when it comes to chocolate.)

Finally, Facebook turned 10 this month. In honor of its b-day, I wrote a poem.
 
A BIRTHDAY MESSAGE TO FACEBOOK

You’ve had more facelifts than Rivers,
More fans than the Biebs,
More questions than Leno,
Than Honey Boo Boo, more feeds.
Quit asking my status, what I’m feeling today.
I’m doing nothin’ with no-one. It’s complicated. Okay?!
You remind me of birthdays.
When I hide, you ask “Why?”
Inform on what’s trending.
And what apps I must try.
Kindly cut out the ads
And hide all the hate
You’ve more money than God
Subtlety, not your fate.
Go play with farm animals. Defeat Candy Crush.
Happy birthday, dear Facebook.
Send money. Please rush.

Thank you for stopping by.

Be safe, warm, and have a peaceful week. 

You are loved.  Smiles.

Courage

Extending the dance, 

When you’ve long lost your groove
Swimming to shore too frail to move.

Stepping towards light, when darkness abounds
Permitting a laugh amid no other sounds.

Confronting a beast no one should endure
It strikes with no warning, no reprieve and no cure.
 

Snuggling with hope, when the pain you can’t bare
Unveiling your heart in the face of despair.

Conveying a smile, when you’d much rather cry
Speaking the truth though it’s safer to lie.

Taking a stance, when integrity’s lost
Forcing what’s right in spite of the cost.  

Holding to faith in your value and worth
Maintaining a grace that softens the earth.  

Passing with ease
As you air your last breath

A hero whose soul
Transcends life
and death.

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Thank you to those who shared stories of courage. Please send healing thoughts and, if you're so inclined, prayers to:

 -Our dear blog friend, Mike Swift's twin sister, Michele/Shelly, who is beginning a very grueling, lengthy battle against breast cancer. Mike and Shelly lost their precious mother only three months ago. We're here for you both.

 -Elaine, Debra's good friend, who is going through radiation.

 -Lara, whose cancer spread from her breasts to her brain. Lara is a friend of Carol. Carol is a twice-survivor of breast cancer and a close friend of mine. Carol and Lara met through their efforts for the American Cancer Society. 

   Our love, faith, and support to all of you!

************************************************

On a more cheery note, the Giveaway winner is...Cindy, nominated by Ruth! "A former classmate of my husband (Cindy) had it twice. She is a teacher and had to drive up to Des Moines every day for chemo for 7 weeks. She is one of the sweetest people I know." She's doing great now!

Debra, JoJo, and Susan, I'll be sending copies of my poetry book to your heroic friends too. We'll chat (i.e., email) off-line. Smiles.

Congratulations, Cindy and Ruth!
A safe, peaceful week to all! 
Keep faith, a smile, and a stash of chocolate.

DuPont does Pink! Breast Cancer Awareness

Thank you for visiting Chico, CA, and the horse we've grown to love. Draped in pink, Du Pont helps raise awareness about breast cancer. He's a winner, always doing the town proud.

I'm displaying these photos for Sundays in My City, hosted by a warm-hearted wonder, UnknownMami. And they tie-in with my Breast Cancer Awareness Giveaway. I'll announce the winner Monday. For now, here are some stories of courage, strength, tragic loss, love, faith, and perseverance. Thank you to everyone who commented. There's still time to share a story if you'd like. I appreciate it, and I'm sure many others do too.

I'd like to ask a favor: Please lend support (and prayer, if you're so inclined) to our dear blog friend, Mike Swift, as his twin sister, Michele/Shelly, is gearing up for a lengthy, grueling battle with breast cancer. We're here for you, Mike and Shelly! 
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Debra She Who Seeks said...I'd like to nominate my friend Elaine who is currently battling breast cancer. She is having her radiation treatments now. The chemo made her quite sick and landed her in hospital a couple of times. But Elaine has been a real trooper throughout. We all hope for a successful resolution and a long life ahead for her!
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Daisy said...An aunt of mine struggled with fighting breast cancer. So far she is winning the battle as it seems that it was diagnosed early enough that it could be taken care of.
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Julie Luek said...Four years ago three of my college pals and I started getting together. Now in our mid-40s, our kids almost grown, we drew together, reunited, laughing like the school girls we once were. Our reunion after all these years, was motivated by the breast cancer diagnosis of one of us, Joan. Every year after, once a year, we got together, as Joan bravely fought. We shed tears over her fears-- not seeing her children graduate college, get married or meet her grandchildren.
Last August (2012) was our last reunion. Joan slipped from our world that October. To all the kids she touched in her life of teaching, to her family and to us, her lifelong friends, it is a loss we still mourn. Here's to the awareness and hope for the future.  
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Theresa said...My paternal grandmother lost the fight against breast cancer. I really wish I would have had the chance to have met her. I hear she was a great lady, one with a really big heart.
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JoJo said...I'd like to nominate my friend Jaime, who discovered a hot mass under her breast in 2008, at the age of 29. It was breast cancer and she went through hell with all of the treatments, radiation, chemo, etc. She lost her beautiful red hair, but she soldiered on. She named the lump Tumora and decided to adopt a warrior attitude toward defeating it. All that time, she refused to give up and refused to be 'poor me'. She's now cancer free.
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Cheryl said…My walking partner is a breast cancer survivor. Sally was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 28 years old and had to have a bilateral mastectomy. She has been cancer free for many years.
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Tammy said...Well, breast cancer has touched those close to me quite a few times. It killed my maternal grandmother as a young woman and my paternal grandmother was a survivor. A Coworker died young leaving a two-year old son behind. But my hero award goes to my great friend Carol who has twice fought and beaten breast cancer with a positive attitude and incredible resoluteness. She is someone who appreciates life’s many adventures and gives so much.
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Susan Flett Swiderski said...Yes, men can definitely get breast cancer. My brother did, and he was only in his thirties at the time. Unfortunately, I know way too many people who've fought and lost a battle with breast cancer. I'd like to nominate my life-long friend Caryl, who won her fight, in spite of being told by her doctor that she was a goner at one point.
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Empty Nest Insider said...I know that you lost your mom at a young age to cancer. We lost our cousin several years ago to breast cancer. She left behind two small boys who were only two and four years old.
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Ruth said...Sadly, I know too many people that have had it. Cancer rates are fairly high in my area. A former classmate of my husband, Cindy, had it twice. She is a teacher and had to drive up to Des Moines every day for chemo for 7 weeks. She is one of the sweetest people I know.
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M.L. Swift said...It comes at a difficult period in the lives of this household.
A month ago, my twin sister (Michele/Shelly) went in for her yearly mammo and found out she had BC. They noticed this spot last year, but "weren't concerned," and didn't biopsy, although they did biopsy another area that proved to be calcification. We figured the other (you know, the one they weren't worried about!) was the same
In this year's mammo, it had changed. A biopsy proved it to be what's known as Triple Negative BC, and is pretty serious. These past few weeks have seen many doctor's appointments: surgeon, oncologist, MRI's, an upcoming PET scan, and the like.
So sis will need a double mastectomy. The cancer is close to the chest wall and has affected the nodes...scary shit. Almost six months of chemo will precede the surgery so they can shrink it first and get it more away from the chest wall. Nodes will be coming out.
Both of us are scared, but putting it in God's hands (it just dawned on me—that sounds like God is copping a feel from my sis).
This came to light a mere three months after Mom passed, so the reality of sis's mortality is staring us both in the face. Please keep her in your prayers.
My aunt, a survivor, is doing well and has been lifting her up with hope and prayer.
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Momma Fargo said...My mother survived breast cancer and I am very proud of her.