The Lynda Parcells Blog - 660News Calgary

I can stop my bellyaching. It took about 40 cups, but I finally rolled up the rim on my Tim Hortons coffee cup and won! Granted, I didn’t win a car or a boat, but, I’m still ecstatic about the fact that I won a coffee. I was beginning to think it would never happen for me. I’ve never been a lucky person, but after ripping my teeth out on more than three dozen coffee cups, not to mention, droning on about the fact I was such a loser, it finally happened. I can feel it in my bones; I’ve turned a corner. I predict I’ll be winning the Toyota Matrix tomorrow……and the lotto 6/49 on Wednesday!

I never thought it would happen, but it has; I’ve been sucked into the March Madness craze. Every year I wonder how people can get so wrapped up watching “hoops”. People are distracted at work, playing office pools and keeping track of their favourite teams. But that’s the difference between me and those who participate every year. I’m not a fan of basketball, and I have no idea who any of the teams are that I picked to win. To be honest, I picked based on what team names I liked, and “woman’s intuition”. For instance, I picked one team because they have a bulldog as a mascot, and I own a bulldog! I hunkered down over the weekend to watch what seemed like hundreds of games, and I have to tell you, it was great. I was on the edge of my seat during the third period of one game….or should that be third half?? The thing that will frustrate avid March Madness participants; I’m in first place in my pool! I know it’s only the first round, but I’m crossing my fingers. I mean if I can’t win anything with the Tim Hortons “roll up the rim” contest, maybe I can win big at this. I’ll be sure to keep all you posted on my progress…or lack thereof.

I just recently returned from my vacation to sunny California and the one thing I learned while I was away, I love living in Calgary. You often hear people complaining about our city, everything from it’s size, to too much traffic, to the increasing crime. I’ve even been guilty of commenting that our city has changed too much, and not for the better, but, I’m taking all of those negative comments back. Yes, there is more crime in Calgary, yes, the traffic can seem unbearable, but, when you travel to other places, you realize how good our city really is. Don’t get me wrong, I was at the “happiest place on earth”, and it was a fantastic trip, but when you leave the confines of Disneyland and jump into a rental car to go see the other sights, you sometimes get more than you bargained for. I’ll tell you right now, traffic in Calgary is NOTHING compared to what people living in California have to endure. My husband and I made the mistake of taking a trip to North Hollywood to see my girlfriend. Seeing her was great; what wasn’t so fun, was sitting in rush hour traffic for two hours. On Calgary roads the trip would have taken about 30 minutes, but in Los Angeles, a much different story. Another thing I couldn’t believe was the garbage strewn along the freeways. When winter turns to spring here, the streets are somewhat dirty, but once again, it’s NOTHING compared to what you see there. I love to travel and have visited many places in my life, but I always love returning home at the end of a trip. Maybe that’s the nice thing about going on vacation….it makes you appreciate what you have. Here’s to holidays - and to returning home. I just realized the Easter long weekend is fast approaching….I can’t wait to get out of the city again!

Is it just me, or am I playing the wrong game? I thought it was supposed to be called Roll Up The Rim To Win….I appear to be playing Roll Up the Rim To Lose. I am not kidding when I say I NEVER win. I’m not just one of those occasional players either. I love Tim Hortons coffee and I’m a very loyal customer, stopping every single day on my way to work to grab my extra large single-single….but every morning it’s the same thing. I just about rip my teeth out trying to roll my cup up and it happens….the “please play again” line is staring back at me. At least it says please!

I believe the cup says “one in nine wins”…not me! You would think my chances would be good too, considering I stop every single day. I’ve been checking around the office and it appears I’m not alone. Our Meterologist David Spence isn’t winning. I checked with one of our Reporters - nada. Even the 660News Producer says he hasn’t won….in several years!

Tim Hortons says 35 Toyota Matrix cars are up for grabs, not to mention 100 Bayliner boats, 5,000 Garmin’s, 20,000 fifty-dollar Tim Hortons cards and lots and lots of food. So who’s winning this stuff? If you’re one of the winners I’d love to know about it. I’d also love some advice on how to win. Should I be changing my size? Ordering a small instead of an extra large? Are there certain stores that seem to payout more than others? If you know the secrets of the game….send a note to Lynda.Parcells@rci.rogers.com.