Author Topic: Moments of 'Fortune'  (Read 1810 times)

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Online gmillerdrake

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Moments of 'Fortune'
« on: March 04, 2017, 08:26:16 AM »
What are some of your moments of 'fortune'....where something unexpected happens to you that is 'good'?

Yesterday I was at MENARDS picking up some planks of Oak as my grandfather and I are going to build one of those 'barn' style kitchen tables for our house. MENARDS has 2" x 6" x 8' pre-sanded and prepped planks on sale for $51. I need (10) of those for the table top itself, (2) 2" x 6" x 6' to cap the ends, (2) more of those and a 2" x 4" x 6' to make a bench out of. Anyway, the first location I went to only had (5) of the 2x6x8's so I paid and loaded up and was set to go to a different location to get the other (5) I needed.

When loading up I was thinking about the receipt and charge....it was only $243. The (5) large pieces were $51 a piece plus I had bought (5) other sizes. Going back into the MENARDS I went to the customer service counter and explained to them I was only charged once for a $51 item and it should have been (5) of them....and the manager just told me that "It looks like it's your lucky day". I said, umm...ok? She said, just consider it your lucky day, thanks for coming back in to tell us that....you're very nice for doing so but don't worry about it.

That was $200 pre-tax that I didn't have to pay! Being that we raided the savings to get the supplies for this table that was HUGE not to tack on another $200.



Anyone ever experience something like that...or similar? Maybe not money related but service or something?
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2017, 08:28:56 AM »
So you...saved big money at Menard's??

Sorry, had to do it. :lol :biggrin:

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2017, 09:06:25 AM »
So you...saved big money at Menard's??

Sorry, had to do it. :lol :biggrin:


 :lol
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Offline Kotowboy

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2017, 09:48:01 AM »
One week back in 2012 or so...

I won a £30 meal at a restaurant.

I won an Assassins Creed Hoodie and other goodies.

I won a Gibson SG


Pretty. Pretty. Pretty Good week.

Offline black_biff_stadler

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2017, 11:11:22 AM »
The weekend of Super Bowl XLI I had back-to-back $175 shifts (Friday and Saturday) waiting tables and then found a $100 bill on the day of SB. $450 in my pocket for about 20 hours of work plus being off for the Super Bowl was pretty nice.
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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2017, 11:58:15 AM »
The weekend of Super Bowl XLI I had back-to-back $175 shifts (Friday and Saturday) waiting tables and then found a $100 bill on the day of SB. $450 in my pocket for about 20 hours of work plus being off for the Super Bowl was pretty nice.

Nice!
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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2017, 12:14:39 PM »
Indeed. And as a Louisianian, seeing the New Orleans-born Peyton Manning leading the Colts over a Bears team who'd just beaten the Saints in the NFC CG and whose asshole fans made a shit-ton of beyond uncalled for Katrina comments just 16 months after hundreds had perished during and hundreds of thousands had their lives shaken up by Katrina, I was thoroughly gratified.
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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2017, 05:29:21 AM »
Back in the fall, we had to replace our refrigerator.  I was out of town on business, so Mrs.Jingle went out to scope things at Lowes.  Our selection is limited, because we only have a 30" wide space, which isn't exactly standard these days.  So, she finds a couple that she really likes, takes some pictures of the price and model #s etc... and we chat it over.  I'm coming home the next day, so on the way home from the airport, we meet up at the Lowes to make a decision.

Turns out, they printed the wrong price on the tag for the model that we wanted - it should've been something like $1,800, and the price she (thankfully) took a picture of was $1,200 ish as I recall.  After some stern conversation with the manager, he honored the price.  Good on him... he's made me a Lowes shopper for life, and I'll surely give that store more than $600 of margin in the course of my life.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2017, 06:36:19 AM »
To places like Lowes and Menards, losing that kind of money on a single sale is like one of us losing a penny; they are so huge and make so much money that it is nothing to them, but giving in and letting the customer have the cheaper, "incorrect" price is a good example of good customer service.  The customer leaves the store happy, and you've just likely made a customer for life.  It's win-win.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2017, 06:59:16 AM by KevShmev »

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2017, 06:57:34 AM »
I've had a few small fortunes but just talking about my motorcycle in one thread reminds me of how I got it.

I was driving home one day when I drove by a house that was near my brothers place. I see a black motorcycle sitting out there with for sale written on it. It's an R6S raven, my dream bike. I pull over and it's $2300. Older guy gets out and says he fell over at a slow speed on it, there was some scratches and the stator cover was damaged. He said it was too much bike for him. I didn't believe him, I for sure that the bike was stolen (which is very common in Florida) as it was priced $4k below what it should be. I check the title and the vin and bought it that night. Replacement parts cost all of $92.

Offline Orbert

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2017, 07:04:53 AM »
My degree is in Education so I taught high school for years.  The school district I'd just moved my family halfway across the country to work for suddenly had money issues, and guess who had the lowest seniority?

This was the early 90's, so not everyone had PCs at home, so after school that day I was in the library printing out resumes (because fuck them).  There are students there working on papers and stuff.  I go to the printer, and there's one of my Computer Science students waiting for something.  We chat a little bit, then I pick up my stack and he looks and says "Those are resumes."  He suddenly gets this look of realization and says "You're not quitting, are you?"

I said, "Oh no, nothing like that."

He's like "Oh, okay, because... What, they're firing you?!  They can't do that!  You're the best teacher in this school, ask anybody!" and he actually starts looking around, as though trying to find someone to back him up on this.  Apparently I was one of the more popular teachers, but that doesn't matter in education.  The only that matters is seniority and tenure, and I had neither at this school.  He says "You have to talk to my dad."

I'm thinking maybe his dad is on the Board of Education, or something.  Turns out his dad is the head of HR at one of the larger companies in the area.  I hand my student one of the resumes, and asked if he could give it to his dad.  I had two versions of the resume, one for teaching and one that played up my experience as a programmer and my A.S. in computer science.

I got a call the next day to come in for some screening tests.  I was eventually offered an entry-level programming position 5K/year higher than the best offer I could find teaching, and I now make more than I ever could have made in education, even with the 20+ years of seniority I'd have by now, because I was in the wrong place at the right time.

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2017, 07:13:29 AM »
My degree is in Education so I taught high school for years.  The school district I'd just moved my family halfway across the country to work for suddenly had money issues, and guess who had the lowest seniority?

This was the early 90's, so not everyone had PCs at home, so after school that day I was in the library printing out resumes (because fuck them).  There are students there working on papers and stuff.  I go to the printer, and there's one of my Computer Science students waiting for something.  We chat a little bit, then I pick up my stack and he looks and says "Those are resumes."  He suddenly gets this look of realization and says "You're not quitting, are you?"

I said, "Oh no, nothing like that."

He's like "Oh, okay, because... What, they're firing you?!  They can't do that!  You're the best teacher in this school, ask anybody!" and he actually starts looking around, as though trying to find someone to back him up on this.  Apparently I was one of the more popular teachers, but that doesn't matter in education.  The only that matters is seniority and tenure, and I had neither at this school.  He says "You have to talk to my dad."

I'm thinking maybe his dad is on the Board of Education, or something.  Turns out his dad is the head of HR at one of the larger companies in the area.  I hand my student one of the resumes, and asked if he could give it to his dad.  I had two versions of the resume, one for teaching and one that played up my experience as a programmer and my A.S. in computer science.

I got a call the next day to come in for some screening tests.  I was eventually offered an entry-level programming position 5K/year higher than the best offer I could find teaching, and I now make more than I ever could have made in education, even with the 20+ years of seniority I'd have by now, because I was in the wrong place at the right time.

That truly is an amazing story. :tup :tup

Offline TAC

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2017, 07:24:18 AM »
Yeah, that is amazing!
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline black_biff_stadler

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« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2017, 12:09:39 PM »
Yeah, but now you're a candy-stealing swine. Way to take a shit on karma :tdwn
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Offline TheCountOfNYC

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2017, 12:40:03 PM »
The luckiest I have ever been was when I was in a bar under age, it got raided by cops, and I was the only one of my friends who didn't get ID'ed and therefore didn't get fined. Then I accidentally texted my mom instead of my girlfriend at the time about the situation but my mother's phone had been getting texts that nobody had sent her so I was able to play it off like I never texted her, plus she thought I was joking anyway. I was doing something incredibly wrong and illegal and I completely got away with it.

The fact that this is the luckiest moment of my life is kind of depressing though.
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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2017, 04:52:49 PM »
Yeah, but now you're a candy-stealing swine. Way to take a shit on karma :tdwn

But I wouldn't even have been in that cubicle, in that building, working for that company, had I not run into one of my computer science students that day in the school library.  I'd still be a math/computers teacher somewhere making a fraction of the money I do now.  I've busted my ass for Karma ever since that day.  I think Karma can spare me a pack of chocolate mints.

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #16 on: March 05, 2017, 04:55:26 PM »
Probably just would've stolen another teacher's donut.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #17 on: March 05, 2017, 05:43:48 PM »
TAC, your posting's been superb lately :tup

And I was just fuckin with you Bob, if you look at the subject line of my previous post.
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Offline TAC

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2017, 05:51:02 PM »
TAC, your posting's been superb lately :tup

^
That's a mighty fine post yourself!
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Orbert

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #19 on: March 05, 2017, 08:29:19 PM »
And I was just fuckin with you Bob, if you look at the subject line of my previous post.

Totally missed that.   :facepalm:








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Offline Orbert

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #20 on: March 05, 2017, 08:35:14 PM »
TAC, your posting's been superb lately :tup

^
That's a mighty fine post yourself!


Offline black_biff_stadler

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #21 on: March 05, 2017, 09:35:10 PM »
I'm gonna need more convincin than that.
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Offline Elite

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #22 on: March 06, 2017, 02:50:44 AM »
I found €10 at a train station two weeks ago.

yeah. that's about it I guess
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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #23 on: March 06, 2017, 07:54:00 AM »
I was browsing a forum of a band I like and amazingly this one guy says he's found my €10 I lost at a station two weeks ago, he's now happily going to return it.   ::)

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #24 on: March 06, 2017, 11:51:05 AM »
TAC, your posting's been superb lately :tup

^
That's a mighty fine post yourself!



Why, are you going to jump in and steal my head too?
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Orbert

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #25 on: March 06, 2017, 12:07:53 PM »
Sorry, not really my thing.  Maybe Floyd would want your head... I mean getting head from... I mean...

Actually, let's just forget I said anything.   :blush

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #26 on: March 06, 2017, 12:28:23 PM »
Sure! certainly not the kind of "fortune" I'd be looking around here for!
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #27 on: March 06, 2017, 12:34:33 PM »
I've been to Vegas so many times and rarely have any luck.  I gamble minimally, and once threw $20 into a dollar slot and ran it up to $100 in a few smaller wins.  Should have cashed out but I "felt that it would pay out" and ran it back down to $0.  That's always how my trip goes, but I love the town.

9 years ago, I was out there with my wife and in-laws and we went out around 11:30pm to watch the Bellagio fountains.  A storm was rolling in behind the mountains to the west of the strip, and I pressed the trigger on my camera at the same time that a lightning bolt struck.  The camera re-focused and I captured a picture of lightning...my only luck in Vegas, ever.  I love this picture - the color of the black sky is a gorgeous purple/blue from the bolt, which is reflected in the water.  I had it enlarged and it's now hanging in my Vegas themed bathroom at home.

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #28 on: March 06, 2017, 12:38:43 PM »
I was a winner of Iron Maiden's Heaven Can Wait fan club contest and got on stage with them at their sold out Madison Square Garden concert in 2008.

https://youtu.be/0oWV0pFKKLU?t=3m30s  and am very visible in the beginning as I run out and get right next to Steve Harris.

I still recall the exact moment of reading the email that told me I had won and immediately calling my friend (who is next to me in the video, but not as visible) to tell him the news.  I was at work on a Saturday night and it was around 11pm.  We were both going nuts over the phone.

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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #29 on: March 06, 2017, 01:00:57 PM »
When I was in college (1991 or so), I won a radio call-in contest, correctly identifying Joe Satriani's "Big Bad Moon" from a 3-second clip played on the air.  What did I win?  Tickets to see The Cult in concert (with opener Lenny Kravitz).  Good show, but not one I would have paid much money for.
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Re: Moments of 'Fortune'
« Reply #30 on: March 07, 2017, 09:05:31 AM »
In 1991, when I was 7, the local FOX station had a TMNT trivia contest, where they would show a question on air every week and people would mail in the answers. After like 5 weeks, they put the names of the all the people who got all the answers right into a tumbler and pulled a name on air. Safari Sam read my name as the grand prize winner and my name came up on the screen in those awesome early 90's graphics. I won an all expense paid trip for 4 to Disney World, stayed in the Contemporary, went to all the parks, and got to meet the Turtles backstage before their street show at MGM. To this day, I am the reigning FOX30 WAWS Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle trivia champion.

A few years ago I went to a golf outing put on by some financial company for a bunch old retired people. My buddy worked at the golf course and new the woman who was organizing the event, so we got a three man team out for the 9-hole scramble. After, there was a luncheon with some prizes. One of the ways to win was guess how many golf balls were in the big glass jar. Sitting at a table with a dozen other people I said, "I've sat around getting high and tried to see how many golf balls I can hold in one hand. I got to 13! Yeah, it's kinda crazy how many can fit in that small area." We put our guesses on paper and the guy says, "We were gonna give this to whoever got closest, but someone actually got it right on. Where is sylvan, he guessed right with 120!" I got myself a sweet stand bag that I use when I walk. My buddy tried to talk me out of taking the prize, but fuck that, I earned it!