Why in the hell would someone send me a box of 10 Kentucky Living magazines? I pondered for a minute after opening the mysterious package that came in this afternoon.

Ohhhhhh! (ding)

I entered a writing contest for Kentucky Living magazine a few months ago, and like most, never heard back. Apparently something had come of it and I missed the memo. I thumbed through the pages as fast as my fingers could grab them, until I got to page 42 where there is a picture of your’s truly holding the trout that I caught in Alaska last July. My story was published around it in part, and there was a box on the next page explaining why – I was a runner up.

Damn!

The winners were an old retired couple that drove their Goldwing across 29 states. It may have been their last great adventure together of that caliber so I don’t feel too bad. Per the editors, there were 84 entries, so at least I was more interesting than 80 other writers.

Still, close only counts in hand grenades and this was a tease that will be good for me and make me try that much harder. Unfortunately I can’t throw a copy of the magazine across the counter to pay for my next meal. So, no prize money to follow in a separate envelope, but I guess a picture, my name, and most of my story will have to suffice for now. There will be more in the future!

Here’s a mention of the article:

http://www.kentuckyliving.com/article.asp?articleid=1927&issueid=288

If you want to check it out, its Kentucky Living magazine, April 2007, page 42.