Past winners of the Beth Owl's Daughter's
Mercury Retrograde Contest


In March, 2007, the winner was D.H., who was living in Kuwait.
I am currently working in the Middle East, Kuwait to be exact. When Mercury hits here, it really punches, as there are a lot of interesting energies and forces working already.

First, off I wake up on my day off and decide to take a stroll on the treadmill in the building gym, only to get 17 floors up, fully stretched and hop on... only to find the device broken....no big deal really, so I head back down the stairs, and decide a seaside stroll may be better! I had been looking forward to this day off for nearly 2 weeks! (Work has been a nightmare, deadlines...etc.)

So as I am getting into my car to drive across the main road I see a sand storm rolling in and the beautiful blue sky goes from blue to brown almost instantly......okay...so maybe I’ll just go to the grocery store and pick up a few things...

I spend almost 2 hours in the grocery store, unload all of my things on the belt to be rung up and of course the register goes bad, causing me to have to move all of my things to another register. At this point I am pretty calm, just sort of rolling with whatever happens and happy that at least I’m not working.

Get home, food put away and I get a call from an old friend for a lunch date....great, perfect!

We get to the restaurant, order a wonderful Lebanese lunch, the food starts to arrive, and my cell phone rings. I reluctantly reach for the mobile, and answer it, to hear my boss on the other end, “The BDE is requesting your presence at a last minute meeting at Headquarters in Tampa, FL.” I said, “Sure, when?”

He said, “Well, your flight leaves in three hours, so you need to be at the airport in one hour.”

So I leave the restaurant, pack my things as quickly as possible, race to the airport, get on a non-stop 12 hour flight to the US. Miss my connection from D.C. to NC (they booked the flight with no crew to man the flight), finally get to NC, and of course... miss the connection to Tampa...arriving 5 hours late, after almost 24 hours of travel. Only to find out that they of course lost my luggage. Keep in mind I am supposed to stand before a 2 star General the next day and all I have is sweat pants.

After three attempts by the airline to deliver my luggage (the delivery guy kept getting lost), I finally got my stuff, 15 minutes before I was supposed to be on the road driving to the meeting.......

I could keep going, but you get the point. I need to stay home when Mercury shows its ugly head!!!


In November, 2006, our winner in a three-way run-off was E.L. of New Jersey. Here was her cleverly told tale:

Ingredients:
* One husband who normally rides a bicycle to work but is currently also commuting sometimes to Manhattan and sometimes out past Kennedy Airport
* One mild flu or heavy cold virus
* One Honda Civic
* One Subaru Outback station wagon
* One daughter who doesn't drive
* One witch who moonlights as a substitute teacher
* Add large dollop of Mercury Retrograde [sounds like another car]. Shake vigorously. Enjoy the uproar ... what else can you do with it?

So: The aforementioned husband came home on Friday feeling awful, sore throat, sinus headache, slight fever, and didn't move for most of the weekend. He stayed home on Monday and talked about going to work locally on Tuesday, the day he usually does that anyway. At one point he went in to his office to get something, and when he came back he mentioned that the Honda wasn't starting as briskly as it normally does - maybe from the damp weather?

Tuesday: He left for work around 7:30, as usual for a Tuesday. He took the station wagon, I assumed because he'd been under the weather and also was likely to be pressed for time at the end of the day. I went to work, at the school farthest from our house, the only one it's not practical to walk to. The Honda started fine, albeit on the second try.

At 3:15 I came out of school. The Honda wouldn't start at all. I called Triple A.

Now, at this point I needed the car to start so I could [a] get home, [b] return to the same school on Thursday, [c] drive my daughter to work several times, and [d] get around generally. If it needed actual work I would, of course, need the other car.

I started to call my husband to work all this out with him. As I dialed, I realized that actually I didn't know where he was. Therefore, I didn't know where the station wagon was.

He could be at his office in Princeton, with the car. He could be in Manhattan, with the car at the train station here. He could be out on Long Island with the car, in which case I wouldn't be seeing either of them until Friday.

Well, none of the above. He turned out to be in Manhattan. The car was at the MetroPark station in Edison, one long walk plus one long train ride plus another long walk away. We spent quite a while discussing what to do about this. Meanwhile, the Triple A lady and the tow truck guy were both trying to get through to me on my cell phone, but they couldn't because I was talking to my husband.

Luckily, the tow truck came anyway. Guess what was wrong? The Honda was out of gas.

Mercury cannot get its ass turned around any too fast for me.


Another winner a few years ago was B.E. of Mebane, NC! Here was her story:
Boy Howdy, do I ever have a Mercury retrograde story for you this time!

It all started when I went out to feed my horses after dark one night. I either slipped on a rock or stumbled on a root--whatever--and found myself face to face with Mother Earth. When I tried to stand up, I found I'd sprained my ankle. Spent the next day getting X-rayed and put into an Air Cast.

Things progress, the ankle gets easier to walk on, so soon I felt okay to climb up onto the hay trailer to knock some bales down for the horses. I slipped--my foot caught in one of the "rungs" of the loading ramp, and I fell backwards. Realizing that hitting the edge of the metal loading ramp with my back or head might just be fatal, I twisted my body to land between the loading ramps. I looked up at my still-stuck foot as I hung from the loading ramp, and the lower part of my leg was at a right angle to the rest of me.

Spent another day getting X-rays and an MRI (I should be glowing in the dark by now!), then being fitted into a calf-to-thigh brace. How long, I asked. "Six weeks."

Two of my pregnant mares were about ready to give birth. I examined them about supper time last night and figured one of them would have her baby overnight. This morning, sure enough, one did--but the OTHER one. When I first saw them, I panicked and thought the baby had gone to the wrong Momma! But, then I noticed the other mare was still as big as ever, so I breathed a sigh of relief. The baby is big, beautiful, and healthy. Maybe my luck has changed!?

And then, after a blissful fifteen months of being declared solidly in menopause by my doctor, I start my period!! Okay, what else can happen? Will I turn up pregnant myself??

E. H. of San Francisco was a winner in 2005:
When you click here to read her story, you'll wonder if Mercury has it in for her. Let's all hope that this will be a very calm cycle for her this go-round!

From A.B. of Raleigh, the winner in April, 2005:
One Friday, I was pulled over by a cop for driving with a suspended license- well I thought this was weird because I paid my speeding ticket three months ago. Thank God I had the reciept in my car that I had paid it or I would have been arrested... Just the same, the cop took my license. So all weekend and until the following Tuesday I was without a license. I'd paid my ticket but the Clerk of Court never informed the DMV that I paid- so for the past three months, I have been driving with a suspended license. I called up DMV to get everything fixed- after one day they had everything straight.

So I went to get the duplicate license and their machinary was broken. The DMV said that it could be broken all week- well this was no good because I have to fly to Florida on Thursday and need my license at the airport. I went to the Clerk of Courts to get my license and no one could find it. The woman at the Clerk's office yelled at me because she did not understand what I was talking about and of course I began to cry. After three hours, the Raleigh Police called me- they had my license.

I ran all the way there from work (6 blocks) in high heels to find that the woman who had my license was at lunch. I went back to work and then had to go back again to finally get my license. The DA was no help- it was a mess!

Needless to say, it was a terrible experience.

In December 2004, we had a tie for best story.
Here is the first winning tale from Emily H. from San Francisco:

12/1/04: A hectic day due to ongoing excitement of fundraising appeal letters, the ever-joyful biweekly management team meeting which kept me from actually working on the letters, etc. The meeting had its own little Mercury retrograde highlights: the article we were supposed to discuss 2 months ago (6 meetings ago), we put off yet again; for the 7th meeting in a row, I asked for pictures, quotes, and success stories to use in the annual report & appeal letters (first request: July 29th!).

All of a sudden, it's almost 5 and I haven't had lunch yet, and I need to leave at 5:30 if I’m going to make it to class in Berkeley by 6:30. Sure enough, I don't get out until 6:15, because I am trying to finish up a few things before I leave for the weekend (I work at home Thurs., and am off Fri.). This is a typical Wednesday, aside from the extra-massive mailings--I never get out for lunch on meeting days. I usually manage to leave for class no later than 6, meaning I might be a few minutes late.

Normally I won't miss too much, but this time I will be at least 20-25 minutes late. Given how much work I have, it would make sense to skip the class, except that this happens to be the last day of instruction before one week of presentations and then the proficiency interview that's 50% of our grade. So basically today is my last chance to get help on the projects that will determine 60% of my grade for the entire semester. Can't skip!

Drive to Berkeley as quickly as possible, zoom to a parking spot on MLK, and get out. Oh, there's a meter attendant in a Cushman cart behind me--why? Is this legal parking? Hmmm. I look around and can't quite tell if this is a legal spot or not--the curb isn't painted, but there is a sign saying wheelchair users only--next to a huge expanse of curb that is not distinguishable from what is clearly legal parking with a *different* sign saying 2-hour parking only until 7 p.m.. OK, I don't want a ticket, let's try again!

Loop around MLK to center to Milvia to Allston to MLK twice, and try another spot--too short; I’d be blocking a driveway. OK, one more time.

Finally after doing a few U-turns on Mckinley, I found a spot that was 99% legal (about 2 inches of my rear bumper were in the red paint near someone's driveway, but I wasn't blocking the entrance at all). It's now 7 p.m., so I quickly walk up Allston toward the Vista College Annex, of course missing every light and waiting quite impatiently to cross the street--with cop cars conveniently waiting at the light, so I wouldn't be tempted to jaywalk.
Walk into the annex at 7:10 and get to the classroom. This teacher's pet peeve is being interrupted, so I am prepared to open the door as unobtrusively as possible, wait for her to sign for me to come in and sit down, so I don't block anyone's view while she's lecturing.

Open the door, and see... No teacher! What the...? 6 of my classmates are there, and they tell me class is canceled because the teacher couldn't start her van.

And our other December, 2004 winner was Rose Z. of Menlo Park, CA:

Last week, Tuesday, the first day of Hanukah, I had planned to go to Berkeley, meet during the day with [my friend] Jah from camp, then have dinner with my friends Yehuda, Matt and Luna, Matt’s grandma Bev, my mom, and then go to hear Arlo Guthrie. Sounds great, yes?

Well, here’s what happened. I left for Berkeley, and hit slow traffic on the bridge. I was going to be late for lunch, but as I tried to downshift, my clutch just froze, and I couldn’t move the gear stick. Luckily, traffic was crawling, so I pulled over without being rear-ended, and called Jah to say I wasn’t going to make lunch. Then I called my mechanic and said I was bringing my car in...but I had to go all the way across the bridge, crawling, to be able to turn around, go back over again, and get to the mechanic.

I made it to the mechanic, where my car acted perfect- no problem. Okay, they said, if it does it again, bring it back in. Sigh. Okay. I went home, did some stuff, and then headed back to Berkeley, to meet everyone for dinner. I got to Berkeley, and then my car started acting up again….I realized it would have to take it in, in the morning, assuming I could get home okay. I called my friend Yehuda, to ask if he was at the restaurant… it was the kind of place you needed to get to when it first opened, because it’s small and fills up quickly. I was going to be late… I thought I heard him say, “I’m here.” I was relieved, knowing that at least we’d have a table for 6 people when it opened.

I finally got to the restaurant, just at 5:00. But no one was there. Huh? I called Yehuda, and found that he’d said, “I’m here” thinking the phone line had been dropped. He was walking to the restaurant. Okay, I waited. 5:00, only me. Finally, Yehuda shows up… but my mom’s not there, nor Matt and Luna and Bev. Called Matt- Luna was picking up Bev, would be back soon. 5:15, no one.. Our name is on the list, people are being seated, and they’re holding a table for us, but it’s just me and Yehuda. 5:30. We’re starting to worry about my mom, because she’s never late. I call her house- no answer. That’s good, maybe? No Matt and Luna. I call and find out Luna has run out of gas on the freeway, with Bev in the car, because she’s lost the key to the locking gas cap. They’re really late. 5:45. No one’s there. I decide to drive up to my mom’s even with my car acting up. When I get there, her roommate says she left at 4:45 or 5:00- so where is she? It’s after 6:00. I’m starting to worry… then, my mom calls- and says, “Where is everyone? I’m here at the restaurant! “ “You can’t be, I say, I stood there for an hour waiting for you!” No, she says, I’m here. “Where?” At Chay Am, like you said, she says. NO. No. No… we’re supposed to meet at Chay –YA!! I say… you even told me the cross street!!! Well, my mom had just gotten confused, and yes, there is a Chay Am, at Shattuck and Vine, and she’s there, 3 blocks away from Chay Ya, Shattuck and Virginia.

So- I head back to the right restaurant. Annoyed but relieved that my mom is okay. My car gets us there, and then, dies again, totally frozen. I can’t budge the gearshift. I start to cry. Yehuda goes and gets Matt, who has made it, and they push my poor car into a parking space. Luna and Bev were saved by a miracle tow truck, which stopped on the freeway for them, pried off the gas cap, and put gas in the car. Luna didn’t even have to call for one. I go to the restaurant, say hi to my mom, who has to leave because it’s 6:30 and she has a 7:00 meeting. She ate by herself at the other, wrong restaurant.

I eat, and it was probably a good meal but I really can’t concentrate on it. We get to the concert, and it’s probably good, but I’m so frazzled I hardly pay attention. When we get out, it’s pouring rain. We go back to Matt and Luna’s (Bev has gotten a ride home with some one else), and call AAA, to tow my car home, 45 miles away. Thank goodness I have the extended tow package. They say, as usual, it will be at least an hour, so Luna makes a cup of tea. By now, it’s 11:30. I just start to relax, when the phone rings, and it’s AAA- 10 minutes after I called. They’re waiting at my car, 15 minutes away from where I am. I gulp my tea, and Yehuda drives me to my car. It’s pouring. We get the poor car loaded on the truck, and take off, the driver following us because he has no idea where I live… he barely speaks English. It’s pouring really hard, and the wind is blowing. We have to cross the Bay. We’re heading towards the freeway when the tow truck driver pulls ahead of us, and makes a turn into a gas station. I can’t believe he needs gas.. But he doesn’t. There’s another car there, and he’s hitching it up behind the flatbed tow truck with my car on top of it. I can’t believe he’s doing this, and I call AAA. Yes, they say, it’s okay for him to do that. Sigh.

By the time we pull out of the station, it’s 12:30, storming, and I’m just a wreck. We make it across the bridge in the wind and rain, and finally get to my mechanic’s. He unhitches the second car, unloads mine, and we’re done. I drop the key in the slot, and head home, to finally put this evening to rest.

But when I wake up, there’s a message from my mechanic on the machine… I dropped the house key instead of the car key in the slot, so my car won’t be ready that day. At least I got in the house okay- imagine if I’d been standing at my front door, holding the car key, with the house key in my mechanic’s office!

And last but not least, the winning entry in May, 2004, from Tina S. of Lancaster, PA: