And the winner is…..
Posted by Isabel on December 11th, 2007. Filed under: They're just my family.I got a phone call at work, right as I was leaving, about three weeks ago. It was my younger sister.
“I have something very exciting to tell you. I couldn’t wait any longer!”
Beings as my sister is married and of prime baby-making-age I was sure she was going to tell me she was knocked up. Seriously, she had the tone in her voice.
“What is it? I’m dying to know!!”
She then proceeded to tell me about a contest that was just announced at her work. All those that had been with the company longer then nine months were eligible to enter. You have to have perfect attendance for the entire month of December, as well as pass a test about the company’s products and policies and write up a report about your favorite product that they sell. (I must note that she works for a type of holistic company.)
The winner, and a friend, will get an all expense paid trip to South America.
For some reason, this prize was very tempting to my sister. She told me she’d done the math and she figured there were only about twenty employees that had been there long enough to enter. And of those twenty she was pretty sure that not all of them would be interested. Plus, there was the whole perfect attendance thing. My sister assured me that she is always on time for work and never missed an unscheduled day of work.
She had figured she had a one in fifteen chance of taking my mom with her to South America.
You may be asking why she would take our mother and not her husband? She says this is because her husband could care less about a free trip to South America. Dude, he crazy.
Plus, my mom already has a passport.
Anyway, back to this contest. So my sister was pretty excited. Hell, she was sure she was going to win. She told me she was going to fill out the paperwork for her passport that day.
I suggested she slow down a bit. I reminded her that a passport costs money. Money is tight for her and my brother in law. I told her maybe she should wait until she was sure she was going to win. There would be plenty of time to get her passport between January, when the winner would be announced and March, when the trip was scheduled to occur. She agreed.
Every few days my sister will call me to discuss how the contest is going. She assures me that she hasn’t been late to work. She tells me she is studying for the test, even though she has no idea what it will be like (multiple choice? True or False? Essay?). She has also been using different products to determine what her favorite is and how to write up a report about it. Not to mention the fact that I’m pretty sure she’s already started to pack her bags for the trip.
She is very sure she’s going to win.
Last night my sister called me again to give me the latest. Apparently the rules for the contest are getting a little hazy and she is not happy about it. People are showing up late to work. Very late. But they are calling to say they are going to be late. And they’re late because of a wreck on the freeway, or a bad snowstorm. So, it seems, they are being excused.
But um, isn’t the point of 100% attendance to be at work 100% of the time? My sister has not been late. At all. She lives aways away from her office, but she’s adjusted her commute to take into account anything she might run in to. She is taking this very seriously and she’s upset that the company doesn’t seem to be.
Last night she told me she hopes an official list of the rules will be handed out. She assumes that the people who have been late for “justifiable reasons” will not be eligible. She is banking on this in order for her to win the trip. But she isn’t sure. And she’s very upset.
If she could win this on pure desire alone, it’d be a piece of cake. She wants this trip. She needs this trip. She’d appreciate this trip.
So hey interweb, let’s all hope my baby sister wins. And when she does, let’s hope her husband wises up and goes with her on this awesome trip.
I’ll keep you posted.
December 11th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Dude, she deserves to win. That is some dedication!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
She totally deserves it! If you are late then you should be disqualified. No excuses!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
I am totally crossing my fingers, toes etc… for your sister… just on the fact that she wants this SO VERY BADLY!
December 11th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Hey, Isabel. I think that we went to the same high school. It seems we had the same american history teacher (who doubled as the mean drivers ed teacher and had a mustache!) and you were crazy about the beatles along with a girl named Marci? Am I on the right track? email me if you can.
Isabel: What is up with all these people from my high school finding me (And why are so many of them named Becky?)?! So much for my super secret blog life! Hi Becky. I *think* I remember you. It’s been a long time.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I love that you said “aways away”. I said/say that all the time.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Good luck to your little sis! She certainly sounds like she has earned the right to win, and, dude, South America would be awesome.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for her!
December 11th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
When I heard the rules I totally didn’t think it would include being late – I thought of just not taking sick days and such.
Anyway, I hope she wins because South America is awesome. Can she go anywhere she wants?
December 11th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Fingers crossed. If one of those “I’m late because of traffic” assholes win, we should all go kick them in the ass!
December 11th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
What? You like the Beatles???
Isabel: May’s (my best friend that moved to Reno) due date was yesterday! She and Frema are in my thoughts. Here’s wishing they both have quick and pain free labors and deliveries. Let’s also keep our fingers crossed that May’s VBAC is a success!!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Luck!
December 12th, 2007 at 12:21 am
I would be SO mad if the rules started to get foggy. That’s not fair! She so deserves it. I hope she is recognized for her dedication!
December 12th, 2007 at 2:46 am
I hope she wins. BUT i would say put in for the passport now. It’s taking so, so, so long these days to get one with beefed up homeland security and all. I think our son’s took almos four months earlier this year!
December 12th, 2007 at 3:11 am
The suspense is KILLIN me! I hope she wins!
December 12th, 2007 at 3:32 am
Good luck to her, but I was going to agree and say get the passport NOW anyway…it IS taking forever to get them…
December 12th, 2007 at 6:14 am
what a cool contest! I would be mad as well if I thought people were messing with “the rules.” What if you had planned to take the week of Christmas off as vacation — could you still win?
December 12th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
I really really really hope she wins. Coz sounds like she’s really putting in all she’s got to get this. she’ll do it! I have a feeling she’ll win.
December 12th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
That totally sounds like something I would enter. Tooo funny.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
I hope your sister wins! When I was in love with Hanson, a local radio station had this contest to fly the winner and a friend to see them in L.A. The rules were whoever sent the most emails in 72 hours to the radio guy, would win the contest. My cousin and I took turns sending email, after email for 72 hours straight. I was so sure I was going to win. I didn’t think anyone else had the dedication or time.
Time comes to announce the winner, and I (who had just gotten surgery that same day and was all sorts of drugged up) listened to hear I didn’t win. I was super bummed, and cried my little eyes out.
But luckily I have an awesome mom who flew me to L.A. to see them anyways.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
FINGERS CROSSED for your baby sister! She deserves to win– she will TOTALLY appreciate it, and I appreciate her rule-following behavior! Cuz I’m anal.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I hope she wins! I like people who play by the rules!
December 12th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
wow seiously your sister sounds so dedicated it’s admirable.
and I’m freaked someone from your highschool found you.
I’ll die if that happens to me!
Peace
December 13th, 2007 at 12:07 am
Dang. If she doesn’t win, it would be such an injustice. She wants it too badly NOT to win! I’m sending happy South American thoughts her way.
December 13th, 2007 at 7:17 am
Ah, poor girl. I hope she does win. Someone who takes something seriously and will work hard to earn the reward should get said reward.
Of course, as someone who works in Higher Ed, I know that’s not always the case. I hope it works out to her favor this time.
December 14th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
That is a great prize (and a good way to keep people from slacking off in December)!! I hope she wins.
And if she loses to one of these “I got stuck in a blizzard” sissies, you’ll have to sic the Hola Isabel readership on the company management!