Pico de Greedo
by Scott Hardie on May 4, 2014
On Friday, my company threw a part Mexican, part Star Wars party in celebration of Cinco de Mayo and Star Wars Day ("May the 4th be with you"). It was a weird combination but it worked, with games like a lightsaber piñata bash. Kelly made "lightsabers" (pretzel rods frosted with blue and red frosting), but she really got interested when I mentioned that the salsa contest offered three prizes and only had three teams on the signup sheet. She made two jars of her usual medium-hot salsa, I borrowed art from a webcomic to made a quick label, and the result won first prize, over the six other competitors that ultimately entered. The prize was just a $15 gift card to Taco Bell, but it was fun, and fun was the point. It was a good day.
It's the first time that I've entered a work contest since joining this company last fall, and really the first one in several years. I regret the way that I behaved after winning a contest at the last employer and decided not to enter any more contests as long as I worked there. That company sometimes offered really amazing prizes, like a $700 gift certificate to a local restaurant who couldn't pay their advertising bill and offered the certificate in trade, so when various bosses started hyping the "amazing" prize being offered one December, my team went nuts making a gingerbread office. We were quite disappointed with the first prize that we won, a 15-minute massage for each of us at some local parlor. The second-place team got a paid night out bowling together, which we would have much preferred. We moaned and griped about the prize so much that I came to feel really embarrassed about how entitled and ungrateful we must have seemed, and I decided that I wasn't mature enough to handle future contests. Hopefully my modest gratitude upon winning a simple lunch for two at Taco Bell this weekend is sign that I've grown.
Happy Star Ways Day and Cinco de Mayo, everybody.
One Reply to Pico de Greedo
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
R.I.P. Harry
It's been a melancholy weekend since learning of the passing of a family friend. Fifty years ago, Harry and my mother went on a date. They didn't quite click, but she liked him enough to introduce him to her best friend, and sparks flew between them that soon led to marriage and a lifetime of gratitude to my mother for introducing them. Go »alt.tv.bitchbitchbitch
Continuing in my tradition of discussing pop culture 5-to-10 years after its shelf life: Once upon a time, I was an enormous fan of ER. From the time I started watching early in season one, I didn't miss a single first-run broadcast until I finally stopped watching late in season five. I learned the medical jargon; I memorized every minor character's name; I speculated about and debated the future plotlines endlessly. Go »401.8
Most people wouldn't find anything to celebrate in weighing four hundred pounds. But when you're above that and working your way down, and that number is as high as your scale will go, it's a good milestone to cross. I've weighed more than this for at least four years (how long I've had the scale), and it feels good to know that I've dropped whatever weight I've put on during that time. Go »Screw the Braden River Post Office
I haven't written in this blog lately, and I hate to resume with a negative topic, but I need to vent and this makes a good outlet. I hate junk mail, as longtime TC users may recall from my many rants on the subject. Honestly, I've considered opening a storefront business that offers PO boxes to the public, and pre-filters your junk mail for you. Go »That Look
If you haven't seen the dramatic prairie dog yet: Stop, turn around and stare now. (Thanks Miah!) the original Kill Bill remix 2001 remix Church Chat remix (loud) infinite loop source footage Go »
Evie Totty | May 6, 2014
Good for you! I too have moments (too many) in my life where I let my ego run it.
And grats on the win! (It IS good stuff!)