You just have to enter

Do you know that I recently won 2 return tickets to Ireland?….Yip I did. I entered a competition just before Christmas and they phoned me on the 13^th January, which co-incidentally was a Friday, to give me the good news. So, this time in 4 weeks Lisa and I should be at ORT waiting to board our plane. My little stash of air miles paid for the car hire so I feel the whole transport thing is a nice tidy free gift. We are spending 18 days there; will do a lot of hiking and walking and Lisa will participate in a 24 hour Rogainne at a place just south of Dublin. And we get to meet some long lost Irish cousins. It is going to be a good holiday.

So how / why did I enter this competition? I heard the ad on the radio on my way into work and thought “that sounds good”. Did a quick entry via their website and thought no more about it. I guess someone had to be a winner and the lucky winner was me – but only because I entered and the rest was really up to chance!

Anyway: this morning a lady phoned me to tell me that I have won yet another prize….this time a huge hamper of anti-aging beauty products valued at quite a substantial amount of money – and let me tell you that with a milestone birthday coming up, it is most welcome.

So how /why did I enter this competition? Well I saw the ad on a magazine and thought ”could sure do with some of that” and did a quick entry via the internet and thought no more about it.

When I told my boss about this today he said ”Liz, take money from petty cash and go and buy some lotto tickets” and he meant it. However, I will take my own money and buy the tickets – I am not sure of legal aspects of buying with the company money – I mean who owns the winnings then? Hmmmm.

Lucky me!

I really don’t enter many competitions. I only enter a competition if I like the prize… I mean what the heck would I do with a lawn mower or a braai or a new fangled oven glove? I just wouldn’t dream of having something like that, but something like free air tickets and anti-aging products (hope they work) are right up my street.

Over the past 18 months – 2 years I have won the following prizes: a complete set of crystal wine glasses for just about every conceivable type of wine invented – each set for 4 people. A really enormous, just about 5 ton ceramic bowl that takes up just about the entire dinning room table – well it did until my domestic worker somehow managed to let it fall off the table. A designer bottle of Evian water – bottle is really lovely – the water…well was water! (in this instance I did enter the competition for the bottle). And worst of all there are a couple of other little things that I can’t remember. I liked the prizes so I entered the competition.

I don’t by the way, win every competition I enter….I didn’t win amazing sewing machines valued at R40,000 for example; despite or maybe because of, sending in about 3,000 entries…only kidding, but I did send in a lot more than 1 entry for that one.

The moral of the story is: if you don’t enter you cant win…as with most things in life (just thought I would tag that last bit on *grin*)

Tomorrow I am going to buy a fistful of lotto tickets…you just never know.