(1) It's Friday
(2) It's the start of a long holiday weekend
(3) Today's the day I got treated to lunch because I won our American Idol bracket! This was the most fun, but it does need some explaining, so I'll start at the beginning...
At Lehman's, there are plenty of us who watch American Idol religiously. So, this year, we decided that it might be fun to hold our own version of the March Madness Bracket.
The Rules:
Each week (beginning with the Top 10), we would choose who we think would end up in the bottom 3, and who we think was going to be voted off. For each correct bottom 3 guess, you earn 1 point, and for a correct "going home" guess, you earn 5 points. If you were good, you could earn a total of 8 points each week. (None of us achieved that mark...I came closest with 7, in the first week).
At the beginning, each person chose the person who they thought was going to win it all. This choice was locked in, and couldn't be changed. At the end of the competition, if this guess was right, you earned a 10 point bonus.
From the Beginning:
I chose Phillip Phillips as the winner, as did Linda. Nancy chose Jessica Sanchez; Becky chose Skylar Laine; and Diane chose Colton Dixon. The first week of "our" competition, I got a great start by being the only person to choose Erika to go home, and I was correct! After that, it was pretty much downhill for all of us. America was not voting the way we all predicted, and time after time, our choices were, for the most part, incorrect. Near the end, Nancy pulled ahead of me by some risky choices, and it looked like she was going to win. At the finale, we all believed it was pretty clear that Phillip was going to win, and we all chose him as the winner. On Wednesday, May 23, Phillip was declared the winner over Jessica Sanchez! With the 10 point bonus, I was able to overcome Nancy by 2 points, to become the 2012 bracket winner. Linda also made a nice showing in third place, due to her 10 point bonus.However, I must also give credit where credit is due. On the very first audition episode of the season, Shelley came to work and declared that Phillip Phillips would win it all. Who knew, that after hundreds of other auditions, and a dozen or so rounds later, that he in fact, would be the winner! That's just outrageous! I don't think anyone will ever come close to predicting another one like that.
The Reward:
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| My sweet, personalized t-shirt from Linda |
The winner of the bracket was to be treated to lunch of her choice. And so, today, the lunch took place. However, I got so much more than just lunch! Nancy, Linda and Shonda went so above and beyond, and I was totally shocked by their creativity (although, really I shouldn't have been, because I know them both pretty well). Not only did I get pizza from Gionino's, but I also got a crown (purple of course), a boa (purple of course), and a personalized t-shirt with my name on it and everything!!!! Then, to top it all off, Linda whips out her phone and starts playing Phillip's winning song "Home"...just perfect!!!
This is just another reason I love the people I work with! They are so thoughtful, and they know me so well...hello PURPLE everything! Loved it!!! I couldn't ask for better co-workers and friends. I am so blessed!
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| Our awesome HR Team: Nancy, Shonda, me, Linda |
