I know the universe doesn't revolve around me, but we were (mostly I was) so hoping to surprise the wife by winning a vacation contest at work for being in the top 1% of sales performers during 2011. It was an honor being nominated in the top 40 people in my department company-wide for the last 3 months and striving to be better - but for judging criteria I hadn't made the top 1% cut apparently. (Sigh, no sunny beaches in Florida.) Well, maybe next year.
What really got my goat was that 2 days later, another co-worker approached me and asked if I would trade shifts on my day off I had previously scheduled due to an emergency so that one of the finalists could be "satisfactory" in their attendance record enabling them to go on the paid trip. After swallowing my pride, I conceded to switch shifts for this once. Honestly, it felt like a kidney-shot after being shot in the chest. I told the finalist that #1 I was totally jealous of them and #2 just to have fun for my sake. It was nice that as a thank-you they brought a 12-pack of my favorite flavor root beer. But it doesn't quite compare with an all-expense paid vacation.
I just hope Kharma comes around one of these days...
