unlucky for me

World Cup fever is everywhere (football, for those of you in the Southern hemisphere who can not sympathise) and rather than oppose it, which was my initial instinct, I decided to respond to the email sent around our office proffering a sweepstakes. Taking into account my attitude of late stinks (to be perfectly honest), especially at work, I reasoned that by partaking in the games I would present myself as sociable and fun rather than giving the impression that I am focused and unapproachable.
That was until I picked Ivory Coast. Lisa, the competition organiser, was steely when I begged to try again.
Me: ‘There’s hardly anyone in yet. Come on, I’ll just put it back and take another. Who’s to know?’
Lisa: ‘No.’
Me: (boohoo)
Goodbye £1 and any hope of victory and treating everyone to a pint with my winnings. Okay, I actually had no intention of doing that.
I felt shamed when a colleague said they didn’t enter because they don’t believe in gambling. I wanted to tell them that I don’t either but then I would appear hypocritical as well. So I just turned away and indignantly hung my head. It was a bad idea from the start considering that I never win on bets (except once when I was playing a slot machine that spun shoes and I was down to my last bet and won all my money back – I love shoes). No more gambling, even if it is a ‘justifiable’ amount of money.
So now I can complain freely about the World Cup as I made a fair attempt at getting into the spirit of things.
Where is the Ivory Coast, anyway (have to brush up on my geography)???