At 8:05 am, I wait at my desk with ears towards the radio sitting at the desk next to mine (my co-workers know by now not to talk to me or have a CD in the radio at these times-they just sit and laugh at me instead). Again, I frantically dial and dial and dial, hoping to be the 5th caller. I've been putting off my morning rounds until after the contest is over at during this allotment (normally I'm in the warehouse getting the paperwork and back at my desk by this time, but I don't want to risk missing the announcement of when to start dialing, so I just wait).
At 11:05, I do the same thing. Normally I take my lunch from 11:00-12:00, but I have my handy cell phone for this. Once my supervisor asked if I wanted to go to the Chinese buffet. I said yes, but really didn't want to because by the time the radio personalities start the contest, play the one or two songs and return back to the radio to introduce the lucky contestant, it's a quarter past the hour. This particular day, we were inside the restaurant and I couldn't wait to get back to the office so my fellow co-workers could tell me what was guessed. My supervisor said we could sit in the car long enough for me to call a bazillion times from my cell and listen to the guess, but I felt silly since he doesn't participate. It was a long lunch.
The 2:05 allotment is perfect for me. I have no reason to be away from my desk at this time, so I can focus all of my attention to the radio. However, Monday I had a meeting at 2:00 that made me miss it, but I made sure my desk neighbor listened and took notes of what was guessed. You see, I have to listen intensively to find out what the callers guess-usually scolding them for waisting their call on such a silly guess. If I miss it, it's likely that I may repeat their answer if I ever get through the other people flooding the lines at this time. (The radio station finally put a list on their website of all the guesses so they don't get repeated).
Now the 5:05 allotment is the most difficult for me. I leave work at 4:45 and it should be easy, sitting in my car with my cell phone, right? No. The drive from work to Bebito's babysitter takes 15-20 minutes. So if I'm lucky, I can get there with enough time to jump out, get his things together, get him in his car seat and restart the car in time for them to replay the 'secret sound' and let the calls start flooding. However, if I don't time it right, I have to wait in the car and dial, wait for the song to play, and then wait to find out what the lucky caller guessed. By the time I get out of my car, I've been sitting in the parking lot for 10 minutes and have to rush home so my husband can get to his English class. Sometimes I jump out as soon as the contest starts, run up to the door and get the baby back in the car while the song is playing. But it's hard to do when I'm trying to push redial and hold the phone up to my ear to hear if there's a busy signal or a ring. Plus my sitter thinks I'm nuts.
I have been lucky enough to get a ring on four different occasions.
Once I was caller number 3. Not cool. That same day, I was caller number 5, but it was for a different contest and I won lunch and football tickets instead. Another time, the phone started ringing. I was so excited and my fellow neighbor started laughing when a strange voice on the other line picked up and I realized I had misdialed. The last time I got through, I was actually the first caller. Cool, but not so cool when I'm trying to be caller number 5. But I keep trying. My boss called me into his office earlier this week and gave me a piece of paper to look at. I was familiar with the paper since I use it to input the daily call log info for the CSRs in my department. I don't input my info or those who don't take calls regularly. My name was highlighted and he asked me to explain how I made 471 calls in one day. Once he mentioned that he heard about the contest, I blushed and laughed at the same time. Apparently I'm not supposed to make that many calls when the average is usually under 25. Oops. I don't call as many times or use my redial button anymore. But I still have my handy cell phone, right? Now he laughs at me when I call.
What is the sound? Today, they finally gave a hint. They said, "It's all about the car". I'm clueless, but still try calling. I have a few ideas, but nothing that says 'ding ding ding'. I'll think of something. I have the sound memorized and surely I can recognize it, right? Well so far, 87 people have been the lucky caller and guessed wrong. The contest is on it's 18th day of continuously engulfing thousands of listeners and taunting me throughout the day. With each missed guess, the prize increases +/- $30. Oh, did I mention the jackpot is now over $7,600?
Ah, now you understand.
4 comments:
You totally crack me up! I bet it makes the day go by F-A-S-T! Hope you win! :D
You are one crazy lady!!!!!
I hope you win the money and then come visit me!! :)
You.can.do.it
You.can.do.it
You.can.do.it
Did I help??
My grandparent used to play dialing for dollars EVERYDAY OF THEIR LIFE with the news at noon. They were finally called, on the day they were not home!! Instead of the jackpot, they were sent a case of coca~cola:)
I came to work this morning and knew what it was. I was 99.9% sure. The next caller guessed what I thought and was wrong. I had no clue after that. Then the next caller guessed something stupid and made me mad that he tied up the phones for that. At the 2:05 allotment, the caller guessed the door to the gas tank. Somebody had already guessed opening the lid and the noise it makes after the pressure is released and was wrong. But this lady-the one who guessed the outside lid that covers the interior lid-she got it right. And won all of my money. Over $7,800. I was so mad. A lady in my other department (whom I told about this contest and got her obsessed with it too)-she immediately called me and told me that she thought of that 3 days ago. I was glad she didn't get a chance to guess it and rub it in my face that she won. At least I don't know the lady who took my money.
Sorry Mindy-I can't come visit you now. But they'll be doing it again with a new sound and you can bet that I'll be just as eager to play that one. It starts at $5,000. I can deal with winning that instead.
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