I'm a lucky girl.

My coworkers are soon going to hate me. I have really good luck at our company Christmas parties. It all started back in DC, during my second year at Berger; my first as a big girl employee (not an intern). Our DC office has a pretty lavish party with a lot of great door prizes. That year, I won the grand prize: two tickets to anywhere in the world, compliments of all the AMEX air miles our company accumulates. I picked Australia, brought my sister, and my parents paid to come along.

The next year, at a casino themed holiday party, the first prize up for grabs was two tickets to anywhere in the country. My boss picked the name, said "This is rigged" and my second year of winnings was complete. Thankfully, that year another girl won the tickets to Europe AND the tickets to anywhere in the world (all of the names go back into the pot), so I was off the hook.

The next two years were quiet, although in 2009 everyone at my table won something, including the girl next to me winning the grand prize. I like to think I was spreading my good fortune to those around me.

Now in the Denver office, the holiday party is a simpler affair, but with an increased odds of winning because of the smaller office size. 2010 was quiet; I didn't win anything. This year was a little different. This year I was in charge of planning the party, including picking out all of the door prizes. I'd been interested in the Kindle Fire, and figured for the cost the bosses would be ok with it as the prize. An additional $200 in door prizes were also accumulated.

My officemates and I had done the math - there were 11 names in the pot, and 10 door prizes. Since all names go into the hat for the last prize, there was a chance that one person would get two things and two people would get nothing.

I was the person that got two things. I felt bad, but I hadn't picked a single name out of the hat so no one could say it was rigged! I won a $15 Chipotle gift card and the Kindle Fire, which I was pretty stoked about. The two people I sit with at work, Dave and Megan, were the two that hadn't won anything. I gave Dave my gift card, because he loves Chipotle (who doesnt?) and had been a huge help in planning the party.

I'm still fussing around learning how to use the Kindle. I was able to download a few free books and movies for my flight. This new bit of technology in my life may force me to jump into the 20th century and....gasp...actually pay for the internet in my apartment!