Winner announced!

Alas, this is not going to be a story relating how I won a big prize in Spain’s famous annual Christmas lottery - “El Gordo” (The Fat One).

How cool would that have been? Actually it would have qualified as another Christmas miracle since I hadn’t purchased a ticket, nor had a stake in one. (Side note:  I heard that a  couple on our tour group did win 220 Euro on the El Gordo... only thing is, though, you have to collect in Spain. Still, I imagine Antonio may be able to help....)

Nevertheless, it is still a happy face story.

As the postings on my blog can attest, I carried along with me my handy-dandy tablet. Free WiFi is almost a given for all hotels nowadays, so this allows me to check my email on a daily basis as well as make a (brief) posting on my blog or Facebook page. It was while I was pursuing this activity – in the late evening, in my hotel room, in my pj’s - that I received a notification from WestJet that I was the winner of that month’s “Up Magazine’s” online contest.

!!!!!!

Wow. What this translated to was a thousand dollar prize in WestJet credit to use on its flights over the next 12 months. (WestJet is a wonderful, highly reputed Canadian airline that flies all over Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean.)

There was a worry, however. The notification contained a skill testing mathematical question (no worries, grade two level math required), and a request for an email confirmation and return of two official release documents – within 72 hours!!!

Horrors! How could I possibly return those documents within that time frame? I have no printer, nor any knowledge of how to achieve this feat away from my own PC at home.

I immediately did the skill testing question (answer: 6) and sent it back with my email confirmation of having received and accepted the prize.

Then I explained how I was in Spain.

I went to bed. I could not sleep. I got up. What to do? What to do? I reconnected my WiFi and emailed our valiant leader and Tour Director, Antonio.

I explained my dilemma and requested his help. So wound up was I that I sent it twice to the wrong address (kept missing a letter in his email address) before successfully sending it to him.

Well Antonio was fantastic. When he met the group the next morning he had already printed out my release forms all ready for me to sign and fax to Canada to accept my prize. What service. What a man. (Side note: Between my request and the next morning WestJet emailed me again saying that they would wait upon my return – so problem sorted. Even so, that does not diminish Antonio's incredible help.)

What does this mean? Well, I have won another contest – one thousand dollars worth of credit to fly with WestJet. I must use it within 12 months, alas. Given my upcoming trip to Italy that means I won't have a lot of holiday days left, but no worries... I haven't visited friends and family recently so that will be how I use it.

So yes – happy face - :) - story!

So some images of Torremolinos - stroll along the boardwalk, see some more wonderful sand castles as well as a 3 dimensional representation of one of Picasso's famous paintings:  The Two Dancing Ladies.  Perfect for the location their joyous abandon as if they were running in delight to the sea....... (Click on them for full screen)