Scott Christensen, Hilton Head Island

April Fools on the Ex: I don’t have your normal divorce. My Ex and I are good friends. We had two kids together and both understood that it would always be easier, and best for the kids, to get along, even through evil April Fools’ Day jokes.

So April 1 one year was my day with the kids. They were willing and able cohorts in the plan. That day also happened to be the day the N.J. Lottery had their big drawing. So why not make my Ex think she had won the lottery?

Armed with a tape of the previous drawing, a ticket with all the winning numbers from said drawing, and two easily influenced children, the plan was laid. I arrived at the Ex’s house, was invited in, and slipped the tape to my 10-year-old son. As he went off I, in front of my Ex, said to my daughter, “Shana, here is the lottery ticket you wanted.” I then followed that with, “I think the drawing is going on right now, why don’t we watch.” We all proceeded to the television. As the “show” started on the TV, my daughter, the true drama queen that she is, handed the ticket to her mother. “Mom, will you look, I’m too nervous.” And so it went.

You could cut the tension with a knife. As each number was pulled, and the Ex read off the number from the ticket, it got more and more difficult to not burst out laughing. We did it though. We maintained composure. It was not until my Ex, mother of my two beautiful children, completely thought that we had won millions of dollars, that the kids jumped up and down yelling “April Fools.” Me, I headed down the steps, out the door and down the block, knowing that she would get too tired and regain her sense of humor.

April Fools on the Company: I was working at Prince, the tennis racket company. I was in player promotions, meaning that I cared for the equipment needs of every athlete that was sponsored by Prince from the hot shot juniors right up to the top pros. One of our pros was Amanda Coetzer, who was, for a lack of a better way to explain, one of the “hotties” of the WTA Tour. It was Amanda, and her looks, that would make my April Fools joke work.

I was an accomplished player, at the time nationally ranked. I often hit with and practiced with some of the players. Not only that but April 1 that year was on a Tuesday, after a three-day weekend. The Family Circle Cup, then played in Sea Pines, was that week. My plan was made during my car ride to work.

I was always the first one to arrive in the office. I sent out a companywide e-mail. I thanked everyone for the time I had spent at Prince, and for all their help and support, and pledged my undying loyalty to Prince rackets. I then went on to explain that although it was so difficult to leave such a great company, and position, I had just secured a new position that I just couldn’t pass up, I had been hired by Amanda Coetzer to be her hitting partner!

Our office included our other companies as well — Killer Loop, Nordica, RollerBlade — 250 people in all. Amanda’s new poster was everywhere. I expected 5-10 people to buy into my ruse. As I sat at my desk with my morning java I laughed to myself, wondering who would fall for it. Then it happened! My computer started to light up. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was believing it! Everyone! What had I done?

Before my heart attack really kicked in my phone rang and something made me answer it. It was a co-worker Becky who was calling from guess where — the Family Circle. And guess who she was standing with at the phone — Amanda. I told her what I did and she and Amanda ran up to Becky’s room to read the e-mail. They called me back. As I am talking to them, the CEO of Prince comes to my office to congratulate me. Then the director of marketing, and on down the line of the who’s who list of top executives of my company.

Amanda gets on the phone and truly can’t understand why this would be such a great job. “Amanda, I’m a guy, go look into a mirror.” She is so unaware of herself it is cute. So I go through the day, there are a million other side stories of the whole affair At about 4 p.m. that day I sent out another e-mail, owning up to the joke. It had all made for a fun day.