cash or wood?

today, i was surprised to receive an email at work with a big "Congratulations" in the subject, followed by a declaration that i had won an award. now i normally don't open the "you've won a million dollars!" or "click to get your reward" emails, but this was at work, and i typically don't receive much spam here. anyway, apparently i did receive a reward for doing something or other at work and i get a prize! i get to choose between an engraved plaque or a $35 visa gift card. and therein lies the dilemma.

what would i do with a visa gift card? it's only $35, which might be enough to pay my gas bill. or maybe partially fill my gas tank. in other words, it's a drop in the bucket and i'm too practical and will probably just end up spending it on my essentials. but then again, what good is a plaque? it's a piece of wood with my name on it and is good for hanging up. in other words, useless. so now what?

interestingly enough, the email doesn't contain any mention of why/how i got this reward. so i'm still a bit in the dark, but hey, i'm not gonna complain.