Friday, February 10, 2006

No Such Luck

On Thursday morning around 8:30, I was walking my pooch, Greta Garbo, around Pine Lake, the miniscule pond west of Stern Grove and its meadow. It's a popular place for dogs and their owners, in a pocket valley like Stern Grove itself, very quiet, hidden from the street. A blue heron lives there now, and lately, an egret, though it's not yet certain the egret is taking up residence. There are crayfish (crawdaddies) in the lake, probably tasty to the heron and egret. By the way, don't ask me how I know, but a crayfish's pincers hurt like hell, they do.

Anyway, at 8:30, there were few walkers around, human or canine. It was starting to warm up, but it was still damp and shadowed. I looked down at one point, looking for the right kind of stick to toss for Greta, and there was a lottery ticket. I thought it would be an old one--it wasn't. It was for the Megalottery drawing on February 10, and Thursday was the 9th. It was a multiple ticket, ten chances at winning 102 million.

A lovely reverie. I was going to start a poetry / arts foundation, provide jobs for all my friends. A four-day week, month long vacations. A gorgeous magazine. Competitions with huge prizes for the deserving.

I just checked the ticket. Ten tickets, 6 numbers apiece, and we got two (out of 60!) numbers. Oh well. It was a nice dream while it lasted.

At least whoever lost the ticket didn't lose anything.

4 comments:

C. Dale said...

I lost my ticket while walking around that lake. I live nearby. Oh well, time to buy another one.

Unknown said...

No kidding! Well, you can see why I didn't post about this before the drawing. Everybody would be saying they lost their ticket there!

Beverly said...

I used to have that fantasy too--starting a lit journal, selecting gorgeous work, sustaining the arts & artists. Now? I don't know but that one sounds like too much work.

On the other hand if I won the lottery I could hire a housekeeper, a cook and maybe a masseuse. Then. And, hmm, maybe Annie would enjoy boarding school until she's finished with being a teenager. No, could not do that.

Unknown said...

I could if the fates would try me. I may do the lit mag thing anyway.