A Nudge Towards Niceness

I guess I don't have a dilemma any more. Only yesterday, I was debating on whether to tell Genius that I scratched a scratcher that I had originally considered sending him as an EXTRA this week. The one I kept selfishly for ME, because Farmer H's words were still ringing in my ears, about how Genius can make his own money soon enough, when he graduates in December.

Yeah, it would not be nice to rub it in that I'd won $100 on a ticket that was almost in an envelope, rumbling its way across the state to Genius. I know that, because I was devastated when I learned that a $4000 winner had been sold by Waterside Mart, on a ticket I buy there frequently. But what really nixed the idea was today's nudge from The Universe.

I stopped by Orb K to cash in my $100 winner. I used those winnings to purchase my favorite, a Golden Ticket, and also a Frenzy. That left me with $60 back in change. Here's what the clerk handed me:

Yes, perhaps The Five-Dollar Daughter was being reminded that if you can't say anything nice...don't say anything at all.

As if that wasn't enough, I stopped by Casey's near the moat, to get another ticket. The clerk was one of my former students. While we were chatting about which tickets were winning, and she was straightening out her register from almost overcharging me by $14 (hey, I didn't teach her MATH), the other clerk stepped over and said, "Yesterday, I sold a $300 winner to a lady! She bought a Golden Ticket. It was number 018. She went out and scratched it, and it was a loser. She brought it back in to make sure. When I told her it was, she bought the next one. Number 019. She went out to scratch that one, and it was a $300 winner!"

"Oh. Yesterday was the one day I didn't come in here this week. And now I just bought one, after she won $300."

"Don't worry! It's a new roll!"

Okay then. That changes my chances. However...let the record show that I only won $5 today. Did not nearly recoup my investment. But I've been doing okay lately. You can't win every day.

Still. It was not fun, hearing about OTHER winners that I did not get. So I'll keep Genius in the dark for now. At least until he gets all Geniusy and commands me to make him a sandwich, or tells me that I cry over everything.

"Oh, really? Well...let me give YOU something to cry about, buddy. I was going to send you a lottery ticket, but I kept it, and it WON $100!"

Yeah. It's always good to hold something in reserve when having a battle of wills with Genius.