Too Tardy Tuesday, When New Scratchers Come Out To Play

Imagine my surprise when I peered into the glass-topped scratcher case at the Gas Station Chicken Store yesterday, and saw an EMPTY ROW! There are only five rows. Twenty percent of the merchandise was missing! It had been double-decimated!

The newest clerk was standing by, while Man Owner himself puttered around, a bill of lading, or a shipping list, or some such document in his hand. He was not his cheery self, like Ned Flanders, whom he also resembles. 

Clerk Boy waited on me as I cashed in a $20 winner from a $3 ticket. Man Owner stepped aside.

"Oh. Are you doing some spring cleaning in the lottery case?"

"No! I had it all ready. We were supposed to get new tickets today."

"I know! It's MO Money Monday! But the lottery website wasn't even updated! I checked after midnight Sunday, like I do for the last Monday of every month. But it wasn't showing the new tickets! That's happened once before. I was not happy. What are we getting?"

"A whole bunch. Like when they do that series for every denomination. We'll be getting a new 10, 5, 3, 2 and 1. All are the series, except the $3 ticket. I called the lottery office this morning, asking about our tickets. The lady said, 'Well, maybe you'll get them tomorrow.' It must be nice to have a state job! I just finally hung up on her. There is no reason not to have them today. They should have gotten them all ready to bring out last Thursday, before the holiday. They knew it was going to be MO Money Monday!"

Seriously. THEY picked that slogan themselves. Not Too Tardy Tuesday. It's MO Money Monday! 

At least, as the Clerk Boy pointed out, they were selling a lot of their older tickets, as customers saw that was all there was available. Surely you don't think people coming in to buy scratchers would NOT BUY, just because the new tickets aren't out...